With energy drinks being so popular for alcohol, it’s no wonder that an energy drink would be paired up with vodka.
Among all the types of spirits, vodka of high quality is known to carry a distinctive subtle taste. The neutral flavour caters to the beverage’s significance.
On the other hand, most energy drinks have a strong taste, more like a combination of bitterness and sweetness, due to caffeine and sugar (or artificial sweeteners) being the main ingredients.
So, with vodka’s subtle taste, what energy drinks should you pair up with it so that you get a perfectly balanced glass of drink?
Well, let’s find out.
Disclaimer: There is a significant amount of research that suggests that mixing alcohol and energy drinks is not a good idea.
This article is by no means a recommendation to try mixing alcohol with energy drinks. However, I also acknowledge that all over the world, bars and clubs are selling (and often promoting) mixing energy drinks mixed with alcohol.
So this is very much something that happens, even if the medical world says that it’s not safe.
So with that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at how and why people are mixing vodka with energy drinks…
Is Mixing Energy Drinks and Vodka Dangerous?
Mixing energy drinks with vodka isn’t necessarily dangerous. But there are certain energy drinks that you can’t mix with alcohol in general.
There is a section in my article ‘Can you drink Irn Bru energy every day‘ about whether you can mix Irn Bru with alcohol or not.
But in general, it’s not that good to consume alcohol with energy drinks for quite a few reasons.
One of the reasons is that energy drinks can mask the effects of alcohol. As a result, you may end up overconsuming alcohol.
And while drinking energy drinks with vodka probably won’t kill you, it’s important to know that it can cause other health issues and may even lead to death.
A study shows that energy drinks can mask how drunk people actually are. This includes drinking vodka with any kind of energy drink.
Does caffeine cancel out alcohol?
There are no scientific studies that prove caffeine cancels out alcohol in the body. Nonetheless, for other people who believe it, it could be that the effect is subjective.
In detail, caffeine does not have any effect on the liver’s metabolism. Hence, when alcohol is ingested there are no studies yet proving that caffeine will sober you up.
Nutritional Content of Vodka and Energy Drinks
It’s quite difficult to provide nutritional content considering that it depends on the energy drink you’re mixing your vodka with.
However, the baseline of the nutritional content of vodka and energy drinks for every 8 fl. oz is:
- 238 calories
- 30 g carbohydrates
That’s just an estimate. But it’s noteworthy that the mixture will contain no protein, fibre, or many other things.
This may not sit well if you are the type that likes healthier drinks.
But actually, it’s not that bad for an alcohol drinker as far as it goes. 8 fl. oz is approximately a cup, which is definitely better if this nutritional content were in say, a shot.
What to Look For in an Energy Drink?
There are several things that you should always look for when picking an energy drink, especially one for mixing with vodka such as:
- caffeine content
- sugar content
- price
Caffeine Content
It is important to take a look at the caffeine content of an energy drink. You don’t want to have an energy drink with such a high caffeine content that may lead you to suffer from caffeine overdose.
But at the same time, you don’t want your energy drink to have such a low caffeine content that you don’t feel like it is working.
Personally, I prefer about 50 to 100 mg of caffeine in my energy drinks. That’s neither too much nor too little. Just the right amount!
However, if you feel that the amount is too little for you, then remember to stay under the FDA-recommended limit of no more than 400 mg of caffeine a day.
And no, this doesn’t mean adding an energy drink to your alcohol will dilute the caffeine. It will be the same amount of caffeine that you drink in a whole energy drink, even if you mix it with alcohol.
Sugar Content
Sugar is extremely vital for our bodies. Our bodies won’t be able to function without it.
However, too much sugar is dangerous. In fact, it puts you in danger of suffering from these health problems:
- obesity
- diabetes
- insomnia
And these are just the basics. There are more health issues that you’re prone to suffer if you continue to consume lots of sugary drinks.
As such, I would encourage you to keep track of your sugar intake and follow the sugar limit proposed by the AHA.
| Gender | Maximum Daily Intake |
| Men | 150 kcal / 37.5 g / 9 tsp |
| Women | 100 kcal / 25 g / 6 tsp |
According to the AHA guidelines, women should consume less sugar than men each day, which is a significant thing to take note of.
And while I understand that some of you prefer sugary energy drinks because you can’t really stand the bitter taste of alcohol, you might want to see just how much sugar is in that energy drink.
Price
With any energy drink comes the need to see the price for it. Of course, you want an energy drink that is worth your money but also not too costly.
