While I am not one to live off crazy energy drinks, I do try them on occasion, especially if I find one that looks relatively healthy. One I tried is called Awake Good Morning Energy, which is 100% juice plus some energy ingredients. It comes in an “orange tangerine” flavor.

Yes, since it is juice-based, it is very high in sugar. However, most of the sugar is naturally-occurring in the fruit juice, and there isn’t a ridiculously high amount of caffeine, taurine, or similar ingredients. That, plus the fact that I found it on sale at Big Lots for 50 cents per can, made it worth trying!

Health & Nutrition

With typical energy drinks, we’re just trying to find something that’s not too unhealthy. With Awake, it’s really just a mix of fruit juice concentrates plus a few other things, so it’s off to a good start.

Juices include apple, orange, tangerine, lemon, pineapple, and passion fruit.

Then you have:

Essentra – 125mg
Taurine – 100mg
Caffeine – 80mg
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate – 15mg

Caffeine will give you a mental boost, the two amino acids are claimed to give you energy and/or help you burn fat, and Essentra is supposed to alleviate stress, reduce fatigue, and improve mental clarity while restoring energy levels.

Here is what the Awake website says about Essentra:

Essentra® is a unique, patented vitalizing and rejuvenating extract derived from a natural botanical called Ashwagandha, a powerful adaptogen that provides restorative nutrition for enhanced mind and body performance. In addition to increasing stamina and overall energy throughout the day, it has been standardized to consistently shield the body against the negative effects of stress by balancing and harmonizing the body’s systems. It helps to reduce fatigue, improve immune system functions, sharpen focus and eliminate your energy “peaks and valleys.”

That adds up to 180 calories in a 12oz can. That’s a little high, and what really takes the cake is most of those calories are from sugar – there’s 50g sugar in the can! It’s all from the fruit juice, but still, that would lead to one crazy sugar rush!

To end on a positive note, this is no added sugar or sucralose!

Taste Test

I think the tangerine and pineapple are the most prominent flavors. Orange kind of blends with the tangerine, and I do taste the apple some, but those flavors are subdued whereas the pineapple and tangerine give it that bite.

On some sips I also notice a little sour note from the lemon juice. I think I could taste the passion fruit when I consciously looked for it, but since passion fruit isn’t a staple in my diet, I didn’t really notice the flavor above any others.

Awake has a juicier texture and sweeter, less tangy flavor than the Guru Juicy tangerine flavor.

Overall the taste is good. As for texture, it’s just like drinking a tropical fruit juice mix. You can’t tell there is anything else in there.

With no carbonation and no artificial sweeteners to leave a bad aftertaste, it’s all good. I could probably drink this every morning and still enjoy the taste (not that I’d make this sugary drink a daily occurrence.)

Energy Boost

I drank a can of Awake in the morning, around 8:45 AM. It gave me a little energy boost.

Not a crazy energy boost, and not jittery; plenty for me because I don’t drink much caffeine.

The boost lasted at least till the afternoon, at which point I had a rare cup of coffee and was awake till the wee hours of the morning! I think that was the coffee, but at least I can say this isn’t one of those energy drinks that lasts 15 minutes and then results in a big crash.

My final verdict is…

If you like tropical fruit juice, and you don’t mind getting 50 grams of sugar in a single drink, this could be for you.

It’s still 50g sugar hitting your body very quickly, though, so I wouldn’t make it a habit.

Official website: www.awake-energy.com

One day I was casually walking through the beverage aisle, passing the typical cases of fruit punch, blue raspberry, orange, grape, and other ordinary drinks, when I spotted a cucumber drink!

It happened to be the cucumber flavor of Press Cocktail Soda, about which I knew absolutely nothing, so I did what anyone else would do – I bought a case to try it!

(There were a couple other flavors of this, but I had to go with the cucumber flavor, because how often do you see a cucumber soda?)

On the way to the checkout I did glance over the box and it said it’s not soda nor tonic water. Since I like drinks that are not soda nor tonic water, I figured I’d enjoy this.

