Coffee. We all know what it’s about. We high school students rely on it for our daily energy, as a source of receiving the common, so-called “drug”, caffeine. However, this antidote for sleep deprivation is not always the most desirable tasting. In fact, it rarely is. It not only tastes bad but stains our teeth while making our breaths stink at the same time. Determined to find a new caffeinated beverage, I spread my wings in the world of energy drinks and stumbled across one of the hottest brands on the market, Celsius. Celsius has actually been around since the early 2000s, but its popularity hasn’t spiked until recent years, especially in 2020. As the company has expanded its range of investors, they have been able to sell and push their product more, as the drink can be found in almost every major grocery store and gas station. So is this drink worth its recent hype? I set out to answer this question.

Upon first glance, I thought Celsius was one of those special medically-tailored drinks or just another health product sold in bulk at Costco. I discovered the brand’s existence at a friend’s house, as I was told the beverage was meant for middle-aged adults and shouldn’t be consumed by teens. Believing what I was told, I initially had no interest in trying the drink, so I continued to drink coffee for the next year. However, when coffee started to grow old for me in about a year post this discovery, I was introduced to Celsius yet again by my mom.

Out of Celsius’s main energy drink line, there are twelve flavors; nine of which are carbonated or sparkling as they call them. The other three: Peach Mango, Raspberry Acai, and Grapefruit Melon are all green teas, good alternatives for people who prefer non-carbonated beverages. I’ve happened to have tried both types of the drink, but definitely favor the sparkling. What’s really nice about Celsius’s sparkling products is that they come within a wide range of flavors, so you are apt to like at least a couple of them. Their assortment is made up of Fuji Apple Pear, Kiwi Guava, Watermelon, Cola, Peach Vibe, Orange, Wild Berry, Grape Rush, and the newest flavor, Strawberry Guava. Out of the sparkling I have tried all but the Cola and the new Strawberry Guava and have to say that they are all very tasty to me. All of these flavors with a slight exception for Cola are pretty easy to find in stores, as shelves usually are well-stocked with a variety of them. The teas can occasionally be found in locations with bigger selections of Celsius but are in general more scarce. Besides getting them in person, the drinks can also be bought online from Celsius’s website- which allows buyers to select the flavors and amount of them they want in their order.

In terms of taste, Celsius excels in the category. I remember the first flavor I ever tried was Wild Berry, and it made me fall in love with the brand. There is something different about Celsius compared to other marketed energy drinks- the taste is so good and it is healthy at the same time. Usually when it comes to this type of industry, we either get one or the other but with Celsius it’s the best of both worlds. Another thing I like about this aspect in the sparkling drinks is that you don’t get the bitter caffeine aftertaste that comes with traditional coffee. The carbonation and flavor combinations in Celsius almost replicate that of soda, so it is imaginably very attractive to that crowd of people. The one thing I am still puzzled about, however, is how the drink tastes as good as it does. Being an energy and fitness drink, Celsius lives up to its promises of being healthy by containing no sugar, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or anything artificial. Brands like gatorade on the other hand utilize a lot of these to attain their taste but Celsius exceeds it using none. According to the description on each can, the drink is a concoction of green tea with EGCG, ginger, and guarana seed amongst other ingredients. Upon closer examination of the label, I noticed the last ingredient was sucralose, which could be partially responsible for the outstanding taste.

When it comes to freshness, Celsius does a pretty good job of making sure their drinks are contained and tasting well. Once in a while, the exterior of the can may look a little banged up on the outside, but that does not threaten the contents of the drink. Out of all my experiences with the brand, I haven’t had a negative one yet. With that being said, I really haven’t seen anything of that nature come from their products- except for one isolated instance where a drink nearly exploded on a family member and tasted sour, but that could have been due to handling and other factors as well, thus it never happened again.

Comparing the product to regular coffee, there are many reasons why Celsius’s main energy drink line can appear to be the better option. The most noticeable one is that Celsius provides more than just caffeine to the body. When consumed at the recommended time, before working out or being active, the drink has proven to “energize, accelerate metabolism, and burn body fat and calories,” as it states on the can. On top of that, the average cup of coffee, around 75mg of caffeine, can’t even compare to Celsius’s 200mg of the stimulant. It is also guaranteed that Celsius won’t make your breath stink or burn your mouth like its competitor so there seems to be a clear winner if we are comparing the two sources of fuel.

With all the pros mentioned, it can be hard to believe that Celsius is the perfect energy drink, and for some people it’s not. Though the maximum serving of Celsius a day recommended is 2 cans, 400mg of caffeine, it is as significantly higher than what most people are used to drinking now with coffee. For someone who gets sleep-deprived easily, I have no problem with hitting the daily max for Celsius and still sleeping well but it probably wouldn’t work the same for people who are just naturally full of energy. With that being said, if you don’t think you need a boost or have trouble sleeping on regular coffee, I would not recommend drinking a lot of Celsius. Part of the reason Celsius is what it is is that it was specifically tailored for people living active lifestyles, for those who exercise on the daily or play sports. This means that if you are not exerting a lot of energy or have had a full night’s sleep, Celsius may not be the drink for you. Although you may get some of the other benefits of it, the caffeine content could have the potential to keep you up at night if not active, so just be aware of that prior to consumption. But in regards to an athlete like me, Celsius has given me nothing but benefits.

In terms of pricing, Celsius fares decently compared to other drinks. Though varying by retailer, a can of Celsius generally costs around $2.00. For this amount of money, you could get four to six hours of increased energy from the consumption of one can. Even at its smallest, Starbucks coffees for example come more expensive, with their smallest size being $2.25, so there is more bang for your buck in choosing Celsius over one of the mainstream coffee chains as listed. On Amazon for ordering, it calculates Celsius as being $0.17 per ounce, so larger purchases such as a 12 pack would amount to around $24.00, not bad!

Overall, I have enjoyed drinking Celsius’s energy drinks and would totally recommend them to others, especially athletes and busy people! Though it is marketed as a millennial-consumed brand, it is very useful and applicable for high school students who need that extra burst of energy. I literally just wrote this whole review while drinking a can of Sparkling Grape Rush and I feel so more energized and motivated to get my tasks done. The company is gaining so much more popularity in 2021 as a result of the drink’s proven success and will hopefully continue to reach more audiences and help more people like me get energized for the day. I am excited to see what Celsius comes out with next as the future is bright for both the company and its consumers!