One of the perks of this job is that I get to try a lot of stuff I would otherwise pass over. Examples A and B being the drinks that appeared on my desk last week: Red Espresso and Alcohol ßG Killer.
Both drinks have fibs in their names. Red espresso is neither espresso nor red (maybe a very dark burgundy or brown) and Alcohol Killer doesn't kill alcohol or allow you to drive with a buzz, though its over-the-top Web site suggests as much. Neither have caffeine yet both are trying to replace caffeinated drinks.
Red Espresso is a rooibos tea from South Africa that's brewed in an espresso machine. It claims to give you a natural energy boost and lots of antioxidants. Alcohol ßG Killer is Austrian (the ß is a German letter called eszett and is pronounced like a double s) and like its Austrian bruder Red Bull, it's a slightly carbonated energy drink. Besides having no caffeine, Alcohol Killer doesn't have any taurine either. To give the drinker energy it relies on ExtraAK, a trademarked name of a special chemical compound.
What a cub is to a mama bear, what rhythm is to blues, what a bribe is to a politician — these are nothing compared to what caffeine is to me. So it was with great trepidation that I gave up my beloved coffee for the weekend to switch to these two.
First the red espresso...
I wasn't expecting it to taste like espresso. Reviews elsewhere made it clear that it wouldn't. I also wasn't expecting that it would taste like tea. Very hot, strong tea, in which the bag's been left for hours. That's actually how I like my tea so it was a pleasant surprise. The flavor packed a smoother punch than black tea and was sippable without the creme I normally add. I also enjoyed the coolness factor of making tea on an espresso machine. As it was coming out of my Faema espresso machine, it had the same crema and slightly thick consistency that good espresso has. The downside is that not many people own espresso machines and it's not very easy to pour the tea from the package into the handle.
The biggest downside, though, is that Red Espresso isn't available in Kansas City yet. Natasha, the company spokeswoman who sent me a bag to try, assured me that it would be in local Whole Foods stores soon but gave no timetable. When it does arrive, I could see myself buying a bag once every six months. It's not going to replace coffee in the morning, that's for sure. But it could be a nice afternoon drink when I am coffeed-out but need a pick-me-up that won't get me too wired.
Alcohol Killer, on the other hand, gave me no pick-me-up nor does it taste very good. I had it twice over the weekend in "optimum" scenarios to test how much it sobered me up and how much of the edge it took off of a hangover. Both times, I was disappointed in the lack of effect.
The taste is like a bitter Red Bull with a lot of added grapefruit juice. Flat, chemically grapefruit juice. Like Red Bull it was awful the first time, slightly less awful the second time. Since energy drinks to tend be acquired tastes, in six months Alcohol Killer could taste like carbonated heaven to me but these first cans tasted like a science experiment. I will say that the makers did get the sweetness right. I've tried to drink a Monster energy drink when hungover and couldn't because it was too sweet. Gatorade is the sweetest thing I can handle hungover, and Alcohol Killer is less sweet than Gatorade. Sweet or not, I felt no bump after drinking a can on Sunday morning. It did nothing to help my throbbing headache.
I read the can to see if I was doing something wrong but it just says, "The decrease of alcohol in the body takes time, may vary with each individual and depends on factors such as gender, metabolism, consumed food, body weight, etc." Next hangover, I'll stick to water.
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Well i love it... it might be because i am the local KC distributor. But first i had to be convinced before i would sell it and let me tell you i drink like a true Irishman, till i cant see strait, and it worked wonders for me. I woke up the next day ready to hit the gym and didnt even feel like i drank the night before. So everyone give it a try and let me know what you think ---www.myspace.com/akkc---
and im not sure who wrote this blog but i hope to see ya at the "Best OF" party and we'll have a can or two together and you can try it again.
CHEERS,
---Sobol
Hey Owen,
That was cool with the "f�nts" :o) I speakand write fluently German. The sign �is on the can different -- it starts below the letteritself (different to this "�). its difficult to describe it, because here I am not able to insert the correct sign which is printed on the can. Simply they wanted to express betaG. Anyway, I like the AKbeverage because it is a natural stuff, taste is OK for me but the most important part is -- IT WORKS. Of course there are no miracles when you are totaly buzzed then you will sober up faster but still it will take time. P
Peter, I'm the first to admit I don't know much but I do know a little German and for all the money I'm worth (about funf cents) that looked like a �to me. It doesn't make any sense for it to be a �since � is not a word but I don't see how �means beta. The German word for beta is beta. Is it a marketing ploy or can someone with more knowledge of German clear that up for me?
Also, I wish I had been drinking when writing the article, I think it would have been more fun for me and more fun for you.
similar experience as by Nicole -- it worked. And I never woke up next morning in such good shape.
Now some details to the article -- You are probably going only on the surface and thinking you know everything. Thats OK. The symbol is not like you write "� - the german sharp "S" but is BETA. Ive found in the ingredient list "Glucan" as well as on their website so this � is the symbol for beta-1,3/1,6-D-glucan, which is good natural stuff rising the immunity response. The second mistake is -- it is NOT an Energy Drink. So you compare apples and carrots :o) Finally, the water is absolutely NO solution. Actually, how much you �vve been drinking by your test? Totaly whaled?
i got an myspace ad for this drink and thought it looked like a god sent... some friends and i tried it at a bar in OP and thought it worked great!!! i had it mixed with vodka and then drank it at the end of the night before i left the bar and i woke up the next morning feelin' great. im sure it works different for everyone but i cant wait to see it around at more bars ...
Nicole, OP
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