As a college student, caffeine is my saving grace when navigating classes, exams, social events, and anything else that is thrown at me. There are many different kinds of energy drinks on the market right now, including Celsius, Prime, Redbull and Monster, but my personal favorite has always been the Alani Nutrition energy drinks. Their marketing appeals greatly to younger audiences with the vibrant colors of their packaging and their incredible variety of unique flavors.
I decided to try every flavor (or at least every flavor that I could find) of Alani to discover which ones are worth the hype. I wasn’t able to find a few flavors in stores near me – Mimosa, Tropsicle, Arctic White, and Kiwi Guava – but I was able to taste and review twelve of their drinks, including the fall-specialty drink, Witch’s Brew. With that being said, let’s get into the rankings!
12. Breezeberry
Sadly, one flavor had to come in last place, and for me that was the blue raspberry-flavored Breezeberry. While I typically love blue raspberry flavored things, this one fell flat for me due to the overwhelming sourness and intense flavor. It did grow on me slightly the more I drank it, and I would liken it to the flavor of a blue Sour Patch Kid, but that just wasn’t enough to give me more than a four out of 10 for the flavor.
11. Dream Float
Just one step above last place is where Dream Float lands for me. While I love the concept of a creamsicle flavored drink, the execution didn’t sell me quite as much as I had hoped it would. It has a decent orange flavor, but the cream aspect of the taste was overwhelmingly sweet and I didn’t enjoy the milky flavor in an energy drink. I had to give this flavor a five out of 10, but I do believe that others may find it better than I did.
10. Hawaiian Shaved Ice
I had my reservations about this flavor, as I typically do not enjoy coconut-flavored things. I hoped that the strawberry and watermelon tastes would mix well and surprise me, but unfortunately that did not happen. This is another very intense flavor that I feel like I would rank much higher on the list if I did actually enjoy coconut, but unfortunately a five out of 10 is all that I could give this drink.
9. Cherry Slush
Cherry Slush seems to be a flavor that is either a hit or miss depending on who you ask. For me, unfortunately, it falls into the latter group. I am usually a cherry fanatic, so I was so disappointed when I did not like this flavor. It had an incredibly intense cherry taste that was almost overwhelming at times, as well as a strong aftertaste that reminded me of cough drops too much for my liking. That being said, I gave it a six out of 10 for flavor.
8. Watermelon Wave
This was another flavor that I was very excited to try, but it fell a little flat for me. Watermelon Wave markets itself as a watermelon based drink with cherry, citrus, and grape undertones. It tastes slightly like a Jolly Rancher when the watermelon flavor peeks through, but most of the time the flavors are jumbled up and indiscernible. Overall, I would have to give this flavor a six out of 10.
7. Orange Kiss
To start off the group of drinks that I wouldn’t automatically go for, but I still would consider buying, is Orange Kiss. It has a tangy orange flavor that reminds me of a Fanta, but without the sugary sweetness that accompanies the soda. I enjoyed this flavor enough, but I just didn’t love it to the point that I could put it any higher than a seven out of 10.
6. Blue Slush
Blue Slush is like Breezeberry but cooler, less aggressive, and way more enjoyable. The blue raspberry flavor in this drink was the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, keeping the tanginess of the blue raspberry without overdoing it. It is a fairly basic flavor, but I can definitely see myself picking one of these up to enjoy some time. I ended up giving Blue Slush a seven out of 10.
5. Cherry Twist
With its cherry limeade based flavor, I really loved the Cherry Twist. It had a really great balance of tartness and sweetness that made it so delicious and less aggressive than Cherry Slush. I definitely think it has a stronger lime taste compared to the cherry, but both of the flavors are distinct and mingle very well with one another. Overall, I gave this flavor an eight out of 10.
4. Cosmic Stardust
Out of all of the flavors on this list, Cosmic Stardust surprised me the most. I don’t usually love grape flavored things, but this drink tastes just like the grape Lifesavers I ate as a kid. The nostalgic touch really helped propel this flavor up the ranking for me, and I gave this flavor an eight out of 10 overall.
3. Witch’s Brew
This specialty drink was a shock to me with how much I enjoyed it. It has a green apple flavor, which has the potential to be too sour, but this drink cuts that by including caramel undertones that make this drink so delicious. It does get fairly sweet the more you drink it, but I think that Witch’s Brew has the perfect balance of sour and sweet to ensure that neither taste is too overwhelming. I ended up giving this drink a nine out of 10.
2. Pink Slush
My runner-up is the Paris Hilton collaboration, Pink Slush. With a sweet strawberry flavor, this drink has been one of my favorites ever since it came out. I don’t usually pick strawberry flavored things if there are other options, but I will always pick up at least one of these any time I see it in a store. If you have never tried this flavor before, you need to go pick it up right now because it is just that good. Obviously, I gave this flavor a 10 out of 10
1. Juicy Peach
I’ll be honest– coming into this taste test I was pretty confident that Juicy Peach would end up being my number one pick, and I was right. There is just something about the flavor that reminds me of summer, clear skies, and good vibes. I usually do not like peaches at all, but something about this particular flavor had me hooked from the first sip. If you ever need a go-to energy that you know will taste good, it is this one right here. You already know that I had to give this drink a 10 out of 10 to finish off this list.
After developing a slight caffeine dependency for this experiment, I can confidently say that Alani Nutrition has flavors that anyone can enjoy, even if you don’t have my particular taste palate!