It was less than seven years ago that the energy drink craze took off. Before 1997, this drink category wasn't even a sparkle in the U.S.
How would you have reacted in the late-'90s if someone had told you that by 2003, there would be a category of carbonated soft drinks, most packaged in 8-ounce cans but selling for more than $2 each, worth $750 million? Energy drinks are approaching the $1 billion mark, growing at an annual rate of about 30 percent.
Until three years ago, every new energy drink coming on the market was merely a knockoff of Red Bull. Now, the new brands are using different marketing parameters, and are looking for differentiation and value. Rock Star launched a 16-ounce can in 2001. According to Nielsen Media Research, this brand is now the fourth-largest seller by volume, while the whole category saw triple-digit growth in 2003.
The most entertaining side to energy drinks is the names, encompassing everything from Star Trek references to street lingo, cattle, dogs of any color, and of course, psychedelic drugs. It seems that before choosing a name, the marketing department needs to drink a few ounces of absinthe.
And what about the ingredients featured in the back of the can? Caffeine, taurine, guarana, inositol, ginseng, glucuronolactone, gingko, biotin, carnitine, B vitamins, green tea, echinacea, milk thistle, and even horny goat weed, to name a few.
Have you ever noticed the different categories, such as: power juices, nutritional energy drinks, energy teas, tonics, aphrodisiacs, diet drinks and isotonic energy drinks? With all that, there essentially are two major categories: energy teas and isotonic beverages. One energy tea is Tibetan Tea.
Legend has it, high in the distant reaches of the Tibetan mountains, the seasoned caravanners brewed their teas with fresh Himalayan snow and exotic herbs. To help themselves endure the harsh climate, they boosted their tea with ginseng and ginger roots, and laced it with honey. This produced a great-tasting drink that rejuvenated their inner strength and increased their stamina. The all-natural ingredients in Tibetan Tea are known as the "G-Force." No preservatives are added. It is refreshing served cold or hot. Kam-bei!
The three Gs in Tibetan Tea "G-Force" are: ginseng, which consolidates, generates and promotes the harmonious flow of your inner energy; ginger, known to soothe and aid digestion, and stimulate and promote a healthy cardiovascular system; and guarana, second most commonly included stimulant in energy drinks. The guarana berry contains a natural form of caffeine. It helps cleanse the body of accumulated lactic acid and boosts energy levels
The color is a rich honey amber and the aroma is typical of Darjeeling tea, with hints of ginger. On the palate, the carbonation is not too prevalent, giving a nice zing, and the ginseng is softened by the balanced sweetness.
This great mixer goes well with flavored vodkas like Vox Raspberry, Skyy Melon, Stolichnaya Strazberi, Absolut Mandrin and in Asian-concept martinis with Gekkeikan sake, plum wine, Jinro or lychee syrup.
This category is not to be confused with the original Tibetan tea drunk for centuries by Tibetans in their own country, obtained from salted yak butter. Sweet milk tea is another popular alternative, especially at Tibetan wedding feasts. Boiling black tea is filtered and decanted into a churn, and fresh milk and sugar are then added. After about a minute of churning, the tea will be ready for serving and a cup of reddish white drink will turn up in front of you.
Isotonic beverages, also called sports beverages, replace essential fluids and electrolytes in the body after exercise. No sugar, calories or carbohydrates; that's what you have to look for. Most other sports beverages contain more than 30 grams of sugar. To your body, that's like adding 30 spoonfuls of sugar, plus lots of calories.
Tibetan Cooler
1 1/2 oz raspberry vodka (Stoli or Vox)
4 oz Tibetan Tea
Fill a highball glass with ice and pour the ingredients in order. Garnish by squeezing a lime wedge into the drink and add a mint sprig. Stir and serve.
Francesco Lafranconi, a master mixologist, is a beverage specialist for Southern Wine and Spirits and the director of the Academy of Spirits & Fine Service.