We’re all getting to that time of the school year where we could use a little pep in our step. Some may turn to coffee or teas, but I’ve recently gotten into energy drinks. The energy drink industry has risen in popularity over the past five years, increasing its annual profit by nearly $1 million. However, it needs to be said that some of these drinks aren’t the best for your health. Many come with a warning label advising people under the age of 18 not to consume them. This is because the healthy limit of caffeine for under 18 is 100 milligrams; the vast majority of energy drinks contain much more than that, some containing two to three times the recommended limit.

Nonetheless, I set out to find the best energy drink to satisfy my need for some extra drive and my desire for a refreshing taste. I found five energy drinks (all watermelon flavored for consistency) to put to the test to see if I could find the one that could do it all. Each drink will be scored on a combination of the way it tasted, how much more energized I felt and whether or not it has an age warning. Prices will all be found from foodlion.com, however they can vary from store to store.

Reign: Melon Mania
This drink was a rollercoaster of emotions. At first taste, it was lovely and tasted a lot like a liquid Jolly Rancher. Instantly, I felt more awake and alert than before. However, it only went downhill from there. After swallowing, all I got was a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. Minutes later I was unable to stop shaking from all the caffeine that I had consumed in a few mere sips. Overall, the Reign was not the best and, surprisingly not the worst of the bunch.
Caffeine: 300 milligrams
Age warning: 18+
Calories per serving: 10
Price: $2.29
Rating: 3/5

Monster: Ultra Watermelon
Monster: a classic energy drink. Yet it failed to live up to its reputation, because it didn’t feel like an energy drink at all. Before and after drinking it, I felt the same. It was honestly disappointing. Taste-wise, it was better than some but not something I would choose to have again. The Monster actually had a burning sensation as it went down my throat… yikes. As for the flavor, I can’t say it even tasted like watermelon. The drink was more of a strawberry soda than anything else.
Caffeine: 150 milligrams
Age warning: none explicitly stated
Calories per serving: 0
Price: $2.48
Rating: 2.5/5

Celsius: Sparkling Watermelon
This was awful. There is not a single positive thing I can say about this drink. It was the sugariest-tasting sugarless drink I have had in my entire life. The closest thing I can use to describe this drink is cherry flavored cough syrup, not even watermelon. I felt no different as far as my energy level after it, only disappointed. It was hardly even carbonated, so much for the name “Sparkling Watermelon.”
Caffeine: 200 milligrams
Age warning: 18+
Calories per serving: 10
Price: $2.49
Rating: 0/5

Red Bull: The Red Edition A Taste of Watermelon
Red Bull was the only drink I had consumed previous to this review. I knew I liked it, but I didn’t know how much better it was than every other energy drink I’ve tried. Red Bull is pretty much the best of everything. It is very carbonated, true to its name (a Taste of Watermelon), and has just the right amount of caffeine. After drinking it, I had felt invigorated enough to get through the rest of my day, without feeling like I was going to explode from jitters. I think that this “Taste of Watermelon” is the perfect solution. It wasn’t trying to be so aggressively watermelon flavored, and that’s exactly what made it taste like watermelon. However, the Red Bull is the most calorific of the energy drinks I tried, so that does bring its rating down a bit.
Caffeine: 80 milligrams
Age warning: none explicitly stated
Calories per serving: 110
Price: $2.78
Rating: 4.5/5

Adrenaline Shoc: Watermelon
The Adrenaline Shoc drink was similar to the Reign. It has the same taste and the same amount of caffeine. Yet, the experience of drinking it was entirely different. When it first hits your tongue, there is a very potent flavor of chemical watermelon, but then, almost immediately, the flavor disappears. Then all you have in your mouth is a flavorless, scarcely carbonated liquid. After you swallow, the flavor comes back with a vengeance. All you’re left with is a terrible aftertaste. While I did feel slightly revitalized by it, everything else was just so bad that I cannot rate this very highly.
Caffeine: 300 milligrams
Age warning: none explicitly stated
Calories per serving: 10
Price: $2.39
Rating: 1/5