As finals approach and first semester winds down, students are pulling more and more late nights or all-nighters in order to study and improve their grades. In order to keep up with the smaller amounts of sleep they are getting, it’s likely students will be getting more energy drinks to get them through each study session or the day. But when purchasing an energy drink, there is a lot to consider to get the most bang for your buck. Below I have four of the more popular energy drinks ranked based on factors that might sway your decision when purchasing, including taste, price, sugar, caffeine, and amount of flavors. This article is based on my opinions, everyone might prefer something different!

Energy Drinks Ranking Scale: 1-10

• Taste

• Price

• Sugar

• Caffeine 

• Amount of flavors 

Drinks: 

• Redbull

• Celsius 

• Alani 

• Monster

Redbull: Standard 8 oz Original 

1. Taste– Red Bull’s original flavor has more of a bitter taste with a hint of fruitiness. It is definitely an acquired taste, and I, as well as many, prefer the flavored red bulls to the original. 7.4/10
2. Price– $2.29
3. Sugar– 23 g
4. Caffeine– 68 mg
5. Amount of flavors- 16

Overall consensus: These drinks are my personal favorite, I typically opt for the sugar-free ones or the blueberry ones. I enjoy the caffeine-to-drink size ratio, and they are available at almost all gas stations. 

Celsius: Standard 12 oz wild berry 

1. Taste– This drink is carbonated, and tastes like a mixture of raspberries and blackberries. More sweet than bitter, this drink is one of the occasions where the smell is preferred to the taste. But overall, it doesn’t taste completely acidic, so that’s something. 7.9/10
2. Price– $2.59
3. Sugar– none 
4. Caffeine– 200 mg
5. Amount of Flavors– way too many 

Overall consensus: I do enjoy a good Celsius from time to time, though the amount of caffeine is a turn-off for me. I appreciate the no sugar, but typically only drink half of the drink so I don’t get the caffeine shakes. If you want a drink that will wake you up, this would be one I highly recommend. Bonus: sold at Aquinas!

Monster: Standard 16 oz Citrus 

1. Taste– This flavor did taste like citrus, but that’s all that it had going for it. These drinks are very sweet and loaded with flavors and sweeteners. It’s too much for me personally, but some may like it. 3.4/10
2. Price– $2.28
3. Sugar– 27 g
4. Caffeine– 86 mg
5. Amount of flavors-  Over 34

Overall consensus- Although these drinks aren’t for me, they are pretty popular and sold at many gyms in vending machines, so they are accessible when you might want them. Lots of flavors allow for a wide variety of choices. 

 Alani: Standard 12 oz Mimosa 

1. Taste– These drinks are definitely the sweetest, they are carbonated and tangy.  Each flavor I’ve tried has a hint of citrus and vanilla, especially this one. 8.1/10
2. Price– $2.69
3. Sugar– none
4. Caffeine– 200 mg
5. Amount of flavors– so many

Overall consensus- I do like Alani’s, but personally, I find them to be too sweet for my liking. At first taste, the drink is amazing, but it can be hard to finish. I always appreciate the no sugar, but the caffeine count is too high for me to justify drinking this very often. These are available almost everywhere which makes them accessible. 

Final Ranking:

Based on all factors evaluated above, here is my list to get the most out of what you buy. Happy finals Saints, and Happy Holidays!

1. Celsius (very caffeinated, no sugar, super available with great flavors!)
2. Alani (also high caffeine, no sugar, super available, flavors are much sweeter)
3. Redbull (least amount of caffeine, high sugar, taste is good but acquired, pretty available)
4. Monster (not a ton of caffeine, the most amount of sugar, taste is quite acidic and not great, decently available) 

Baier, Lacey. “Are Energy Drinks Good for You?” A Sweet Pea Chef, 7 Jan. 2021,

Are Energy Drinks Good For You?