Designing and producing your own energy drink to market on your own is much easier than you think.
If you've been in a convenience store lately, you've probably noticed a proliferation of energy drinks. Red Bull was the pioneer (founded by a couple of Austrians who drank the original, uncarbonated version, called Krating Daeng, in Thailand), but nowadays, Rockstar, BooKoo, and dozens of others crowd the shelves and refrigerators of your 7-Eleven and gas station mini-mart. What they all seem to have in common is:
- sugar (although some diet ones have sucralose instead)
- caffeine, and lots of it
- some herbs that are supposed to give you energy, like ginseng
- vitamins, supposedly to help give you energy, as well
- taurine, an amino acid; I think it was supposed to conjure an image of a bull (taurus)
- a pretty consistent, bubble gum-like flavor
How can I make one?
Two words: contract manufacturing. There are hundreds of companies that will make what you tell them to make. They'll produce and bottle it for you, and sometimes even help you formulate it. Many have standard energy drink formulas, that you can alter the flavor, color or ingredient profile of to make your product unique.
Typical ingredient and flavor/color profile for an energy drink
Sweeteners:
- sugar
- high fructose corn syrup
- crystalline fructose
- sucralose (Splenda)
- acesulfame-K
- aspartame
Acidulants (makes it sour):
- citric acid
- phosphoric acid
- malic acid
Nutritional supplements:
- Vitamins B6, B12, C, E, Niacin, Riboflavin, Thiamine and Pantothenic Acid
- Taurine (an amino acid)
- Caffeine
- Glucuronolactone
- Inositol
- Bee Pollen
- Herbal extracts, such as ginseng, guarana, milk thistle, ginkgo biloba, damiana, horny goat weed, yerba mate and rosemary
Preservatives:
- sodium benzoate
- potassium sorbate
- no preservatives (pasteurization)
Colors: Range from colorless to dark brown (using caramel color) to bright red, yellow and orange.
Flavors (natural and artificial):
- citrus
- lemon
- berry
- mango
- cherry
- grapefruit
