Quake Original

Introduction

From 7-11’s website, “A delicious drink that’ll get you going.” Simple and straightforward, 7-11. I like it. I’ve had Quake Black Cherry and was seriously impressed, so I’m excited to try the original and see how it stacks up against the competition.

Appearance

The can is an eye-catcher without much substance behind it. It’s really just an abstract “Q” with some wavelengths behind it to simulate an (earth)quake, I’m assuming. The color scheme reminds me of the original Monster can, which I also assume is intentional by 7-11 marketing, so I’m curious if the drink tastes like Monster as well.

It pours clear with medium carbonation

Taste

Wow, not what I was expecting. Quake Original tastes way more like Red Bull than Monster.

I swear it tastes like if you made a mixed drink of 80% Red Bull and 20% water, and not necessarily in a bad way. It’s less carbonated, less sweet, and has less of that Red Bull “bite”. If you don’t know what I’m talking about with the Red Bull comparison, it has that vaguely citrus-y taste that I think most people associate with a typical energy drink.

Kick

Kick is nice with 250mg of caffeine, along with creatine and electrolytes, if you’re into that. I’m drinking this on Father’s day, and it got me through the hour car ride back to my house with energy to spare.

Conclusion

Overall I would say 7-11 did a nice job with this drink. It feels like the typical “store brand knock off” in that you can clearly tell it’s imitating the OG, but it’s somewhere in between Charmin Ultra Soft and generic brand one-ply. I’m not factoring price into this review since that aspect is liable to change, but I did get a 2 for $3 deal which would be the main draw to this beverage.

Appearance

If you suffer from poor vision or just fail to pay attention, you just might think you're grabbing the original Monster flavor out of the fridge. I bet that's exactly what the creators of the drink were thinking as well. The black background and electric green accents are eerily reminiscent of the aforementioned monster. The packaging overall is less bold and focuses your eye on the few electric green elements throughout. It is not a bad look whatsoever, albeit suspiciously similar to one of its competitors.

Taste

Not only does it look like its competitors, it also tastes quite a bit them. I've run out of coincidences and a full blown conspiracy theory is in effect. The flavor reminds me of the original Red Bull combined with the original Monster. 7-Eleven did not stray too far from the pack in the creation of this drink. Conspiracy theories aside, it tastes pretty dang good. Perhaps following the leader isn't always bad. Quake Original thoroughly tastes like an energy drink and is a safe, but fitting original drink to enter the energy drink market with.

Kick

The strong, quintessential energy drink flavor contributes to a strong initial bite from the drink. This is followed by a punch of 250mg of caffeine will definitely help you feel something again. It isn't the strongest I've felt, but it will do plenty. My one complaint is that it could use a little more carbonation.

Overall

Quake is the new kid on the block (2019), and it's no surprise that it's parent (7-Eleven) would want a direct competitor to the most popular brands sold in its stores. Thus it's no surprise that the Original flavor Quake looks, smells, and even tastes like the original Monster. Those observations aren't critiques, and seem to follow the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The twist that I found the Quake Original is sugar free and leans on the makeup of its ingredients to differentiate itself. The can touts its contents including electrolytes, CoQ10, and creatine as beneficial to the consumer's health and performance. It's not a bad angle to take and I personally welcome it. The legitimate benefits are up for debate; however, I personally prefer the lack of sugar or significant calories among other key nutritional measures. Summarily, this is a good entry into the energy drink market, and I look forward to seeing what else Quake brings to the table.