Watermelon is one of the most popular flavors of Celsius, along with orange, peach vibe, and wild berry. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

While some trends come and go, this one has been persistent for an astonishingly long amount of time. Energy drinks for a quick surge of caffeine have been a very popular commodity for highschool students. While many already know Redbull and Monster Energy drinks, Celsius and Alani have caused an even greater shockwave. 

There has been a noticeable increase in the popularity of non-coffee caffeinated drinks amongst teen populations. Chai, matcha, and energy drinks have been sweeping the halls as popular zippy refreshments, but none match the current levels that Celsius has reached. According to Bon Appétit, Celsius began its rise to stardom in 2022, when more and more college students were seen holding and drinking the beverage, which contains more than 200 mg of caffeine. With the company investing in sponsorships with influencers such as Jake Paul and David Dobrik and a partnership with PepsiCo, it has grown to being stocked in about 95% of stores across the country. 

Celsius wasn’t always doing this well. In 2012, the company attempted to establish themselves as a weight-loss remedy, but customers were not very receptive. At this time, they did so poorly they were delisted from the Nasdaq. Learning from their mistakes, they rebranded into a “functional beverage” to be associated with fitness and wellness. Alani Nu, another rising energy drink brand, shares a similar platform of pre-workout nutritional products. 

Some students share a love for these drinks, even having them once or twice daily. 

“I started drinking them as an energy source specifically for either sporting events or big tests/assignments in school,” said senior Jordan Sussman. “I continued to drink them due to the variety of flavors and energy it provides me. I’m a huge fan of the peach flavor, or any of the other carbonated options.”

The delicious variety of flavors and soda-adjacent carbonation makes them a very tasty (and sometimes addicting) option for caffeine. 

“I would say about 70% of my close friends drink Celsius or some form of energy drink such as Alani on a consistent basis,” said Sussman. 

Junior Cailyn Murphy shares similar views. 

“To be honest I am fully aware of the risks. I just feel like with so much going on, I sometimes do not get enough sleep, so I have to resort to energy drinks,” said Murphy. 

With social media being a large instigator of trends and consumerism, it is not a surprise that Celsius and Alani were propelled by influencers. 

“I feel like when I was younger like 7th grade I would see them ‘hyped’ up on TikTok, but I wouldn’t say that necessarily influenced me because I didn’t start drinking them until high school,” responded Murphy. 

However,  reviews have spread about the negative effects of such drinks. Contrary to such reviews, the drinks continue to be popularized by the younger generation. 

“They [energy drinks]  are already pretty popular, and they do actually face a lot of backlash for having chemicals in them,” said Murphy. 

Recently, news has emerged that Celsius is looking to purchase Alani Nu for a shocking 1.65 billion dollars. According to Celsius Holdings Inc, this partnership will be finalized to “ensure continued business momentum.” Some of their goals include creating a “functional lifestyle platform at the intersection of consumer megatrends,” provide “attractive consumer demographics” to “drive incremental category growth,” combine strengths and capabilities, and enhance Celsius as an “innovative leader.” 

It will be interesting to see the changes in drinks around school once these trendy and popular beverages converge.