Red Bull is the first energy drink to gain mainstream traction, and that’s no mistake. For one, the flavor is distinct and synonymous with what energy drinks are expected to be. Not to mention, Red Bull had one of the most successful ad campaigns in history with “Red Bull Gives You Wings.”

For a long time, Red Bull only had its original flavor and a sugar-free option available. As the competition has evolved, though, Red Bull has introduced many new flavors to stay on top. Among the best of those are the Red Bull Blue Edition. This energy drink provides all the same pep and benefits of Red Bull, but now with a refreshing blueberry flavor. This flavor is particularly appealing if you are new to energy drinks or don’t enjoy the common flavor of Red Bull.

While the Blue Edition isn’t sugar-free, there are several options that are. The Green and Purple editions have zero sugar, and they still have unique flavors aside from the original. The flavor of Blue Edition is great, but with 27g of sugar it still may be too sweet for some customers.

Red Bull - as the first energy drink - has always been the leader of the industry, and that will remain true for a long time. If you’re interested in trying energy drinks, but want a different or unique flavor, the Red Bull Blue Edition is for you. It has a great introductory taste, plus you’re trying the brand that started it all. Add its wide flavor variety and environmentally-conscious manufacturing, and you’ve got one of the best energy drinks around.

If you’re sick of the same old carbonated energy drinks, and you aren’t interested in the lightly carbonated alternatives, Rockstar has you covered with its Rockstar Punched line of energy drinks. These are caffeinated beverages mixed with punch for a fruity and refreshing flavor. Rockstar has a lot of options in its Punched line, such as guava and and Orange Recovery. For this list, we chose the Tropical Punch because it is incredibly popular and is universally enjoyed as the top flavor. There is also a sugar-free variant.

Rockstar has been in the energy drink market for a long time. It isn’t as popular as some of the more dominant brands, but it has always been widely available. That has definitely helped it get into the hands of customers willing to give it a try.

However, while some of the competition has struggled creating variants or unique flavors, that has always been one of Rockstar’s great strengths. There are 8 flavors in its Punched line, but there are over a dozen flavors in its standard energy drink line. That’s a lot of choice for customers, which means there is almost definitely a Rockstar product out there that’s right for you.

The Punched products have 240mg of caffeine per 16oz bottle, which is pretty standard in the energy drink game. Rockstar has significantly more sugar than some of its competitors, but that just makes it all the sweeter. If you don’t want a ton of sugar, though, they do create several sugar-free options.

For a fruity and delicious energy drink option, Rockstar Punched Tropical is a no-brainer choice.

For Monster Energy, there are a lot of options to choose from. In fact, they have over 30 flavors to choose from! That’s a lot of options, but for this list, we’re going with the flavor that started it all.

Monster Energy, in many ways, has followed in the path of Red Bull. Both companies sponsor extreme sports, music acts, and other major festivals. Monster, though, has taken it one step further in its edgy branding. That seems to have paid off, as it’s currently the second most popular energy drink in the world.

Monster has a distinctive flavor, and no one knows exactly how to recreate it because it is a proprietary blend. The original flavor in and of itself is refreshing, no doubt thanks to all the sugar in the drink. If the original flavor isn’t your preference, though, there are plenty of other options, even low carb and zero sugar varieties.

The reason Monster Energy is so successful is because of its wide availability. Walk into any gas station and you will find a bevy of flavors to choose from. Monster Energy absolutely dominates the shelf space in these sections.

For an energy drink with lots of options, a mystery element to its flavors, and wide availability, Monster Energy is hands down one of the top choices.

If there is one energy drink that has majorly changed the game in the past few years, it would have to be Bang. First found in natural and whole food stores, Bang is quickly becoming a major competitor in the energy drink market. Its branding as a zero-sugar, zero-calorie energy drink has caught the attention of a lot of people. And now with over a dozen flavors, it is more popular than ever.

