🔌Review - Alani Nu - Cherry Twist

Founded back in 2018 by fitness influencer Katy Hearn and husband Haydn Schneider, Alani Nu (part of Congo Brands which also owns PRIME hydration/energy) seeks to disrupt an energy drink category historically dominated by marketing aimed at young men. Alani's branding emphasizes bright and vibrant color palettes while prominently featuring women and more traditionally female activities. The vibes-based plan complete with abundant influencer marketing and wellness adjacent value-prop seems to have gained traction with the brand surpassing $1billion in global sales for fiscal 2025. Beyond energy drinks, Alani Nu's catalog also has pre-workout, shakes, snacks, and energy stick offerings.

Cherry Twist was first introduced in spring of 2024, designed as a 1980s retro cherry-lime soda. Originally intended as a limited run, huge sales velocity at launch resulted in its quick promotion to the standing lineup.

🛒Price: $16.59 for 12 cans, note this reflects a national promo and $6 off discount at Costco. In general, I believe them to be on the higher end of per can pricing, particularly when considered per ounce. Note that their website pricing is steep, probably go in-store.

✨Calories: 10, 12oz. can

🍵Caffeine: 200mg, slightly more than a cup of coffee

👅Flavor: Cherry predominates but the lime is certainly there as well. On the more bubbly side for an energy drink, the carbonation helps create a little bit of bite without being overly bitter. Flavor profile masks any functional ingredient or vitamin off-notes well. Refreshing cold, not recommended at room temperature.

🧪Ingredients: Gluten-Free (haven't seen an energy drink that isn't), Vegan (yep, pretty much all energy drinks are), and including Biotin (somewhat uncommon) which helps with overall energy levels, gene regulation, nervous function, and production of keratin which is used in nails/hair/skin (though science has questions about its effectiveness outside of niche conditions).

Sweeteners: Sucralose & Acesulfame Potassium (Zero Erythritol Blend).
Energy & Nootropic Blend: Caffeine Anhydrous (200mg), L-Theanine (200mg), Taurine, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, Panax Ginseng, Glucuronolactone, and Inositol.
B-Vitamins: B3 (110% DV), B5 (110% DV), B6 (110% DV), B7 (100% DV), and B12 (110% DV).

🏆Rating: 4.25 - Great - Balancing sweet berry with nice tartness and effervescent mouthfeel, Alani Nu Cherry Twist captures the expected flavor profile exceptionally well. I'd drink this over the same flavor from Steak N'Shake and maybe even Firehouse.

⚖️Scale:

🥃Review 92: 1.75L Costco's Kirkland Kentucky Bourbon 2026

Costco has historically worked with Barton 1792 for it's bourbon line, putting out a small batch , bottled-in-bond , and single barrel edition in liter bottles in waves over the last few years. This new 1.75L edition debuted in Spring of 2026 and mysteriously lacks a named distiller. The label proudly states that it was distilled and aged in Bardstown, Kentucky before being bottled in Columbia, Tennessee by DC Flynt MY Domaines & Estates (never heard of them). Flynt appear to be more wine focused and have led a number of wine bottlings for Costco historically in addition to some Gins. Distilleries at scale in Bardstown include Jim Beam, Barton 1792, Heaven Hill (though primary production is at Bernheim in Louisville), Lux Row, Willet, and Bardstown Bourbon Company. I doubt it is Barton 1792 since they proudly label their existing collaboration and I suspect it may be a producer without a 1.75L bottling line (would justify the move better than just adding logistics for ...

☕ All Java Monster Flavors Tasted & Ranked

As a habitual caffeine abuser, I have a soft spot for Monster, both for their expansive lineup of flavors as well as their support for Sports and E-sports. Coffee is my standard caffeination vector, so the Java Monster suite of products is the perfect mix of bean flavor and energy boost. In this post, I'll provide my personal rankings and rationale for what is a very strong lineup. Note that I have not been compensated in any way for this write-up... I just like them. Currently, Monster Energy 's Java Monster lineup has five available flavors: Mean Bean - Vanilla Irish Crème Loca Mocha - Chocolate Salted Caramel Café Latte There are two "triple shot" versions of the Vanilla and Mocha which contain 300mg of caffeine though their flavors are very similar to the base versions above. At this point, we should also take a moment of silence for the two cold brew flavors, sweet black and nitro latte. The nitro latte was a personal favorite and I quite liked the sweet black,...

🔌Review - Costco's Kirkland Sparkling Energy Drink - Orange

Released earlier this year in 2026, the Kirkland Sparkling Energy Drink lineup features three flavors: Orange, Tropical, and Peach. The style, ingredients, and caffeine content seem to be talking aim directly at recent CPG success, Celsius Energy. It echoes that brands "clean" veneer with no high fructose corn syrup, GMO ingredients, or artificial colorings. 🛒 Price: $16.99/24 ~$.7/each - Costco. Celsius is normally around $20/12 without sales, so figure around 95 cents savings per can vs. full sticker which is around 58% savings. Celsius is showing up frequently on sale around $15 now but that's still not nearly enough to reach parity. ✨Calories: 10 , 12oz. can 🍵 Caffeine: 200mg, around a third more than a cup of coffee, more than Monster and Red Bull - similar to Celsius. 👅 Flavor: Very effervescent, I get tons of bubbles - close to Red Bull and more than Celsius. It does have a thinner mouthfeel vs Monster Ultra and Red Bull on balance whi...

🥃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...

🎮Call of Duty Zombies: The Drinking Game - Rules

Since its introduction in Call of Duty: World at War , Call of Duty Zombies has been a PvE staple for gamers everywhere and has appeared in many subsequent titles. In this post, we'll explore rules for turning a game of round-based zombies into a lovely drinking session. As with all drinking games, set limits before you begin and be sure to conduct yourself both legally and responsibly. Preparation 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 waters to help stave off some small sadness. A Couple of Shots - I would pre-pour a couple of shots to have on hand. Again, lower end of ABV which for shots likely means 80 proof. Kirkland Canadian Whiskey, Tito's Vodka, or Lunazul Tequila wo...

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