May is AP exam month as well as finals season, which means many people turn to caffeine as a source of energy for late-night cramming or to not fall asleep during class. While many people turn to coffee as it’s the most universal caffeinated beverage known out there, I prefer energy drinks packed with flavor. Brands like Red Bull, Monster, Celsius, Alani, etc. are some of my favorites as their flavors are sweet and don’t contain the bitterness of caffeine or tea.
I started drinking energy drinks last year after being introduced to them by one of my best friends and I’ve never turned back since. I usually buy my drinks in bulk at the Costco Business Center but I start off buying a flavor individually to try it first just to make sure I like the flavor. After drinking caffeine for a while, I’ve realized that I have to either drink one throughout the day or I can down one but that has to be the maximum amount I drink for the week. This was after I tried drinking them 2 days in a row and developed a headache that made me unable to focus during school.
Strawberry Sunrise – Alani
Amount: 12 fl oz – 200mg caffeine
Price: $2.89
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This is one of the newest flavors from Alani, yet it’s my favorite that they’ve released. The strawberry flavor is sweet, it’s not too overpowering, and it keeps me energized for the longest. I recently drank this for the AP Statistics exam and it kept me awake for the entire 3 hours and the following 2 class periods. Unfortunately, it’s now being discontinued as it was a limited edition release but I’ll never forget the taste.
Very Peachy Keen – Monster
Amount: 16 fl oz – 150 mg
Price: $2.69
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Less commonly known, the Peach Monster flavor tastes similar to that of a peach ring yet it contains zero sugar. It manages to stay clean somehow and doesn’t linger around for too long. I’ll usually drink this when I need to get through the day but not enough to do something major.
Juicy Peach – Alani
Amount: 12 fl oz – 200 mg
Price: $2.89
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Before Strawberry Sunrise, this was my favorite energy drink. It tastes exactly like a peach ring and has gotten me through late night study sessions when cramming for finals and exams. I prefer the Monster peach flavor though as that one tastes a bit more “clean”. I drank this to get me through the AP English Language and Composition exam and it kept me awake during practice after school.
Strawberry Apricot – Red Bull
Amount: 12 fl oz – 114 mg
Price: $2.99
Rating: 9/10
Comments: This was the first energy drink I actively bought that wasn’t introduced to me. It tastes more like strawberry than apricot but I’m sure the apricot is adding flavor silently. I mainly bought it because I trusted Red Bull as a brand after seeing their advertisements. This kept me decently awake but it didn’t keep me up at night.
Zero Ultra – Monster
Amount: 16 fl oz – 150 mg
Price: $2.69
Rating: 8/10
Comments: The most classic Monster flavor besides the original, the flavor of it is almost indescribable. This was my very first introduction to energy drinks and yet there was no distinct flavoring label to it. Compared to every other drink on this list, it reminds me of “Mystery Flavor” Airheads; there’s no exact flavor but it always tastes the same. This drink always kept me awake without having any side effects.
White Peach – Red Bull
Amount: 12 fl oz – 114 mg
Price: $2.59
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Released in 2025, the “Summer Edition” as it is called, comes in replacement of the discontinued Peach Nectarine flavor. I mainly got it as I heard this would be the future of peach flavored drinks for Red Bull and I wanted to see how it compares. It tasted similar to the Peach Vibe Celsius but I still prefer the Peach Nectarine one more. It did its job by keeping me awake through my classes but it didn’t interfere with my sleep later at night.
Iced Vanilla Berry – Red Bull
Amount: 12 fl oz – 114 mg
Price: $2.59 (approx.)
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Originally released as a winter season 2024 exclusive drink, it’s no longer available for purchase in stores. However, at the time, the flavor of the vanilla wasn’t too overwhelming but I also couldn’t really taste what type of berry it was. I mainly got it after seeing people raving about it online and wanted to see for myself what the hype was about. It kept me awake for a good while, but I think it was a little more than just the average Red Bull.
Peach Vibe – Celsius
Amount: 12 fl oz – 200 mg
Price: $2.79
Rating: 7/10
Comments: The reason it’s so low is mainly because of a bad experience I had with it. I drank this one too quickly and had a headache for the rest of the day which didn’t benefit me as this was one of my first experiences with Celcius. Overall, the white peach flavoring isn’t bad but I prefer Red Bull’s interpretation of it. I think my bad experience with it affected how I felt about the caffeine levels but it did its job by keeping me awake.
Ultra Strawberry Dreams – Monster
Amount: 12 fl oz – 150 mg
Price: $2.69
Rating: 7/10
Comments: Again, my high hopes had been crushed when I saw that it tasted like strawberries and I naturally liked strawberry flavoring. The drink felt like it was trying to combine artificial flavors with the aftertaste of an actual strawberry and it created a weird flavoring at the end of it all. If push came to shove, I’d still drink it but I wouldn’t prefer it. It kept me up decently but not as much as the white or peach monster.
Grape Rush – Celsius
Amount: 12 fl oz – 200 mg
Price: $2.79 (approx.)
Rating: 7/10
Comments: The first time I tried this drink was when I stole a sip from my friend and I thought it tasted like grape medicine from my childhood, but worse. When I got a full can to myself, it was during Spring Break 2025 from a gas station back driving back to San Francisco. While it still tasted like medicine, the flavor was lessened as I kept drinking it. It took me the entire school day to drink it but it still kept me awake by slowly giving me caffeine.
Tropical Vibe – Celsius
Amount: 12 fl oz – 200 mg
Price: $2.79 (approx.)
Rating: 6/10
Comments: While the label said it was starfruit and pineapple, it tasted more like passion fruit to me and I didn’t really like it. It took me a good 8 hours to finish the entire 12 ounces which was kind of annoying having to carry the can everywhere. Because of that, it kept me awake like the grape one. Overall, it’s not bad but it’s also not the best in the world.
Pink Slush – Alani
Amount: 12 fl oz – 200 mg
Price: $2.89
Rating: 6/10
Comments: I had such high hopes for this drink and for that reason I think it’s why I don’t like it as much. When I saw the strawberries on the can, I was convinced that it would be Strawberry Sunrise’s cousin, but it tasted more like cotton candy and bubble gum were combined. It didn’t even keep me up for that long, but that might be accredited to just tasting bad.
