If I asked what’s the one type of beverage you think of when you think about gaming, and gamers, what would you say? You know what I’d say? Energy drinks. You know, the stereotypical empty cans of Red Bull, Monster or Rockstar or similar, strewn across the desk. But, in all honesty, how healthy is it to keep knocking back these types of sugary drinks? It’s not, I can tell you that. In one can of energy drink, you can find up to 27-grams of sugar. According to the American Heart Association, people should consume up to 37-grams of sugar a day for men, and 25-grams of sugar for women.
But, a brand called Beyond NRG is changing the attitude towards unhealthy energy drinks, with their line-up of sugar-free energy supplements, and we’ve got a few different flavours to put to the test, plus their new Vortex Shaker, which uses battery power to mix your drinks, rather than the traditional shaking method you’d usually find with fitness drinks. The Vortex can hold up to 600ml of liquid, which for you British folk out there is just over one pints worth. The drinks are easy to make too. All they require is water and the Beyond NRG powder. We were sent a multipack that holds 20 sachets, or 20 servings, and a box of their brand new Mortal Kombat inspired drink, the Blue Raspberry Lemonade, of which you can find the ingredients below. I’m not going to pretend here that I know what it all means, but I can see that there is very little sugar, at 0.2-grams allowing them to attach their sugar-free badge to their drinks.
The Vortex Shaker uses a technology that comes from PROMiXX and it’s called the X-Blade, which is a small mixer that mixes the liquid automatically inside of the shaker. It uses battery power, so no physical shaking required. All seals are also leak-proof too, meaning you can chuck the shaker into a bag not be worried about your stuff getting wet. On the side are measurements, which will give you a rough idea of dilution and how much liquid is actually in the shaker itself. They rise in 100ml increments up to 500ml. It feels robust enough to hold though and the quality seems very nice and solid.
In terms of flavours though, I was pleasantly surprised. Each flavour tasted absolutely unique from each other, and I definitely do have my favourite, being the Watermelon, Strawberry and Lime flavour. It had a hugely overpowering watermelon taste, but there was certainly an offset of lime. Following that, the Mortal Kombat Limited Edition tub of Blue Raspberry Lemonade tasted like a Panda Pop. Remember those? We used to have them as kids, and if anyone was to ask what the colour blue tasted like, it’s definitely the Blue Raspberry Lemonade from Beyond.
All in all, very impressed with the product. Their branding is great, the drinks are very flavoursome, and it’s great news that these drinks don’t include sugar. Means we can drink more and stay healthy. No of course I’m joking, they’re energy supplements after all. One bottle of this in the morning will keep you alert for the day! That’s how it felt for me anyway. For more information, head over to the Beyond website.
