Energy drinks have evolved from simple caffeine delivery systems to functional beverages designed to support the needs of many different consumers. From internet gamers to emergency room doctors, and young parents to senior athletes, finding a convenient and efficacious source of energy is becoming increasingly important. Today’s energy drink consumer demand more functionality than ever before, including metabolism boosting and sleep improvement. Read on to get a glimpse at the energy drink trends we’re tracking in 2025.
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Where do our energy drink trends come from?
We use Tastewise to predict 2025 energy drink trends and deliver market leading insights. This social listening platform mines millions of unique data points across social media posts, restaurant menus, online recipes, and more to create a comprehensive picture of what’s heating up (or cooling off) in the food and beverage industry. Two main indicators of a trend’s strength are percent share of social conversations and percent increase in social conversations year over year (YoY).
- Percent Share of Social Conversations: How often a key search term or phrase is mentioned in conversations about a topic, relative to all conversations about that topic. For emerging trends this number will be quite low, as the flavor or ingredient has not gone viral or mainstream yet. This is the time to spot opportunity and be a trendsetter!
- Percent Increase in Social Conversations Year Over Year (YoY): Relative increase in mentions for a key search term or phrase in conversations about a topic. A significant increase YoY means there is more “chatter” around the flavor, ingredient, motivation, occasion, or any of the hundreds of other food and beverage variables. In larger sample sizes, this velocity metric is a good indicator of when a trend is gaining traction.
To uncover these energy drink trends, we segmented the database for content that referenced “carbonated beverage” and energy drink.” With a sample size of over 77,500 people, we are able to gain early insight into emerging trends. Read on for exciting insights in Fruit Flavors, Sweet Flavors, Functional Health, and Consumer Experience.
Flavors
Energy drink flavor trends for 2025 show increased demand for “cafe chic”flavors such as matcha latte, orange pekoe tea, frappe, and caramel macchiato. These elevated tea and coffeehouse flavors suggest that consumers are blurring the lines between functional energy drinks, natural caffeine sources, and the barista experience. Nectarine and apricot are also showing increased share in energy drink conversations, fitting in as alternatives to mainstream peach flavors. These “summer stone fruits” create a juicy nuance that works well in sweet energy drinks. Sugar free formulas can sometimes finish cloying or hypersweet, and a juicy flavor helps balance taste perception. Finally, we have new candied flavors popping up in the form of Oreo, gummy bears, and lollipop. These fun and bold flavors are perfect for Gen Z and classic energy drink consumers.
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Supplement Ingredients
Functionality is baked into the DNA of energy drinks: the function is literally in the name! While caffeine, water soluble vitamins, and amino acids are consistent performers in energy drinks, we’re seeing traction in other supplement categories too. Asian ginseng has been emerging as a topic of energy drink conversations. Used for hundreds of years in Chinese medicine, Asian ginseng may reduce environmental stress, increase physical stamina, and improve concentration and memory. Adaptogens such as milk thistle and L-Theanine are also becoming popular with significant YoY increases in social conversations. According to Healthline.com, “milk thistle is thought to reduce damage to the liver caused by free radicals.” It may also help prevent age-related decline in brain function. L-theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. Clinical studies have shown it to be effective at improving mental focus and promoting non-drowsy relaxation.
Functional Health
Functional health is usually top of mind for energy drink consumers. While “energy” is the main function for these beverages, we’re seeing a shift to multifunctional benefits as the category matures. Hormone balance is the fastest rising functional health claim mentioned in “carbonated energy drink” conversations. Postpartum care and menstruation are also entering the conversation. This suggests that female consumers are looking for beverages tailored to gender-specific needs. Energy drink marketing has only recently targeted the female consumer, so formulating for women’s health is a natural next step.
Although its YoY gains are smaller, anti-inflammatory is receiving a lot of chatter relative to the other emerging health claims. Energy drinks with functional ingredients that reduce free radical damage and alleviate stress is an opportunity for the year ahead. We’ll be tracking this exciting energy drink trend throughout 2025.
Consumer Experience
We predict the energy drink market to continue its category fragmentation trend in 2025. With new sub-categories comes a diverse set of consumer experiences. This year we’re seeing an emerging correlation between energy drinks and vitality, which indicates that consumers are increasingly looking for longterm, whole body energy gains as opposed to the quick hit of caffeine or sugar. Additionally, soothing is entering the conversation, which is an interesting concept for the energy drink category. This consumer experience can be delivered functionally through relaxation-inducing ingredients such as L-theanine or ashwagandha. Soothing can also be provided sensorially through indulgent and comforting flavors such as cookies and cream and tiramisu.
