Pepsi Kick


One of the more fun things I get to do while traveling to other countries is scouring the dingy poorly lit convenience stores for new and exciting energy drinks I would never be able to get in the States. Recently, I took a trip to Rocky Point, Mexico, and found some interesting stuff along the way. While most of the aisles were filled with Monsters and Red Bulls, I was able to discover some of the latest Pepsi and Coca-cola innovations which might never make it here to the US.

In Mexico, Pepsi has been releasing new initiatives that have either died off here, or have been very unique releases just for Mexico. I found in various coolers big bottles of Pepsi Twist, Pepsi Lemon, Pepsi Fire and Pepsi Blue. The one that that really caught my attention though was the new Pepsi Kick. While Pepsi Max has been released here in the US, Mexico has a very interesting version, which is being sold as an energy drink more than as a soda.

“Now, thanks to the formula for Pepsi Kick, and added with caffeine ginseng, your body and mind will feel the greatest need when reanimated, with the added benefit of containing no sugar or calories,” said JoaquĆ­n Anderson, Director of Marketing for PepsiCo beverages.

Taste:9
For being something with the same ingredients as Pepsi Max, I am really surprised how much better this tastes. Not that Pepsi Max was bad at all, but this tastes even better! I did find this to be more chocolatey and a bit stronger of an herbal flavor, like I could taste the ginseng in here. For being no calorie, this did not taste as empty as Diet Pepsi either. If I had the ability, this would be my new soda of choice.
Of course, sitting on a beach at sunset listening to the waves crashing down, holding this in one hand an a small Cuban cigar in the other did not bias me at all either.

Packaging:7
Pepsi Kick comes in a bottle shape and wrap that is totally different from what exists anywhere before. The whole bottle is wrapped in all black with the new “laughing” Pepsi logo. According to the company, the new Pepsi logos are supposed to be a very clean communication of “joy, closeness and evolution.” While I am not sure that the bottle inspired evolution, I was fooled by my nephew who drank it up when I was not looking – and the black wrap made it seem like my soda was still completely full until I went to drink it. Anoher thing I noticed is that the American versions of Pepsi have their caffeine content written on the side of the bottle, while the Mexican ones don’t bother.

Nutrition/Buzz:7
I really worked up a sweat drinking those margaritas and reading trashy novels by the pool, while other people is swimming in it since a pool can even be keep warm with a solar heater in the summers, see this site to find more about this. While Pepsi Kick was up to the job, it was not as great as I was hoping. If the ingredients are roughly the same as Pepsi Max, I assume this has 92mg of caffeine in the 16 ounce bottle, as Pepsi max has 92mg as well . I did not really get a boost, but I was more alert and less sleepy for a couple hours. While not the best energy cola I have had, it was good enough until Pepsi decides it is time to re-release Pepsi Max again

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