With less Juice

This stuff used to be so good.

After making a post about energy drinks, I thought I’d also post about Rockstar’s Juiced energy drinks. They’re made with juice! Or at least, they used to be. You see, the original cans were filled with 70% juice. They were wonderful. I actually skipped regular Rockstar and went straight for these guys. After a while, they reduced the Juice portion down to 50%. Ok, half is still not bad. I can still taste a lot of the juice and I don’t feel too bad about downing an energy drink (if that’s possible, feeling bad that is.)

Today, I ventured to Safeway to snag one and when I took a swig from the can, I noticed that it now said there was only 10% Juice. WHAT? Seriously? You went from 70% to 50% and that felt like cost cutting already. But 10 freaking percent is just ridiculous. That’s not Juiced like your title says. That’s a spritzer. Lightly sprayed with juice. Pathetic. The taste is different now, very much noticeable as it’s now more energy drink and less juice. That’s sad. More juice, please. I’m going back to Red Bull from now on.

My friend Red Bull

Red Bull… it gives you jet propulsi- wait, that’s not how it goes.

Warning: This post is kind of a rambling post, nothing important and totally unorganized opinions.

Ah, Red Bull. The “hate it or love it” de facto choice for when it comes to energy drinks. I love the little hyper bombs. For the longest time, I didn’t know that it was actually made by the Australians and that it was created in 1987. 1987! It must have been destiny.

I can’t tell you how many times Red Bull has been the savior for my dragging moments. I remember downing an RB in preparation for the dread Black Friday sales, both while as a shopper and a store employee. Insane.

Some people claim that RB doesn’t do anything for them and that it’s useless if it has no effect. I’d concur except that I’m lucky enough that RB still exerts that uplifting jolt in my body. And I believe that I’m part of the minority who actually enjoy the taste of this drink. It’s sour tang rings through your body, almost like an announcement of, “Hey, check what I got!” It may not go down easy for everyone, but energy drinks aren’t supposed to. At least, I tell myself that. Long nights, late nights, and even those no-night overnighters,  this little can has always been an easy access potion of booster power. The only competitors when it comes to stimulant beverages would be coffee and tea. But both have caveats, too, that can wreak havoc if you don’t plan ahead.

Coffee tastes great (for those who like the taste) and can easily be customized to your preference with a simple dousing of milk, cream and sugar. It’s also almost always served hot, which in itself is a stimulus to your body. So, what could go wrong? Well, coffee’s blast of energy is just that, a blast. After that coffee high, you’re gonna come back down. It’s a quick road trip so be prepared to venture back for another cup o’ Joe a few hours in. Rinse and repeat. Coffee also takes a while to prepare, be it “drip” or the drive-thru at Starbucks. And coffee has the ill-wanted effect of playing tricks on your stomach and can induce a stint in the bathroom. Coffee also has a high penchant for staining your teeth. Yeah, coffee isn’t so great when you really think about it. Too bad it tastes great in the morning. I love macchiatos.

Tea is supposed to be the drink of the sophisticated. And rightfully so, it’s energy inducing prowess is smooth, livening you up without making you seem like a maniac. And it doesn’t wreak havoc on with your bowels, all the while having a (specific) taste that diehards will spend their entire lives trying to find the perfect blend. The only things I can faults I can find for tea are it’s taste and the energy duration. The often times bitter taste and boring mystique create a barrier that many young people find hard to break through. As for a long lasting smooth energy burn being a fault, it can only be acquitted by the fact that this is not a great drink for late night because you might find your mind wandering in the wee hours, even if your physical energy level maybe dormant and waning. As with coffee, tea is great for those who love it. I love prefer Oolong, Earl Grey, and a great Asian milktea. Just doing it at night isn’t such a great idea for me.

Red Bull is available in most stores in their small 8.4oz cans. They also make them in two larger sizes, too. It’s just weird seeing them go large but it makes sense. With the likes of Rockstar and Monster shipping huge cans, RB definitely had to follow suit to maintain is drinkership.