Little did I know what I was getting into… After already buying a case, I went online to do some research. Here’s what I found on the company’s Myspace page:

Our vision is clear: to establish Press as the choice cocktail mixer for the sophisticated consumer. A reinvention and modernization of club soda and tonic water, Press grabs the attention of both young and mature consumers with its sleek image, crisp flavoring and nutritious recipe. As a mixer with a premium spirit, or even served alone over ice, Press is the unrivaled beverage standard. We didn’t invent the Press, we just perfected it.

Apparently I am a sophisticated consumer with a modern, nutritious drink that will be great when used as a mixer or just poured over ice. Great!

I guess I was totally oblivious to the whole “mix it with alcohol” idea because it clearly states “cocktail soda” on the can… and cocktails are mixed drinks… Duh! I thought it was just an exotic, healthy soda from a boutique brand.

Anyway, let’s move on to the taste.

This smelled and tasted like a mix of cucumber and honeydew melon. I like the smell quite a bit, and the matching flavor is enjoyable.

At first, it was very carbonated – way too many bubbles for me! But I let it sit opened in the fridge for a few hours, and then it was much better. The carbonation level was then on par with a regular soda.

Overall it had an interesting flavor, and it turned out to be refreshing.

I didn’t test it as a mixer (I don’t keep a fully stocked bar at home,) but I bet it would be pretty good for that. For gin and tonic drinkers, a “gin and cucumber press” might be up your alley.

But the nutrition information is kind of sketchy…

Since it’s soda, I don’t plan to keep drinking it. It looks a little bit healthier than soda until you read the ingredients list and see “42 HFCS” on there. That is another name for the evil known more commonly as high fructose corn syrup!

If it wasn’t carbonated, I’d consider drinking it more often, because the flavor is good. But carbonated beverages aren’t really for me. And it’s certainly not a health drink.

(I don’t like carbonated beverages, even if they contain green tea.)

My final verdict is…

The fresh cucumber taste of this drink is pretty good. I bet you could mix up some good drinks with it. Not that I’ll be using it though, for any purpose.

It’s not a sports drink, energy drink, or health beverage. It’s not healthy in any way. So you might as well avoid it.

Official website: drinkpress.com

Let’s look at caffeine content in energy drinks today…

Hi Coach Levi,
How much caffiene is in the low cal berry FRS drink? Are there energy drinks on the market with no caffiene? Thanks so much for taking the time to answer!
Grace

Hi Grace,

A can of wild berry FRS will have 48mg caffeine while a cup you mix yourself (the powder) is 35 mg.

FRS has a fairly low caffeine content compared to other energy drinks, so it’s not a bad choice, considering an actual energy drink without caffeine is hard to find…

But, there are a few to check out:

First, the ACT Energy Drink I have reviewed is said to be caffeine free, because it doesn’t have any added caffeine. But it still uses guarana seed as a stimulant, and guarana contains naturally occurring caffeine.

For more information, take a look at this FRS vs ACT comparison.

Next up, there is actually a decaf version of 5 Hour Energy, which has a low 6mg caffeine. See the 5 Hour Energy decaf page for more info.

One of the more interesting choices is Adina Coffee Energy, which does not contain added caffeine, since it is based on coffee beans. Coffee beans are high in antioxidants and contain natural caffeine, so that’s pretty cool.

Take a look at the Adina World beverage site for more info.

Next is the XS Energy Drink, which has a Tropical Blast flavor that is caffeine free. The energy boost comes from the “high powered adaptogenic herbs mixed with potent levels of B-vitamins and key amino acids,” although it seems the caffeine-free version does away with most of the herbs.

See more at XSblast.com.

Another drink that looks like a typical energy drink is the E10 Energy Drink, but it’s actually caffeine-free and contains a selection of vitamins and healthy nutrients to give you an energy boost.

Learn more at the E10 energy drink website.

Moving on, I’m pretty sure “Cranergy” from Ocean Spray is low in caffeine, only containing the natural caffeine from the added green tea. I don’t know how much energy you could possibly get from green tea and cranberry juice (plus a few vitamins,) but if that’s your thing, here is the Cranergy website.

Finally, I’ll end with a little-known drink called SEA2O that takes the organic/natural angle to energy drinks. The website says it is 100% organic, caffeine-free, and high in fiber and antioxidants.

(It’s available at Amazon.com but you have to take the plunge and buy an entire case at once.)

And that is it! If anyone knows of more caffeine-free energy drinks, please list them below in the comments section.

