Which Energy Drink is The Best Energy Drink? - Monster, Red Bull, and Celsius Reviewed

A fridge full of different Monster Energy drinks at a Sheetz gas station. The top row holds the juice line, the second row has the Ultra line, and the third row has a mix of original and Ultra varieties. Photo Credits: Isaac James

Isaac James, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Drop by any class in the high school and you’re likely to see a recurring item on many students’ desks: an energy drink. The popularity of energy drinks has risen dramatically in the past few years, especially among teenagers. When it comes to the type of energy drink, there’s no shortage of options for getting your caffeine fix. Whether you’re more of a Red Bull person, a Monster person, or maybe a Celsius person, all three of these brands offer a huge variety of flavors that make the energy drink market enticing. 

My personal favorite energy drink brand has to be Monster. To be honest, Monster’s marketing style, and the idea of energy drinks as a whole, really used to put me off. After my first time trying a Monster energy drink, though, I realized it’s just like any other soft drink: sweet, carbonated, and flavorful. For that, I can credit Monster for making me more open to trying different energy drinks. The first flavor of Monster I ever tried was arguably the most popular: “Ultra White.” The flavor profile is described on the Monster website as “light refreshing citrus.” These notes definitely come through, with the drink almost feeling like something you could drink to quench your thirst, not just for an energy boost. Despite the pleasant feeling of drinking “Ultra White,” I feel the flavor is overrated. There’s no doubt that it’s a good flavor, but to me there are better and more unique choices, especially from the rest of Monster’s “Ultra” line. 

From the “Ultra” line, my favorite pick is “Ultra Paradise.” The flavor profile is described as “kiwi lime with a hint of cucumber.”  Thankfully for this drink’s standing, that hint of cucumber doesn’t really come in, at least in my experience. The kiwi flavor, paired with the hints of lime, is unique and tasty enough to really make “Ultra Paradise” stand out as something worth coming back to. 

Aside from the “Ultra” line, Monster also offers energy tea mixtures, canned coffee, energy juice, and the original flavor line. These different offshoots of Monster make it a more well-rounded brand, and bring something to the table that Red Bull and Celsius don’t. 

Second in my brand rankings comes Red Bull. While Red Bull markets itself as “giving you wings,” it actually has the lowest caffeine content out of the three brands. Considering the average person is probably consuming well over the recommended daily amount of 400 milligrams, this is definitely a plus and makes it something that feels a bit more responsible. Similarly to Monster, Red Bull has a rather iconic original flavor, but with plenty of offshoots that many reach for instead of the original. However, I would argue that the original Red Bull is one of if not the best flavors the company produces. I don’t think I could describe the flavor myself, but the closest I could attribute it to is some mix of tart and fruity candy. To me, the uniqueness of the flavor is part of what makes it great. You can’t get that flavor from any other brand. 

My other highlight from Red Bull would be the new “Fuji Apple” Winter Edition. The flavor is strong but comforting, with the flavor being described as “Fuji apple and the warm spiciness of ginger.” The marketing for this flavor is also part of what makes it fun, with the excitement of a limited seasonal flavor making it enticing. 

My least favorite brand of the three, but arguably the most popular among many students, is Celsius. Celsius has the highest caffeine content, 200 milligrams, of the three brands, even though the marketing would have you think it's on the more moderate side. As far as flavors, Celsius definitely has the greatest variety. Every time I see Celsius at the store, it practically has its own section due to the sheer amount of choices on sale. Despite this, I’ve only ever had a few of the flavors myself.

 Of those flavors, my favorite has been Strawberry Passionfruit. The flavor was pleasant, but it wasn’t the kind of thing I could imagine myself drinking often. Something about Celsius feels  heavy on carbonation, and that paired with the high caffeine content makes it feel quite dehydrating. I also distinctly remember that each time I’ve had Celsius, I keenly feel the effects of the high caffeine content. The elevated heart rate, head rush, and other negative side effects make Celsius a little daunting for me to come back to, even when the flavor selection makes it so intriguing. 

My second favorite flavor I’ve tried is Blue Raspberry Lemonade. This flavor is uncarbonated, which removes some of the dehydrating sensation mentioned earlier. The main thing holding this flavor back is that, as you might assume from the flavor name, it tastes very artificial. While I’m usually not a stickler for things tasting artificial, there is definitely a limit where it starts to become overpowering, and unfortunately this flavor crosses that limit just a bit. 

Overall, energy drinks have definitely grown on me over the past month. For better or worse, they’ve become something of a guilty pleasure for me. The flavors of these drinks makes them genuinely enjoyable, and I would absolutely drink many of the varieties whether or not they had caffeine. In fact, in many cases, I wish they had less or no caffeine.  To me, Monster strikes the best balance between good flavors, good variety, and a reasonable caffeine content, making it my definite favorite in the battle against Red Bull and Celsius. For those interested in these drinks, I would say it's completely subjective: go with what you like best, but remember to practice moderation.