Hi-Ball Energy Drink: Wild Berry

So one day while perusing the aisles of my local Safeway, I stopped by the 'healthy' section (which I've been known to visit during everytime I shop there), and I saw the new addition to the drink selection there... the Hi-Ball Energy drink. They didn't have very many flavors available at the time, and I was feeling adventurous, so I bought one. I chose the 'wild berry' flavor thinking it was the most promising and went about my shopping extravaganza.

The drink sat in my refrigerator for a couple days. It was an energy drink after all, and I wasn't in need of 'energy' at the time. Eventually during the weekend I thought I needed a late afternoon/early evening pick me up and thought I have that Hi-Ball in the fridge.

Now let me just state for the record that I have had MANY energy drinks in my day, and most of them have, after consumption, resulted in my face contorting in such a fashion... it would make those old "bitter beer face" commercials pale in comparison.

This drink tops the list in hideous face-making.

For the love of all things pucker-licious!!!

I'm not sure really what I was expecting. I mean, the bottle and packaging alone made me think of the good ol' days of Fifth Avenue and New York Seltzer drinks - small, clear and compact. AND it was supposed to be sugar free. To quote the product: No sugar. No carbs. Naturally flavored. No artificial colors. No artificial sweetners. Only 10 calories.

I like sour and tart things, but this almost made my face an innie. All energy drinks are to be consumed COLD (makes the nasty taste of most of them much better to tolerate.) Alas, this one cold was not good or even tolerable. It needed vodka or tequila or perhaps even a cheeseburger chaser to make my palate happy.

The first thing I noticed was the bubbles. Bubbles are good. I like bubbles.

THEN came the tart... and when I say tart, I mean my eyes sucked into their sockets, my eardrums imploded, and I think I heard Jesus Christ scream "Damn!"

The last thing I tasted was the flavor... you remember, the 'wild berry'? I tasted a faint hint of that mixed in with that caffine aftertaste which made my tastebuds scream bloody murder.

Would I try it again? Not likely. Perhaps I'll take a chance on a different flavor somewhere in my future, but for now, the experience didn't leave me with a very "second chance" feeling.

http://www.hiballer.com/