As far as it goes, I prefer being able to pay less for an energy drink but still have it work like a charm!
But that can be difficult to find, especially with the bigger brands. And just because it works for other people doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you.
I mean, considering the amount you’re going to be paying for a big bottle of vodka, you may not really want to add an expensive energy drink to that list, do you?
Thankfully, some of the best energy drinks for vodka come from some of the most famous and reasonably priced brands.
Good Recipes for Energy Drinks and Vodka
There are many recipes for alcohol and energy drinks. For the simplest form of mixing an energy drink with vodka, you can check out the recipe below.
You simply need:
- 2 ounces of vodka
- 1 can of Red Bull
And as for the steps:
- Pour the vodka into a cup full of ice.
- Fill it with Red Bull.
- Mix properly and drink.
There is another recipe that I personally really like. This is more of a cocktail because it adds a bit of citrus flavour to the vodka and energy drink mix.
All you need to make this particular drink is:
- 1.5 oz of vodka
- 5 oz of an energy drink
- a wedge of lemon
- ice cubes
For the steps needed:
- Fill a glass with ice cubes.
- Pour the vodka and then the energy drinks into a glass.
- Top with a lemon wedge and stir promptly.
That’s all you need. Why don’t you try making both and tell me which one you prefer?
Where Can You Find This Mix Usually?
Well, for the perfect mix, you can usually find it at any bar or club near your home. If it’s not on the menu, you can try asking the bartender for it. I’m sure they’d be happy to oblige.
Besides, you can also try mixing it yourself at home following the recipes I gave you earlier.
However, I’d suggest leaving the mix to a bartender unless you’re going to be day drinking or hosting a party. That’s because a bartender can control your intake better and tell you his recommendation.
Not to mention that with a bartender, it is easier to find the right mix of both vodka and energy drinks.
Best Energy Drinks for Vodka
Red Bull
Honestly, this shouldn’t seem too surprising to you that Red Bull is at the top of the list. Some combinations of vodka with energy drinks are actually called Vodka Red Bull!
With 80 mg of caffeine and 27 g of sugar, it’s no wonder Red Bull is one of the best energy drinks for vodka.
Red Bull doesn’t only contain caffeine and sugar, it also has a big list of ingredients that works great when mixed with vodka or any kind of alcohol.
If you really don’t believe me that Red Bull works well with almost any alcohol, check out my other article on Jaeger Bombs because it works well with that too!
Monster
Monster is another great choice for your vodka. It has a great flavour, mixes well with your drink, and packs a punch.
That should be no surprise since a can of Monster packs 54 g of sugar and 179 mg of caffeine. Talk about an energy drink rush!
Although it’s rather high in terms of both sugar and caffeine, it’s a great choice for vodka, especially if you want to dilute the bitterness.
And not to mention that it will definitely keep you up for those long nights of clubbing with your friends!
Monster costs about $4.00 for a can plus shipping, which is on the pricier side of things, but also pretty worth it because Monster actually has double the amount of caffeine compared to Red Bull.
Zipfizz
Zipfizz is a powdered energy drink that is known for coming in those adorable little tubes. As a powdered energy drink, it is convenient to carry around and also easy to make.
When it comes to vodka, you can bring a tube of Zipfizz to a night out with your friends and make the mix yourself.
All you have to do is pour Zipfizz into your glass of vodka and stir it, which is great for when you want a stronger vodka taste.
Zipfizz contains only 100 mg of caffeine and no sugar, which makes it the perfect complement if you love the taste of your alcohol.
Not to mention that you can empty 4 tubes of this stuff before you hit the daily limit for caffeine.
And don’t worry about it being bad for you. In this article, I’ve assessed whether Zipfizz on its own is unhealthy for you or not.
REIZE (10/10)
Drumroll please because REIZE has entered the building!
It’s also a powdered energy drink that you can bring anywhere, I sure do!
Personally, I find that REIZE checks all the boxes to make it a great energy drink to complement vodka. It has a lot of ingredients that will elevate your vodka energy drink combination to a whole new level!
Reize has only 50 mg of caffeine, which is even less than Zipfizz. So you can feel free to drink even more.
Or if you don’t like the bitter taste of alcohol, you can surely add more to your drink. You’d have to add 8 sachets before you reach the maximum caffeine intake limit.
Also, it’s sugar-free! So no worries about the sugar amount there. And, it’s super cheap, costing only $1 per sachet. And unlike other energy drinks, this amount includes free shipping straight to your doorstep!
What are you waiting for? Get REIZE today to make any vodka energy drink combination a memorable one!