Welcome to Caffeine Shark’s first-ever Top 5 Energy Drinks list, which we plan to put out every year. (Here’s the 2022 edition.)
New here? Welcome! Read more about who we are and how the Shark Score is calculated. Ties are broken by the Sharks’ average taste rating.
Don’t like the rankings? Open any drink below and leave your own review. It counts toward the Shark Score.
Note: The ranking reflects Shark Scores in May 2021. The scores on the cards below are live, so they may have moved since.
#5: Rockstar Juiced Island Mango
Matt: An excellent drink that manages to be unique in both design and taste. The tropical look feels genuine, and the juice tastes more like real fruit than artificial flavoring. The flavor is complex, a mix of sweet and tart, in a striking can. Rockstar has a winning combination that everyone should try, especially on or near a beach.
#4: Uptime Original Citrus Sugar Free
Matt: Tastes like soda from a fountain that just got reloaded with syrup. It’s that good, and similar to Sprite, which is a compliment. The one condition: drink it cold. The colder the better.
#3: Bucked Up Blood Raz
Cam: A great energy drink that could easily be a 10 with a few small improvements. Give it a better can and slightly more carbonation and I’d always be #BuckedUp. Great caffeine, great flavor, the right amount of sweetener: one of the most underrated drinks in the business.
#2: Adrenaline Shoc Acai Berry
Jared: Taste is excellent, chef’s kiss. I’m a sucker for acai, but this is the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, with neither overpowering. I’m usually a simple-flavor guy (think Monster Zero Ultra or Uptime Original Citrus), since strong flavors cut down on re-drinkability. This is different. Highly recommended if you like berry that isn’t too sweet.
#1: Red Bull Winter Edition Arctic Berry
Jared: Wow, just wow. I’m rarely blown away by taste anymore, but consider me blown away. I expected the bitterness that’s in pretty much every Red Bull, but Arctic Berry is strictly sweet and incredibly smooth. Light, refreshing, and perfect between snowboarding runs. It’s raspberry with just the right sweetness. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I don’t know what would make it better.
See how the list changed a year later in the Best Energy Drinks of 2022, or browse every drink in the rankings.
