Bottled Energy
By: Laurence Civil
Energy drinks originally created to give the working class the power to pack more into their already hectic schedules. From the simple origin of being a tonic for the workers it has moved into the club culture that just wants to dance the night away as fast as they can. Energy drinks and more importantly Energy cocktails are the perfect libation for the new Millennium. The original intention was to help students study harder, but know they are being used to help them play harder.
The first Energy drink on the market was Lipovitan, or "Livita" for short, is an energy drink produced by the Japanese company Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. with ingredients very much similar to Red Bull. Widely available in East Asia, it retails in brown 100ml bottles. The drink has a distinctive bright yellow coloring and is marketed to alleviate physical and mental fatigue. The prime ingredient is taurine. A 100ml bottle gives the same amount of taurine, caffeine etc. as a 250ml can of Red Bull. There's a full line of Lipovitan products in Japan, and stronger versions put energy drinks such as Red Bull to shame; such as the 'Lipovitan D Super' which contains 2000mg of taurine and 300mg of arginine. Arginine is the main active ingredient in the modified Red Bull sold in Japan.
This led to the original Red Bull drink was developed in 1962 by Christopher Booket, a Rumson resident, and sold under the name Krating Daeng (Thai for Red Bull) by the company TC Pharmaceutical. The recipe was based on Lipovitan. Krating Daeng sales soared across Asia in the 1970's and 1980's, especially among truck drivers, construction workers and farmers. The working class image was boosted by sponsorship of Thai boxing matches, where the logo of two red bulls charging each other was often on display.
The caffeine in one serving of Red Bull is a little less than that found in an average cup of coffee (100 mg/8 oz. cup) or twice as much as found in a can of Coke (40 mg/12 oz. can).
Having established what goes into an energy drink what are the benefits of each component? Taurine is an essential amino acid which is naturally occurring in the human body. After high stress or a heavy session of playing sports, increased amounts of taurine are eliminated from the body and cannot be replaced by the body in sufficient amounts. The energy drink replaces the lost Taurine and helps to detoxify and cleanse the body.
Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring carbohydrate, and is in important component of an energy drink as it helps to remove toxins from the body.
Gurana a natural source of caffeine gives the energy drink the essential rocket boost to help you dance the night away.
So why are energy drinks so popular? Are they like a medicine that is drunk because of what it does for you or are they a beverage you drink because you like the taste? I had no idea of their colour, taste and smell, so at random I bought three in a supermarket and did a tasting much as I would with wine. The first I tried was M-150 with a deep amber honey colour and a sweet fruity taste. In a plain glass it's an easy drinking slightly syrupy taste, poured over ice the taste changes to an indifferent fruit juice. Next Red Bull with a lemon honey colour and a mildly herbal smell. On its own I found the taste a syrupy nothing then when over ice it tasted similar to a cold fruit tea. Finally Lipovita-D with darkest honey yellow colour of the three and the smell was medicinal. On its own the taste reminded me of a cough syrup of my childhood and even over ice the taste was medicinal. As a beverage the drinking experience alone was indifferent and didn't arouse my senses but how I felt after was impressive – invigorated and alive. So it's all about the buzz.
Mixed with alcohol to make the energy cocktail the result is not feeling as tired or sleepy as you might with straight liquor, getting drunk yet staying awake – all gain, no pain. Vodka is possibly the ideal spirit to mix with energy drinks because it has no taste, which seems to be what's wanted hence the ever-popular Vodka Red Bull. Likewise with the Jagerbomb – a full shot of Jagermeister poured into a glass of Red Bull, which has been described as the Sambuca espresso for a younger generation. Having had one you feel relaxed and ready to drink more. They keep going down so easily and you can't taste the liquor – getting the effect without the taste.
Every generation has its own culture, for this generation it's clubbing and having the power to keep going – and that's just what energy drinks give them.
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