Energy Drinks Defined

A couple weeks ago I brought up a topic that I felt was in desperate need of our consideration: what is an energy drink?

Over 160 energy fiend readers voted on what they thought a drink needed in order to rock the ever popular “energy” title.

Some of them left comments as well to further clarify their stance.   I’ve done my best to take this information and create a definition we can live by; a valuable tool to keep in mind the next time you walk up to a loaded beverage cooler.

energy drink [en-er-jee dringk] noun

1.  A beverage containing multiple ingredients which service, with expressed intent, one or more facets of perceived neurological and/or psychophysiological efficiency.

• Synonyms: energy shot, energy supplement

If that traditional dictionary definition is confusing you, here’s an easier to understand list of what a drink needs:

• More than one ingredient that is known to increase energy
• Explicit expression of an intent to increase energy
• “Energy” can be either a boost in your mental stamina, mental efficiency, alertness, or anything else that you’re going to perceive as brain boost.  Promises of purely physical energy boosts do not qualify.

So what do you think?  Is this something we can go with?  If not, how should it be amended?

Written by Dusty Smith