The alcohol-mixer scene is exploding, health science seems to have found its home in the new fast-rising functional beverage category, the organic/natural push is stronger than ever, Chaser 5-Hour has attained legendary status, and creative innovation looks to be at an all-time high.

Energy Fiend has looked back on the year, and selected some major energy drink highlights for your reading pleasure.

Tongue’s Best Friend:  NERD

To quote back to my review: “It’s Mountain Dew, it’s green Hi-C, at times it could be neither of them. It’s the 21st Century ambrosia.”  Reflecting back on the all the energy drinks released this year, we honestly cannot think of a better tasting energy drink than NERD.

Eye Candy:  Rubyy

Rubyy has to be seen in person to truly appreciate its beauty.  The construction, design, feel and artwork that one experiences when holding Rubyy just scream quality and prestige.  Even better, the artwork reacts to ultraviolet light.

Best Effort:  Guayaki

Although their drinks may not be the tastiest or most effective out there, Guayaki put an astonishing amount of work into making sure their products leave the tiniest of footprints on our planet and ecosystem.  Not only are their drinks entirely organic and natural, but they go as far as donating portions of their profit to eco-friendly causes and even utilizing special economical shipping packages.

Most Innovative:  Bull Tonik

2009 was the year of innovation for the energy drink market, making this a tough decision.  Amidst caffeinated nuts, chips, syrups, soap bars, and all the other directions pursued by innovators, Bull Tonik cranked out a great product with their effervescent tabs.  Not only is the idea a first in the market, but Bull Tonik actually executed on the idea near-flawlessly.

Most Creative:  Harcos

At first, we were ready to give this award to Blood Potion.  Then we thought, no how about Mana Potion!  No, Health Potion!  Heck, let’s just admit it; Harcos, the company behind all of these products, has a seriously over-developed right brain.

Best Performer:  NERD

Rising from the shadows cast by the likes of Wired X: B12 Rush, Fixx Extreme Ultra Shot, and Spike Shooter is the undeniably useful energy offered by NERD.  Unlike those big names known for overloading your neurons, NERD treats you to a truckload of productive energy.  Drink a can of NERD and be prepared to perform miracles.

Best Shot:  .357 Magnum

This is the first shot that miraculously struck a balance between B-vitamins and caffeine.  Chaser 5-Hour is great, but it (and the plethora of copycat B-vitamin shots out there) has one flaw: low caffeine content.  .357 Magnum saw this shortcoming and corrected.  The result?  A fast-hitting boost that smoothly fades into a natural long-lasting aferburn.

Back to the Drawing Board: Cheetah Power Surge

Cheetah was the most disappointing “energy” drink to hit the Energy Fiend blog.  The drink has all the looks of a legit energy drink with a regal cheetah commanding the label and multiple energy benefit claims.  Much to our confusion, though, there is not one ingredient in the drink known to deliver energy (which, consequently, leaves the drink with zero power).  It doesn’t even taste good.  Ya, we’re stumped too.

Most Perplexing: Big Cock

This drink could have won many awards; Funniest Name, Most Sexually Suggestive, Most Bought Drink as a gag gift for your friends…etc… It’s called Big Cock.  Right there on the label in big letters.  Big Cock.  Enough said.

CopyCat: 4Kick

Their outrageous PR statements will attempt to tell you otherwise, but 4KICK energy drink is the biggest rip-off of the year, having far too many genomes in common with Red Bull.

Brightest Future:  Rip-It

Rip-It came out of nowhere swinging hard, and there seems to be not stopping them.  Innovation is still relentlessly carrying on and it’s becoming harder and harder to see a beverage cooler not stocking Rip-It.  If they stay true to their superb price-points, there’s no stopping Rip-It from finding itself rubbing shoulders with the likes of Monster and Rockstar.

Most unique experience: Neuro Bliss

We don’t know how Neuro did it, but they managed to bottle happiness.  Bliss jumpstarts your endorphins, plasters a healthy smile on your face, and buffs up your self esteem in just minutes time.  It’s something you just have to experience for yourself!

Made its own category:  Fixx Extreme Ultra Shot Packet

Fixx went ahead and redefined the upper limits of the energy drink market.  Extreme Ultra Shot is hardly practical on almost every account, and is guaranteed to shove your innocent reality into a supercharged woodchipper.  I keep a packet in my glove box to put in the gas tank whenever the car won’t start.

2009’s Very Best:  Rockstar Punched Guava

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:  This drink is an untouchable contender for the best energy drink of all time.  Taken together, the flavor, energy, packaging, and value of Rockstar Punched Guava make it a bonafide, full-blooded energy drink.  To everyone reading this article: your energy drink lifestyle is not whole until you have consumed a bottle of Rockstar Punched (NOT Juiced) Guava.

Written by Dusty Smith

The anodized aluminum bottles look amazing, and the flavors sound promising!

Stay tuned for the full Vuka review

We now have the data for 2007 and 2008 displayed. Why not see if your favorite made the list!

We often get comments or emails asking where “drink x” can be found or where “drink y” can be found for a bargain. Let’s face it, energy fiends need all the deals they can get as they seek to fuel their addiction.

