Better Libations | Healthy Drink Reviews

Now this is something completely new to me, but has been around for a few years, and maybe has just barely made its way into out little burgh in the mountain valleys of Utah.  A company called Rising Beverage Co. has released this Activate “performance beverage.”  This is the first completely unique bottle design we’ve seen in a while, so I’ll get into that first. The cap of this bottle has a pouch of vitamins in it that you are supposed to ‘release’ prior to drinking to ensure their freshness, which I’m not entirely sure is just a gimmick or actually plausible.  The design of the bottle itself is colorful and clean, and the square bottle is usually easier to keep a hold of in extreme drinking situations.

Okay, so now that I’ve sipped the design elements, it’s time to try the contents.  I’ll have to stop typing for a moment release the vitamins . . . the powdered vitamins dropped and after a vigorous shake the bottle went from mostly clear to yellow.  Awesome.  With a whiff I am convinced that the flavor is actually going to be lemon-lime, the tartness is almost palpable.  The taste isn’t as extreme as the scent, but still gives your taste buds a good smack.  A distinct sourness gives way to the sweetness of Stevia, which enhances the citrus flavor nicely.  A crisp water taste is the background to this, which fades into a minute sweet-sour aftertaste.

The calorie count is only 5 per bottle, with zero sugar thanks to the Stevia.  Vitamin counts are 100% for B6, B12, Niacin and Riboflavin, my personal favorite.  50mg of caffeine (derived naturally) is added for a kick, and with that you have Activate Energy.  Even if the fresh vitamin trick is a gimmick, it’s a good one, and I’m impressed.  The flavor and taste are about right for this type of drink, which should compete well with the likes of SoBe Lifewater and its bastard cousin vitaminwater.  No contest with Gatorade, this is far superior, but only lacks electrolytes (a gimmick so blatant it was made fun of in the movie Idiocracy).  I can bet you might see me drinking this one again, maybe on my next trip to the gym.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. A sugar-free sports type drink that may make its way into the healthy beverage pantheon.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews: (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Activate, Stevia drink reviews, energy drink, independent company, Stevia

As I wrote this review, I was slogging through a graveyard hift on 5 hours of sleep.  Suffice it to say, I needed some kind of pick-me-up.  My girlfriend picked this up for me, and decided to give it a try.  Brain Toniq has no caffeine, but has an interesting proprietary blend and is, according to the can, “fuel for my cranium.”  I pop the small can (8.4 oz) open and detect a light, fruity, citrusy scent, with hints of the agave sweetener.  With a swig I find that it is very lightly carbonated.  The taste is lightly sweet and herby, and finishes with a sweet fruitiness, and an earthy aftertaste.  The flavor is quite unique and pleasant.

The real test is my brain.  An hour after finishing this drink, I’m still dragging a bit, but possibly thinking clearer.  I’m going to have to call this test inconclusive.  Sugar is a little much for this, but it is agave nectar and therefore has a low glycemic index.  It is also vegan and kosher.  This was picked up at my local Sunflower Market, proprietor or healthy and organic goods.  I enjoyed this beverage, and would probably drink it again.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. A tasty and unique attempt at a healthy energy drink.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews: (3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, True Toniqs agave, all natural, drink reviews, energy drink, kosher, vegan

Matte black with pinstripes, like a muscle-car

Despite being out for a few years now, this product has escaped my attention until now.  Tonight I’m looking forward to a lengthy sit in class followed by a late movie with the girlfriend, so I decided I needed a bit of a pick-me-up.  I usually don’t care for energy-drinks like Rockstar, those medicine-y, carbonated, buzz-creating liquids that rarely taste good, always cost too much and leave you feeling jittery.  This 16 oz can was only $1.99 at the 7-11, so I grabbed it and waited for my chance to review.

Popped open the can and I’m instantly reminded of Pepsi, but then I taste it.  The kola nut flavor is immediate, then fades into a sweet, tangy-energy flavor with a slight herb-y undertone, most likely from the guarana, ginseng, ginko-biloba and milk-thistle extracts added.  There is almost a citrusy-sour element to the flavor, I can’t quite place it.  The sweetness lasts, most likely due to the 66 g of sugar in the can.  That is honestly quite a lot, 33 g per 8 oz serving definitely beats out Coke.  The flavor overall is pleasant, but not nearly as interesting and complex as Red Bull Cola.  I can feel the caffeine kicking in, along with its supplemental buddies, but I don’t get too jittery or anxious.

Researching this drink brought me across some interesting information I was not aware of before.  One of the co-owners and founder of Rockstar is Russell Weiner, son of  the inflammatory right-leaning radio personality Micheal Savage, who has been accused of racism, bigotry and homophobia among other things, as gleaned from his writings and radio show, and some worry his influence extends to his son.  Russell Weiner was involved in the creation of the Paul Revere Society, a group dedicated to stopping ‘illegal’ immigration.  There have been boycotts of Rockstar, especially by the LGBT community, although Rockstar agreed with Change.org to donate 1oo K to LGBT rights associations last year.  Around the same time, the CFO of Rockstar, Russell’s mother and wife to Micheal Savage stepped down from her position in Sagave Productions and is no longer professionally associated with the show.  It would seem that Rockstar is now devoted to clearing up its image, donating and supporting causes and just being a profitable business. As with any conscious, conscientious purchasing decision, we implore you to make up your own mind about companies you buy products from.

