I Swapped Coffee for Energy Drinks and Almost Lost My Mind
This is what the work week of Wall Street Journal reporter Jamie Waters looks like on a diet of Celsius and other high-caffeine drinks that promise to help consumers reach their full potential.
"I have such a high tolerance for caffeine," I declared to my partner as I opened a can of Celsius. "These drinks probably won't affect me at all."
I am addicted to coffee. As an Australian, it is almost a national duty. I drink three iced lattes every day, a habit I refuse to give up even when my bank account screams. But lately, it has become impossible to ignore the siren call of energy drinks.
In almost every supermarket or gym, a wall of designer cans awaits, each containing an amount of caffeine equal to about three shots of espresso, with no sugar, and minimalist slogans promising to accelerate metabolism.
These are no longer the Monster and Red Bull drinks from gas stations and skydiving clubs. Like sticks of dynamite wrapped in trendy pastel shades, they provide the ammunition for a day of storming the inbox and a Pilates workout on a reformer machine. In a culture obsessed with optimization, these drinks are here to help you maximize everything, all with a healthy lifestyle vibe.
"Live fit," declare Celsius cans. Another energy drink brand called Bloom promises to make you "bloom into the best version of yourself." Today, it is just as likely to see a young woman from the West Village promoting a "clean" lifestyle on social media while holding a can of rocket fuel, as it is a BMX stuntman or a gamer spending their nights in front of a screen. Energy drinks have been rebranded as a lifestyle accessory.
"To me, Celsius is a symbol of productivity," says Natalie Buchi, 27, a PR professional from New York. "I tell myself, 'I'll drink a can and finish the work.'"
Energy drinks are more popular today than ever. According to the Beverage Digest Fact Book, sales in 2025 were 42% higher than in 2021. Celsius and its sister brand Alani Nu (Nu is short for Nutrition) are leading a wave of trendy drinks that fit into the broad demand for functional products, like protein bars and Zyn nicotine pouches. "I don't think this is a passing fad," said Bonnie Herzog, a senior beverage industry analyst at Goldman Sachs.
Aside from a few unfortunate combinations of Red Bull and vodka during college, I had never drunk energy drinks. But there is only one thing I love more than coffee, and that is winning, and I started to fear that all these glowing and insanely efficient millennials were gaining an advantage over me. So for one week, I swapped my beloved latte for cans from a variety of brands. In total, I drank 16 and a half cans. By the middle of the week, I had almost lost my mind.