While no one seems to care about normal drinks such as Powerbar Endurance, I get a barrage of questions about every drink from FRS. This is just one email…

I would like to know the ingredients in the FRS products for my Doctor. I went off it, not realizing how much energy I was getting, & I threw away the box with the ingredients on it. Thanks. AJ

So, to make things easier on me, I’m going to list out all the FRS ingredients for all the different formulas right here:

FRS All Natural Concentrate:

Water, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Orange Juice Concentrate, Inulin, Citric Acid, Natural Orange Flavors, Quercetin, Ascorbic Acid, Gum Arabic, Locust Bean Gum, Green Tea Extract, Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E) Caffeine, Niacinamide(B3), Natural Lemon Flavor, Beta Carotene (for color), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride(B6), Thiamin Hydrochloride(B1), Riboflavin(B2), Cyanocobalamin(B12).

FRS Low Cal Concentrate:

Water, Mango Puree, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Inulin, Citric Acid, Natural Peach Flavors, Quercetin, Ascorbic Acid, Gum Arabic, Locust Bean Gum, Green Tea Extract, Modified Food Starch, Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Sucralose, Caffeine, Niacinamide (B3), Natural Lemon Flavor, Beta Carotene (for color), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Thiamin Hydrochloride (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Cyanocobalamin (B12).

FRS All Natural Cans:

Water, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Inulin, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Natural Lime Flavor, Quercetin, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Gum Arabic, Locust Bean Gum, Green Tea Extract, Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Caffeine, Niacinamide (B3), Natural Lemon Flavor, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Thiamin Hydrochloride (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Cyanocobalamin (B12).

FRS Low Cal Cans:

Water, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Inulin, Boysenberry Concentrate, Blueberry Concentrate, Red Grape Concentrate, Quercetin, Natural Berry Flavor, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Gum Arabic, Locust Bean Gum, Green Tea Extract, Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Natural Blueberry Flavor, Sucralose, Caffeine, Niacinamide (B3), Natural Lemon Flavor, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Thiamin Hydrochloride (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Cyanocobalamin (B12), Red #40.

FRS Antioxidant Health Chews:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Palm Oil, Soy Lecithin, Quercetin, Ascorbic Acid, Camauba Wax, Corn Starch, Glycerin, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Carrageenan, Green Tea Extract, Niacinamide, Mono and Diglycerides, Caffeine, Sucralose, Calcium Lilicate, Yellow 6 Lake, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Cyanocobalamin.

FRS Powdered Drink Mix:

Polydextrose, Citric Acid, gum Arabic, Natural Flavors, Quercetin, Ascorbic Acid, DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Green Tea extract, Acesulfame Potassium, Calcium Silicate, Caffeine, Sucralose, Niacinamide(B3), Panax Ginseng Extract, Locust Bean Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride(B6), Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Riboflavin(B2), Thiamine Hydrochloride(B1), FD&C Blue #2, Cyanocobalamin(B12).

There you go – a list of ingredients for each FRS product. (Just remember, sometimes ingredients change slightly, so always see a current box or can for the latest updates.)

And one last time, let me point out that I recommend the all natural liquid concentrate first and the all natural cans second. The others may taste pretty good but they contain corn syrup and/or sucralose, two ingredients which I don’t recommend.

If there is one sports drink company that stands out from the rest, it would have to be Hammer Nutrition. They pride themselves on (and aggressively sell) the fact that they use healthy, high-performance ingredients in all their products.

You won’t find high fructose corn syrup or table sugar in any Hammer products. Instead, Hammer uses maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate, along with healthy sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol. They also leave out citric acid (which could possibly upset your stomach.)

But… you certainly pay a premium price for all this. I never purchased a large quantity of Hammer HEED for this very reason, but I have had the opportunity to grab a surplus of free samples from some mountain bike races, so I am going to review it today.

Hammer HEED Nutrition Facts and Info

On paper, Hammer HEED is as close to perfect as an energy drink can be. It contains an “all-complex carbohydrate formula” (mainly maltodextrin) for a consistent and long-lasting energy supply, plus two sweeteners – stevia and xylitol – which are actually healthy. For electrolytes, HEED supplies a “full-spectrum, all chelated mineral, electrolyte profile” which beats the pants off most drinks containing just sodium and potassium.