Rockstar has been distributed by Pepsi-Co since mid-2009, since dropping from Coca-Cola, but that really hasn’t changed its availability.  I’m not condoning the wanton consumption of energy drinks in any way, and seek out only ones that do not use HFCS or any artificial sweeteners, which is most.

In closing, I found this a tasty, albeit sugar-loaded energy drink that did the job, without giving me the jitters, and without excelling in the areas of flavor or originality.  I would still rather drink a Red Bull Cola over this any day despite the lack of energy supplements.

Score: 3 out of 5. A decent-tasting energy cola that doesn’t really outperform, or make me feel like a rockstar.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews: (2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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3-Star Reviews, Rockstar energy drink, independent company

Goooooo-jiiiii!!

I am an admitted (and recovering) sucker for energy drinks, which have been ‘all the rage’ the last couple of years, and I came across one I hadn’t seen before in my local Albertson’s, 180.  The ‘all-natural’ designation caught my eye, as did the austere can design.  Two cans and $3 later, I was on my way home with a brand new beverage and some tired excitement.

While making French toast, I broke out my first can and gave it a try.  The smell is heavy with berry and guarana, almost ominous and foreshadowing of the slightly tart and bitter background to the sweet, berry infused taste-bad lashing I receive moments later.  It comes off a little syrupy, almost concentrated, the flavors are that strong.  It lacks the normal energy-drink aftertaste, that unpleasant medicine-y supplement  taste.

A long list of vitamins appears under the standard nutritional info, which shows 2 g of added fiber (fiber?) along with the 39 g of sugar in the 12 oz can, equaling a can of Coke, our usual benchmark.   Carbonation is about right for this drink, not too heavy.  After my second can a few days later, I felt much more peppy even after a heavy lunch.

Those who don’t like or can’t handle intense flavors like the ones in this drink may find it off-putting, as well as those watching their added sugar intake, this would max you out for the day.  However, it is all-natural, sweetened with beet sugar in a world full of HFCS and sucralose infused energy beverages with preservatives, too-much carbonation and terrible taste.  This is a welcome change.

Interesting information:  9th Street Beverage Inc. is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, and takes care of all their non-alcoholic beverage lines, including 180, Monster and Borba.  SO it isn’t really competing with Monster energy drinks, merely a more health-conscious approach to the market that desires it.  This is a bit different from its mostly forgettable beer.

Score: 4 out of 5. Sugary and potent, a strong, flavorful competitor in a market that needs change.

– WiseGuise

User Ratings: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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180, 4-Star Reviews all natural, drink reviews, energy drink

I'd need another page if the name was any longer

Another unusual Talking Rain beverage made its way into my thirsty clutches, and I have finally been able to tear into it.  Yes, this is another ‘energy’ type drink, fortified with ginseng, tea, caffeine and B vitamins.  The satsuma is a sweet, seedless tangerine from Japan, if you were curious.

The scent is a weak, but detectable tangerine with a hint of ginseng and pineapple (filler juice).  The taste is much more impressive, sweet and exotic, but familiar enough.  The tea makes an appearance here.  I want to chug it, but I resist the temptation.  It is 19% juice and has only 50 calories, sweetened with an undetectable amount of erythritol, under the guise of Zerose.

I was impressed with the great flavor of this variety of Twist, and I hope I can find some more soon.  They have three other flavors, however, they note on their site that it is only available in the Northwest United States.  This drink fits our guidelines quite well, and has some great taste to boot.

Score: 5 out of 5. I had no complaints with this one at all, and our first 5 for a Talking Rain.

– WiseGuise

User Ratings: (No Ratings Yet)
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5-Star Reviews, Talking Rain all natural, drink reviews, energy drink, Talking Rain

What does iced tea-energy drink equal? That's right, PARTY!!

Having completely given up hope that I can avoid buying energy drinks with the enticing ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ markings on them, I snatch up anything I can find that fits within our guidelines and chug it down unheeded, after I take an appropriate picture, of course.

GURU produces a line of energy drinks they claim are 100% natural AND organic.  Good for them.  I have chosen to review their Green Tea Honey-Lemon 100% Natural Energy Drink.  That’s a mouthful.  No carbonation or HFCS in this particular beverage, and the bright green can is very appealing and easy to spot.

It smells pretty much like nothing.  A little honey-tea whiff, and that’s it.  But how does this actually taste?  Well, like some kind of lemon-herb cough-drop, actually.  It tastes suspiciously of instant tea, and the citrus taste combines with the energy additives to cover any hint of honey.  The energy boost is definitely there, coming in smooth and it doesn’t give you the shakes.

Yet the taste still throws it off balance, leaving a sour aftertaste that doesn’t go away, like that rash you have.  You know what I’m talking about.  Use the salve your doctor prescribed.  Any how, I could drink this once in a while, and I might get used to it, but I don’t know if it’s worth it for me.  Besides, I hear their other flavors are better.

*Note: I am in no way linking GURU to the Communist Party, merely myself for wearing the shirt.*

Score: 3 out of 5. Too much medicine-y energy-drink taste, but good on the energy.

– WiseGuise

User Ratings: (No Ratings Yet)
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3-Star Reviews, GURU drink reviews, energy drink, energy tea, green tea