What makes Bang so unique though? Bang goes out of its way to brand itself as a true performance enhancer. It does this by promoting studies that show the real world benefits of their products, particularly with athletes. You can read their findings on their website.

Bang and VPX accomplish these results with ingredients called BCAAs, or branched chain amino acids. BCAAs are fundamental amino acids found in protein heavy products like eggs, meat, dairy products. There are several benefits to BCAAs, such as increased muscle growth and decreased soreness/fatigue after workouts.

That’s obviously plenty beneficial for athletes and workout enthusiasts. So it is a no-brainer that Bang is becoming so popular. Which flavor is the best, though? Of the dozen or so varieties, the Sour Heads flavor is hands down the best. While none of the flavors for Bang are overwhelming, Sour Heads certainly delivers the most flavor.

For an energy drink with no calories or sugar and delivers on its supplemental promise, Bang is the energy drink you should be checking out.

Not all energy drinks come in cans with fancy labels. Some come in powder mixes meant to be added to sports bottles. These powder formats offer a lot of benefits, such as reduced carrying size. Many of them are also sugar-free and come packed with tons of vitamins and other benefits.

Zipfizz is a prime example of a powdered energy drink that has a lot of benefits. Energy drinks are popular and some have great benefits. Many of them, though, are also accompanied by crashes from the sugar and caffeine. Zipfizz offers a “zero crash” alternative. Because it doesn’t have sugar and has far less caffeine, users get a significant energy boost without the associated crash.

Zipfizz also boosts hydration. Their products contain 950mg of potassium and magnesium. Both chemicals help your body retain water, improving your overall hydration. That’s important for athletes or anyone who is going to sweat or expend a lot of energy.

Zipfizz can also work as a multivitamin supplement. According to their website, 2 tubes of Zipfizz per day delivers the daily recommended dose of multivitamins. That’s more value than some other energy drinks provide.

The one drawback for Zipfizz would have to be its flavors. The Black Cherry flavor is great, so it is our top pick. Some of the other flavors are bland or are otherwise not as flavorful as they could be. We recommend sticking to Black Cherry.

For an energy drink that has a lot of supplemental value and is easy to travel with, Zipfizz should be one of your top choices.

Energy drinks are already extreme products, but some are more extreme than others. One of the original energy drinks to push the limit was Redline. This supplemental drink was designed to give tons of energy and help build muscle while burning fat.

Modern Redlines aren’t quite as intense as they used to be, but they still pack a lot inside! The lowest caffeine dose in any given Redline product is 230mg, which is on par with most other energy drinks. We recommend the Redline Triple Berry because of its great flavor and sweet spot of 250mg of caffeine. However, if you’ve never drank an energy drink before - especially Redline - we recommend only drinking half a bottle just to get a feel.

To compound Redline’s extreme energy boosts, it also has some pretty hyped marketing. According to their site, Redline is designed to make you shiver. Yes, shiver. In their own word, “...when you shiver, your body releases a large amount of stored body fat in an attempt to bring body temperature back to normal. Redline induces this effect quite efficiently.”

Redline will for sure give you a good buzz, and its fat-burning properties make it great for bodybuilders looking for the perfect sculpted look. There are plenty of energy drinks out there that promise an intense energy boost, but none deliver quite like Redline. For a blast of intense energy, Redline Triple Berry may be right up your ally.

If you are looking for something all-natural as an alternative to some of the more hyped up energy drinks, than Runa is the beverage for you. Runa prides itself on being all-natural, paleo, and a vegan alternative. The company also makes great strides for the community as a Fair Trade certified company, and it’s environmentally conscious as well.
Those are all great reasons to enjoy the company, but what about the product itself? Runa’s beverages are mainly derived from the guayusa leaf, which is brewed like tea. Also like tea, this unique leaf packs a lot of caffeine. Runa provides the needed kick from caffeine, but doesn’t have the same crash associated with other energy drink products.

