This one’s for a real niche audience, but that’s the dedication we put into pleasing our readers. Even if you never plan to visit Costa Rica, hopefully you’ll find my trials and tribulations hunting for energy drinks outside the US at least mildly interesting.
Some background: Matt, 12 other friends, and I spent a week in Costa Rica with Airbnbs in Tamarindo, La Fortuna, and San José. I like to think we got a sampler platter of everything the country has to offer: volcanoes, rainforests, waterfalls, hot springs, swim-up bars, sloths, frogs, amazing food, and (of course) energy drinks.
I didn’t research the energy drink scene before going, so everything I found, even brands popular in the US, was a surprise. Overall, the scene is alive and well. Every convenience and grocery store I visited had at least some energy drink selection.
Red Bull and Maxxx Energy
Red Bull was everywhere, along with a Costa Rican brand not sold in the US: Maxxx Energy (yes, three X’s).
That’s the one with the cute little face on the can. Their Facebook page shows more flavors, but I only saw two across 10–15 stores between Tamarindo and La Fortuna. The blue can is sugar-free and tastes completely different from the red, which I’m calling Original.
Original (red): 8/10. Delicious. No idea how much caffeine it has, but it gave me a nice boost every time. A juicy red-berry flavor, sweet but not too sweet, just how I like it.
Sugar-Free (blue): 4.5/10. My hopes were high after the Original. Near the end of the trip, our group was at a restaurant and I spotted it on the drink menu, so I had to order an energy drink with dinner, something I don’t think I’d ever done. Unfortunately, it didn’t come close. There was a blueberry flavor, but it was mostly bitter with a grossly sweet aftertaste, the kind some artificially sweetened drinks leave behind.
Linx
The other brand I’d never seen in the US was Linx.
I had a full Watermelon and a sip of Apple & Melon. It’s been too long for a full review, but both were very decent, around a 7/10. Linx reminded me of Red Bull’s seasonal editions: really drinkable, slightly bitter, with nice fruit combinations.
Wrap-up
Heading to Costa Rica and need energy drinks? Prepare your mind, body, and soul for Red Bull and Maxxx. All things considered, not bad options for your palate or your wallet. Anecdotally, San José (and probably other big cities) has the best selection.
This is Caffeine Shark, not just Energy Drink Shark, so I’d be remiss not to mention that the coffee in Costa Rica was amazing. Even a basic black coffee or Americano was delicious, so diversify your caffeine and enjoy the local culture.
Most of all, have fun. Costa Rica was an amazing experience, and as long as you enjoy the outdoors, it has something for everyone.
I’ll leave you with a picture of me, Matt, and Caffeine Shark collaborators Maddie and Fern.
Want to know how the Red Bulls stack up? Here are the Sharks’ favorite editions:
