Review: Liquid Death Energy Drinks Will Bring Life To Your Caffeine Routine

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Mornings can be rough, especially during the winter months when the sun seems like a distant memory and half the country turns into a freezer. From coffee to tea to a bevy of high-octane energy drinks, there are plenty of ways to find a pick-me-up, but now there's one more and it's a bit more hardcore than the rest. The newest energy drink on the market is ready to give you a little bit of life by sipping on some death.

Liquid Death, the company that made water metal, has released a new line of energy drinks that promise a better-for-you recipe with caffeine levels that won't leave you jittery. Available in four fearsome flavors — Orange Horror, Scary Strawberry, Murder Mystery, and Tropical Terror — the new drinks contain zero sugar and the caffeine content of a single cup of coffee. Liquid Death sent me a 12-pack of each flavor so I could determine if the new drinks are a great way to get your caffeine fix or if they'll leave you feeling like a zombie. 

All four flavors launched on December 3 and are available for purchase on Amazon at $24.99 for a 12-pack. Throughout December, variety packs and individual cans will hit the shelves at Walmart, Target, and Albertsons, where prices may vary.

All four flavors contain 5 calories and 0 grams of sugar. The primary sweetener is allulose, a naturally occurring sugar found in small quantities in some foods, including figs and raisins. The sugar substitute has 10% fewer calories than sugar itself, and while it's FDA-approved, more testing is needed to determine the long-term effects of continued allulose consumption. Each 12-ounce can also contains 54 milligrams of Vitamin C, 1.44 micrograms of Vitamin B12, and 40 milligrams of magnesium.

Despite there being a mystery flavor on the list, Tropical Terror is the one that raised the most questions. What's the primary flavor here? The packaging only lists "natural flavors," so I can't pin down the fruity inspiration, but my best guess is some combination of pineapple and coconut. Generally, anything tropical shoots up my rankings, but this one is a little too vague and a lot too sweet.

A clearer flavor profile would help this drink stand out. Going all in on pineapple or shifting more toward a piña colada flavor would give it some personality, but as it stands, Tropical Terror is more generic than the rest. I still consumed the whole can — it's easy to finish quickly when you're going about your morning routine — but compared to the others, I'm not rushing back for more. This is the flavor with the most potential, but in the end, it fell short of my expectations, making it my least favorite of the four.

I love the names Liquid Death uses for its products. Anyone can start their day with a high-caffeine energy drink like Red Bull or Monster, but saying you kicked off the morning with an Orange Horror makes that 8 a.m. meeting sound like child's play.

Name aside, this was probably the most mellow of the four flavors, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy flavored waters and prefer brands that pack some real punch, like Klarbrunn or the real-juice infused Spindrift. (No offense to La Croix, I prefer water that doesn't taste like a candle.) Orange Horror tastes more like tangerine to me, a mild distinction, but also a milder citrus flavor. It's definitely sweet, but not as much as some of the other options on the list. Like all the others, the drink is clear, so there are no artificial colors or dyes to worry about. I'd definitely drink the Orange Horror again — or a Tangerine Terror as might be more accurate — but for better or worse, it was the least memorable of Liquid Death's new offerings.

Artificial strawberry flavor isn't my favorite, but it's also not my least favorite; that distinction goes to the historically unique artificial banana flavor. Still, strawberry-flavored items tend to hit my palate wrong, which is why I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Scary Strawberry.

The drink is undoubtedly sweet, but rather than tasting like candy, it couldn't help but think of strawberry jam. Granted, we're talking the wonderfully processed stuff that used to come in squeeze bottles, but still, not candy. If you're a peanut butter toast person, pairing breakfast with a Scary Strawberry Liquid Death would be the ultimately unconventional pb&j.

In the seltzer world, there's a wide range of not only flavors but also carbonation levels. When it comes to a mid-day hydration option, I like something that snaps, crackles, and pops, but in an energy drink, I appreciate a subtler level of carbonation. Liquid Death nailed the texture of these drinks by adding a little fizz without making it overwhelming. You can just as safely slam one of these on your sprint to the train as you can sip one from the (relative) comfort of rush hour traffic.

Do I want to try to solve a mystery first thing in the morning? Not particularly, which is why I appreciated that the flavor behind Murder Mystery only remains a question for as long as it takes to open the can. This is a cherry-flavored beverage.

With the strongest scent and an unmistakable flavor, Murder Mystery is black cherry, though I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there's another subtler, secondary flavor fighting for space in there, too. Regardless of the whole makeup, Murder Mystery was my favorite of Liquid Death's new energy lineup. It delivers a bright, fruity taste while sidestepping the medicinal pitfall that so many cherry flavors stumble into. If you're a fan of cherry and only able to try one of Liquid Death's energy drinks, I suggest this one. Plus, you can say you knocked out a Murder Mystery before lunch if anyone asks how your morning's going.

Liquid Death took on the energy drink game and delivered. While I had to rank them, I was happy sipping each of the four flavors, and I'm not a huge energy-drink person. The fact that each can contains only 100 milligrams of caffeine is a huge plus in my book and a boon to anyone who wants an afternoon lift without jeopardizing their night. And as an added bonus, the boxes are wildly unique and make for great conversation starters. 

Liquid Death sent me samples of all four flavors prior to their nationwide release on December 3. I popped a can of each into the refrigerator and, after snapping some photos, tasted them with a focus on taste, scent, and texture. As mentioned, Liquid Death provided me with these samples but that had no impact on my tasting opinion.