🔌Review - QuickTrip Energy

🔌Review - QuickTrip Energy - Original

QuickTrip has a long history of being in energy beverages with it's "Rooster Booster" brand, most often in Big Q from the fountain. In 2021-2022, they rolled out a 16oz canned line simply titled "QT Energy" to capitalize on continued growth in the energy drink segment, particularly with younger consumers. The cans feature a digital camouflage design, in this case red, and seem to be primarily marketed at young men.

🛒Price: $2.39 (often 2/$4 or with a BOGO coupon in the app). I got this one for .75 with a coupon.

✨Calories: 230, 16oz. can

🍵Caffeine: 160mg, slightly less than a cup of coffee

👅Flavor: This feels very much like a Red Bull clone, conveying the classic "generic berry", cotton candy, and bubblegum profile of that brand albeit with much less of a spice tingle or citrus pucker. The drinking experience is overall smoother and sweeter.

🧪Ingredients:

Notably this is a full calorie energy drink with a high-glycemic load of 230 calories from 53grams of sugar. In addition, it packs the following standard lineup of nootropics and B-vitamins:

Taurine: An amino sulfonic acid that regulates intracellular calcium and osmolarity. In the context of this beverage, it is used to modulate the "jitteriness" of caffeine. While studies vary, standard inclusion levels in this class of beverage are approximately 1,000mg–2,000mg per can.
D-Glucuronolactone: A naturally occurring glucose metabolite. It is included based on a largely unproven industry consensus claim that it enhances detoxification via glucuronidation in the liver.
Inositol & Choline Bitartrate: Both are "lipotropic" agents and precursors to neurotransmitters (acetylcholine). They are added at sub-therapeutic levels (estimated <150mg) primarily to support the "mental focus".
B3 (Niacinamide) - 40mg (250% DV) Critical for NAD/NADP synthesis; aids in glycolysis.
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - 10mg (200% DV) Precursor to Coenzyme A (CoA), essential for fatty acid metabolism.
B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) - 7.6mg (447% DV) Co-factor in amino acid metabolism and neurotransmitter synthesis.
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) - 2.1mcg (87% DV) Essential for DNA synthesis and neurological function.

The only other deviation I noted from other common competitors is that it has 19% of your daily value of sodium at 430mg which is a good bit higher that peers (Monster has 370mg and Red Bull almost half that by volume) . This does help enable the SGLT1 (Sodium-Glucose Linked Transporter 1) in the small intestine which increases the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. It also tends to increase thirst.

🏆Rating: 2.75 - Bordering on Serviceable - It's a solid knock-off but perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste and I miss the electric tingle of standard Red Bull. That being said, I'm excited to try the other members of the QT Energy lineup which are more in line with diet energy offerings. On sale, they do provide a solid value, especially versus full priced alternatives.

⚖️Scale:

1 | Bad | Don't Drink it | I Wouldn't Drink it

2 | Poor | I would drink it if there was nothing else or it was free

3 | Good | Serviceable | Buy it on sale

4 | Great | A Cut Above | White Monster | Buy at full price

5 | Excellent | Standout in the Category | Pay venue prices

🥃Review #53: Costco's Kirkland 15YR Highland Single Malt Scotch - 2025

The 2025 release of Costco's Kirkland 15-year Highland Scotch hit shelves in late January and is a recurring installment on an annual cadence. The first pallet to hit my local store sold out almost immediately. Thankfully, we got two more shipments at one pallet each that hung around a bit longer and I was able to snag a bottle. Like in previous years, this Highland Scotch is finished in sherry casks. Alexander Murray & Co. is the bottler with MISA imports out of Texas bringing it to the States for consumption (Costco's standard sourcing pattern for Scotch). The bottle has a nice heft to it and there is an ensconced Alexander Murray Lion adding some nice texture to the front of the bottle. Steve Lipp, CEO of Alexander Murray, calls it "Perfect for after dinner drinking." All-in-all, this shows an attempt to elevate the product and presentation from the ubiquitous blends and non-age stated iterations you'll sometimes find under the Kirkland label. Neither Alex...

🍺 Definitive Light Beer Tier List: Meta-Analysis & Ranking

Trends come and go: Craft Beer, Hard Seltzer, Canned Cocktails, and more. In the world of beverage, the currents are constantly shifting, but one drink has an irrevocable grip on America: Light Beer. Good old beer flavored beer may take a hit from new competition, but brands like Miller Lite and Michelob Ultra constantly sit at the top of sales volume lists, even with the fall of Bud Light and rise of Modelo's Flagship. But which light beer is best? Let's find out. Methodology - Light Beer Ranking Taste preferences vary significantly between consumers, but across a large sample we should be able to get a somewhat representative picture of the populations preferences. For this ranking, we will combine data sourced from multiple beer rating sites with an internal Castle & Cairn house ranking to create an overall beer quality score. The starting population of beer brands will be those that are explicitly branded as "flagship light" or beers with less than 100 calor...

🥃 Review #40: Kirkland Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2024)

Like Costco's other Scotches, the Kirkland Signature Islay Single Malt is bottled for Alexander Murray and imported by MISA Imports after being distilled and aged in Scotland (TTB.gov plant registry TX-I-1277). The isle of Islay is one of the southern most islands in Scotland and is one of the five whisky regions ensconced in law. There are only nine active distilleries on the island, and the Islay style is typified by strong peat or smoky flavors. As a single malt, we know that the juice in this bottle comes entirely from one of those nine! All of the distilleries are significantly smaller than Glenlivet and many of the mainland producers. Taste testing has people split between Caol Illa, Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte), and Bunnahabhain as being the source. Caol Illa and Laphroig both have done deals for private brand scotch without rights to name the source distillery, but Laphroig does not match the flavor profile for this bottle. Realistically, Caol Illa is the most likely cand...

🍺🍷🥃 Beer, Wine, and Spirits Rebate Website Master List

If there is anything I love more than a good drink, it's saving money buying that good drink! The rules for providing discounts on alcohol differ substantially between states with some allowing outright discounts or coupons and others entirely disallowing any sort of purchase incentive. Thankfully though, in my native Georgia as well as most states, a simple reimbursement approach is permissible. Last Updated & Validated 2/4/2026 . Alcohol Rebate Site Master List The following sites are relatively stable for each manufacturer. New offers usually come out every few months. None of these are affiliate links and I provide no assurance as to the process. I have saved so much money using rebates and hope you have similar success. Best practices and general process advice will be presented at the bottom. New sites will be added as I uncover them. Beer Rebates Boston Beer Company Brands - Angry Orchard, Dogfish head, Hard Mountain Dew, Samuel Adams, Sun Crusher, Truly, and Twis...

🎮 Call of Duty Warzone - The Drinking Game

Fairly self explanatory per the graphic below. What could be more fun than tossing back a few cold ones with your closest buds while rampaging through one of your favorite video games? Call of Duty Warzone might not have as much nostalgia as it did in the Verdansk days, but it still has some charm. The best part: you'll already be at home when you're done so there's no need to worry about a designated driver! Obligatory plug to know your limits, be legal, and drink responsibly, we don't respawn IRL (yes I know that's a cringe statement - that's the joke). Call of Duty Warzone Drinking Game Prep To play the game, you'll need the following in addition to an internet connection, gaming device, and Call of Duty: A Party Sipper of your Choice - I recommend something relatively low ABV. We balanced the rules for a player of moderate ability and a sipper of 4-8% alcohol. Light beer is my go-to here since it has enough lovely hydrating water to soak up any shots. ...

Castle & Cairn

Search This Blog