Bang: It's More Than Something to Do on Weekends

I'm woefully allergic to coffee, and the struggle to stay caffeinated is real. Before I started worrying about things like sugar intake, my caffeine of choice was Coca-Cola, to the tune of 6-8 (12 oz) bottles a day. I still enjoy the odd Coke Zero Sugar or Cherry Zero, but when I started my original diet plan in 2012, I replaced Coke with Crystal Light (then) Energy, which has now been rebranded as Crystal Light with Caffeine.

Crystal Light with Caffeine is how I did things until I discovered Bang through a keto Facebook group. Bang is an energy drink of the new school. It seems to have zero marketing. It works solely by word of mouth and possibly ninja magic. It has no calories, no sugar, no carbs, and more than 300 mg of caffeine (that's roughly the equivalent of THREE cups of coffee) per can. If this could be snorted or freebased, I'd be there.

I think it lives up to its claims. Energy, without the crash. It keeps me going in the gym (which has been a challenge in my keto lifestyle). VPX, the manufacturer, seems to like cute trade names that don't always hint at the flavor of the drink (ie, Rainbow Fucking Unicorn, Star Blast, Sour Heads, etc.)

• Peach Mango: Self-explanatory.I hate all things in this flavor combo, so... I'ma gonna pass.
• Sour Heads: Sort of sour green apple candy and vague citrus. Currently, this is my fave. I've now bought two cases. And several handles of vodka.
• Cotton Candy: Initially, it's a true reflection of cotton candy, which I don't love. The end flavor is reminiscent of the smell of my scrotum after a five-mile run. Not a fan.
• Star Blast: The blue part of the Bomb Pop, with some other dark fruit mixed in. I liked this, but not enough to commit to a full case.
• Power Punch: To me, this was a reasonably good effort at a fruit punch where the sweetness was tamed down. I've seen other people claim it was a poor approximation of a fruit punch. I bought a case of this after my initial can.
• Rainbow Unicorn: Hints of strawberry Starburst or Skittles, pineapple, fake peach. Not a fan, and unfortunately I have a case.
• Cherry Blade Lemonade: Sweet cherry, tart lemon, the slightest hint of disinfectant. Despite that, this is currently in my number two slot.
• Purple Haze: Grape Dimetapp with an extra shot of vodka. I would upvote this if it got a bit sweeter.
• Lemon Drop: Until the very end, a near perfect replica of a lemon drop candy, then a bitter aftertaste that reminds me more of the cocktail.
• Citrus Twist: A less sharp version of 7-up

Flavors I have yet to try:
Champagne:
Blue Razz:
Black Cherry Vanilla:
Sweet Tea (non-carbonated):
Cola:
Pina Colada: 

Purple Guava Pear:
Root Beer Blaze:

There are likely more that I'm missing. The Bang homepage wasn't super helpful in my research. I'm not even going to try to non-caffeinated versions. What's the point in that? If you want to try some on your own, I've found them at 7-11, GNC, Walmart, and Vitamin Shoppe.


Here are some more links to see if you, too would like to Bang:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/bang-energy-drinks 
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/the-13-most-dangerous-energy-drinks/ss-AAm26Pv