Lemonade energy drinks claim to be the holy grail of the sector:

powerful energy with fresh (normal?!) tasting flavors. Converts are raging

about them and if sales numbers are anything to go by then they're certainly

catching on fast and should be huge in the coming time. But can they really

be quite what they claim? Is it even possible to make energy drinks with

(normal) fresh tastes? To answer these and other questions we thought we'd

take a closer look at a couple of the leading brands and compare them with

the old favorite Red Bull itself.​

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MAD DOG Energy Lemonade www.maddogenergylemonade.com
This product comes in the classic 12oz (250ml) slimline can and has some pretty cool designs on the logo. The yellow and black really stands out on the shelf and it looks like a solid lemonade product. The taste is smooth and it really feels like those 'organic Sicilian lemons' that they claim on their website. Its lightly fizzy too with a zesty initial taste and not too much sugar in the aftertaste. They also claim on the website that through some funky patented matching process they are the only manufacturers to be able to truly produce energy in drinks with great natural tastes. Its some claim but it has to be said that this product comes pretty close. The energy is strong and consistent - the initial lemon burst sharpens the focus and the decent caffeine amount keeps the feeling throughout the afternoon.​
Verdict: Quality powerful drink with a smooth pleasant taste - WORTH ATTENTION​
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AMP LIGHTNING www.ampenergy.com
Comes in the standard 16oz (473ml) can and the solid yellow background stands out well from the other AMP drinks and nicely flags up thats it's a lemon / lemonade product. This is one of the most popular drinks in the AMP range and is the only flavor other than original to be made in sugar free format. It's lightly fizzy but has a strong and sweet taste of lemons. The flavor hits you right from the start and will stay with you right down to the last with this one. The aftertaste is quite sugary and the drink has a mild syrup like texture which serves to remind you that you're drinking an energy drink and not a normal soda. The energy is solid but the sugar gives a mild dose of the jitters and produces a slight crash which marginally tails off the energy boost.​
Verdict: Slightly over sugared and synthetic but solid energy - VERY DRINKABLE.​
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RED BULL www.redbull.com
Well everyone knows the taste of this drink and the heavy texture of the flavor. It has to be said in comparison with Red Bull both of the energy lemonade drinks have a much lighter flavor and are generally easier to slip down. Interestingly the drinks all have similar caffeine levels at around 32/33mg per 100ml yet the MAD DOG Energy Lemonade product seems to give the more solid energy lift. The taste is much much lighter than the other two and the low sugar gives a solid release of energy without any jitters or crash. I have never really been a huge fan of the Red Bull taste and am now relieved to see thats it's no longer a given necessity for a drink with a decent energy lift in it.
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Overall: These drinks are certainly something new for the energy sector and their light and refreshing tastes no doubt explain why they have taken on so well.
The MAD DOG Energy Lemonade product is the marginal favorite - the smooth watery taste without the sugar aftertaste or syrup type texture is the winning factor. The solid energy lift will also do anything that a Red Bull will do for you and so with that combined.
We mark the winner for this comparison as MAD DOG Energy Lemonade - well done those people.