Here are the actual ingredients:

Maltodextrin, Xylitol, Natural Flavor, White Stevia, Sodium Chloride, L-Carnosine, Glycine, Calcium Chelate, Magnesium Chelate, Potassium Chelate, L-Tyrosine, Vitamin B6, Manganese Chelate, ChromeMate brand Chromium Polynicotinate

Compare that to the label of your other sports drinks and you’ll wish you had HEED instead!

Not only is it healthy (for a sports drink,) but it should fulfill your caloric needs on rides up to two hours. You’ll probably put one or two scoops of HEED into each 20 oz water bottle, giving you 100-200 calories per hour. (Which could make for 400 calories on a two hour ride, assuming you consume two bottles.)

As you can see, things sound great so far. But how does it taste…

Hammer HEED Taste Test

Aside from the nutrition aspect, the unique flavor of HEED attracts a lot of riders. While I kind of like the super strong/sweet Gatorade flavors, many people find it too strong to drink while riding, or it gives them stomach problems. That’s why HEED has a very light and mild flavor, even when mixed at full strength.

I will say that again – HEED is very light and mild. It is nowhere near as strong as Gatorade, and it’s even lighter than other cycling-specific drinks (Powerbar Endurance drink is pretty light, but it’s strong compared to HEED!)

HEED is just tasty enough that it makes you want to drink it. I doubt it would be sweet enough to make you sick, even if you have a sensitive stomach.

The Lemon Lime and Mandarin Orange flavors have been around a while, and Hammer recently released a couple new flavors – Melon and Strawberry. If you just can’t stand any flavor, you can even get unflavored HEED!

First, Lemon-Lime. HEED’s Lemon Lime flavor is probably the best lemon-lime sports drink I’ve ever had. I actually haven’t had any recently, but if I remember correctly, it was like a light lemonade with a hint of lime. It tasted awesome after a hard mountain bike race.

Recently I’ve been using the Mandarin Orange HEED, because I got a handful of sample packs. It tastes pretty good and does taste a lot like mandarin orange; it certainly doesn’t taste like most “orange” sports drinks. It is much more mild than those drinks, and I think it was even more mild than the Lemon-Lime HEED.

Other than that, it’s kind of hard to describe because Hammer HEED does have that unique taste and texture that’s not quite like any other drink. Mandarin Orange is almost creamy, but not thick or slimy.

Next, Melon. Talk about delicious! It’s like a slice of watermelon on a summer day!

As for taste, I really liked the Lemon-Lime, although Melon was even better!

My Hammer HEED Experience

When first opening HEED, there was no doubt it was composed of maltodextrin. It was a real fine powder that looked and smelled like maltodextrin. That worried me because maltodextrin is hard to mix – it clumps and turns into a pasty substance.

Luckily HEED mixed up a little easier, but it was still hard to get well-mixed. I usually let it sit overnight after mixing in water. It doesn’t foam or clump too bad, but getting the perfect mix takes some time.

What matters more though is whether this stuff works or not. I used it before, during, and after workouts and races, usually on days when I wasn’t consuming other bars or drinks composed of simple sugars.

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice anything spectacular. HEED fueled my endeavors and kept me hydrated, all without stomach problems, but PowerBar Endurance formula does the same thing for me. I’ve had the same basic results with Hammer gel – it works just fine, but being a perfect drink/gel on paper doesn’t necessarily mean it will work well in real life.

Based on these experiences, I am willing to use and recommend Hammer Nutrition products, but I just can’t agree with all the Hammer aficionados who think it’s the best drink ever.

My final verdict is…

Personally I’ve drunk lots of Gatorade (I like the strong flavors and love the fact that it’s cheap) and plenty of other nice drinks. One of my faves is PowerBar Endurance, since it can be purchased on sale at a decent price, and provides more electrolytes and calories than Gatorade.

However, Hammer HEED has a good taste and a very light sweetness that is still good. If you absolutely hate strong drinks like Gatorade, I recommend you try HEED. The taste is lighter, but it’s not a watered-down, bland taste. (If you’re unsure about flavor, go with the Lemon-Lime.)

I won’t be joining Hammer’s cult-like following, but I do enjoy and recommend HEED!

Official website: www.HammerNutrition.com

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