There’s nothing like that shuddery hit of caffeine to get you through the day.
Since 1999, the energy drink business has gone from an estimated $3.8 billion business to one worth $27.5 billion global, according to a new report by Euromonitor. That’s a 620% increase.
While caffeinated drinks have been around since the dinosaurs (roughly), newer drinks like Red Bull and Monster helped revitalize the idea of an energy jolt.
Energy drinks are even beginning to compete with coffee, according to Euromonitor‘s data. While coffee is a fairly mundane daily purchase, advertising and marketing have elevated energy drinks to party status. Bars offer Red Bull Vodkas (for when you want to throw up and not sleep a wink!) and college students chug Monsters to stay up late.
Murray Carpenter, author of the book Caffeinated, notes that caffeine and alcohol have long been popular together. Controversial frat drink Four Loko featured a near-fatal dose of the two, while classier option like coffee-flavored Kahlua remain popular with an older crowd.
Whatever the case, this year energy drink sales came in at $9 billion in the U.S. alone, compared to coffee’s $12 billion. That’s a gap of 1.5 to 1, compared to 1999’s gap of 36 to 1, reports Quartz.
Red Bull, anybody?
[via Quartz]