The problem with comments is that they are all over the show and most people would miss them. So props to Alex who wrote in and suggested this new feature. Now you the consumer can not only find cheap or rare energy drinks, but you can help your fellow man by sharing your cheap energy drink tips.

This wikimap is easy to edit and examples are included so what are you waiting for? Go on, start posting energy drink deals!

Hey, since this is a wikimap, we can’t guarantee that all postings are accurate, but we will rely on you, the community, to monitor its accuracy and to delete anything that looks like kids playing around or SPAM.

This video is a little on the corny side, but funny and creative none-the-less.

Drink More Coffee- By Bill Dyszel

A reader has requested that we help her out with a research project. You can read about the study below and if you have a few minutes follow the link to complete the on-line survey.

Feel free to post your comments on the topic below if you want.

Research Study on the Relationship Between Caffeine, Self-Injury, and Family-of-Origin Relationships

This study has been approved by the International Review Board at Alliant International University and is being conducted by Dr. Steven Jella and Cassandra Curtis

Anxiety and physical and emotional abuse have been shown to be prevalent among people who self-injure (including skin-picking and hair-pulling). People who self-injure are often found to have higher rates of anxiety than those who do not and research has shown that most people who self-injure have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Research has also reported that people who self-injure have reported higher rates of physical and emotional abuse in childhood than those who do not.

Research on stressful early parent-child relationships has demonstrated increased sensitivity to anxiety in adulthood by way of altered dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, which are two neurological systems that caffeine acts upon. The study below aims to examine the relationships between caffeine, self-injury, and early family dynamics.

By participating in the study you may help contribute to society gaining a more holistic perspective of self-injury and in helping to develop more comprehensive treatment modalities for people dealing with self-injurious behavior.

Please click here to access the survey. All responses will be kept anonymous and confidential.  Thank you for participating.

Update: 11/18/09 The study is now complete and the results will be posted soon.

Here’s the subject: the energy drink market has proliferated so extensively that it’s become imperative to create boundaries for our definitions of an “energy drink”.

For example, consider these three types of products which all exist: flavored water with ginseng and gingko biloba, a vitamin-enriched smoothie with extra B-vitamins, and a soda with extra caffeine.

Can we call any of these energy drinks?  What if that flavored water packed in some taurine and guarana?  No?  What if the B-vitamins in that smoothie offered over 3,000% of your daily value?  What if the caffeine in the soda is over 100mg?

If we can get enough responses from readers, it just may be possible to establish a definition that we can all follow!  For me, the drink must either explicitly mention an ability to boost your energy, or directly use the word, “energy.”

So, readers, where do you draw the line?

Written by Dusty Smith

1. Cold Fusion
2. Nightwalker
3. Hyperdrive
4. Renegade
5. Rebirth
6. Bio-fuel
7. Brain buzz
8. Afterburner
9. Counter Agent
10. Vigilante “Fatigue’s Worst Enemy”

Congratulations to Ann who had the number one new energy drink name “Cold Fusion”!

However, we had three that win the most disgusting drink name award and you get nothing! LOL.

1. Love Handle
2. Near Crack
3. Man Sauce

Any drink that could allude to parts of a man’s anatomy should be avoided!

What does this mean for you energy fiends?

Well, they have offered to give one of our readers $100.00 worth of free gear which includes;

• 1 – 12-pack of the new No Fear Bloodshot Energy Drink
• 2 – No Fear Hoodies
• 2 – No Fear T-shirts (one of each style)
• 1 – No Fear Bloodshot Hat
• 1 – Lamb of God’s latest CD “Wrath” released Feb. 24
• 1 – Sticky Bumps Surf Wax

Pretty sweet deal, so here’s what you have to do to win. Use your creative juices and come up with the best name for a new energy drink. A few simple guidelines; It has to be unused (google your idea please!), creative, and keep it clean folks. Enter by leaving a comment with the name of your new drink. The contest will run for 5 days and will end at midnight on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. Be sure to leave a correct email so we can contact you if you’re the winner.

Be sure to check out No Fear’s Contest as well, where you could win a Hawaiian surf getaway, a trip to an MMA or motocross event, or a trip to a stop on the No Fear Energy tour, among other cool prizes.

Next week we’ll post the winner’s drink name as well as the top ten entries. Good Luck!

Unfortunately for us, JD can’t contribute anymore so we are in need of a new drink reviewer.

So, if you love energy drinks,  caffeine in general, and have a general nack for writing you might be able to help us out. Here’s what you get in return. Lots of free new products to try! In fact JD even had some left over to share with his friends.

You would also get exposure as a writer and if you wish to pursue this further in the future, your work on energy fiend will be a good reference of what you’ve done.

Here are the qualifications.

You must be at least 18 years old, live in the USA or Canada, and possess good writing skills with time on your hands to write at least one review a week when the products start rolling in.

Here’s how you apply.

Send us a sample review of an energy drink of your choice. Your work must be original, 300 words or less, correct in grammar/spelling, and interesting to read. Email your sample to tips@energyfiend.com. We will review all the submissions we recieve until 1/10/09 and then make our decision.