What about the flavors, though? Well, truth be told they are all pretty good. The original Runa tastes very similar to tea, but is lightly carbonated. Since then, they’ve released several other flavors, but the absolute best is the blood orange. It’s refreshing and it helps overpower the tea flavor if you’d prefer a different taste. The blood orange flavor also has no sugar. There are some slightly sweetened options if you prefer your drinks a little sweeter.

Not all energy drinks are overpowering. Some products like Runa are light, refreshing, and give you all the energy you need. The blood orange flavor is a perfect balance, and you can drink it confidently knowing the company is being responsible as well. Runa really is the ideal drink for anyone looking for a natural and friendly coffee alternative.

3D Energy is one of the newer energy drinks around, but it is already starting to make some waves. For one, it has a bold and eye-catching design for its cans. Combine that with its low calorie count and decent caffeine mix, and you have an energy drink that turns heads and delivers results.

3D Energy was created by Christian Guzman, who is a famous fitness YouTuber. He achieved internet fame within the fitness community and founded his own athletic clothing line. After that, he created Up Energy, which later became 3D Energy.

Given his fitness background, it makes sense that Guzman’s drink is low calorie and designed to give a quick boost of energy. The drinks also go down smoother than some other drinks. 3D Energy is less carbonated, so it doesn’t taste quite as much like soda as some other energy drinks.

The flavor variety, while not robust yet, has quite a few good options. The best choice has to be the Freedom Pop (Red,White, and Blue) flavor. It’s certainly sweet without being overwhelming. This flavor is refreshing and has a vibrant can that makes it easy to spot.

The only real downside is availability. Unlike other major energy drinks, 3D Energy isn’t readily available at major retailers and convenience stores. That makes it less accessible to the average get up and go consumer, but you can always order it online.

For a low calorie drink that gives a good energy boost, 3D Energy is an excellent choice. It has some great flavors and no sugar. Just make sure to go online to get it.

Of all of them, Amp Energy Boost is the best. Amp is a comfort drink, because in many ways it’s like a soda: sweet and carbonated. Energy Boost is a little different, though. It has a lighter flavor, so it isn’t quite as soda-esque as some of the other flavors. It’s also packed with more vitamins to further invigorate.

Amp is also sold in larger sizes than its competitors. The standard can is 16oz, compared to 8oz for most other energy drink products. That means it goes a lot further, and is still more geared to average consumers. This isn’t for people who want to quickly chug a drink for an added boost.

If you want to drink an energy drink more like the average beverage, Amp may be the product for you. It has a great taste, but still provides a pleasant kick for those looking for an energy boost.

5-Hour Energy is, in many ways, the ultimate pick me up drink. It’s tiny and portable, and each little bottle backs the same strength as a cup of coffee. Drinking such a small amount of caffeine so quickly means the effect is almost immediate.

If you’re looking for that instant, long-lasting boost, 5-Hour Energy is the way to go. We recommend the Extra Strength Sour Apple flavor, just for that added boost. None of the flavors are overwhelmingly good. Most are tolerable at best. The Sour Apple flavor, though, is tart and and goes down better than most.

5-Hour Energy isn’t about flavor, though. It’s all about that fast, near-instant caffeine delivery. 5-Hour Energy also comes packed with lots of vitamins for an added nutritional boost. Combine that with the fact it has zero sugar, and you’ve got a drink that is effective and all-around not bad for you.

The only real downside to 5-Hour Energy is the crash. You will have a signifcant boost in energy for several hours, as the name suggests. Just expect to come down pretty hard off that caffeinated high.

With that aside, it really is hard to go wrong with 5-Hour Energy. It comes in a convenient size, it really does give you a ton of energy in a small package, and it isn’t filled with sugar. The Extra Strength Sour Apple further delivers an energy boost, and you will be jittery for hours. For something quick and effective, 5-Hour Energy Extra Strength Sour Apple is the choice for you.