It goes without saying, Starbucks is a behemoth in the beverage world. They’ve transformed coffee into a lifestyle, and turned a brand name into a generic term, “do you want Starbucks?”
Yes, it’s a coffee chain. But when you think about it, Starbucks has also been in the energy drink arena since it started cranking out luxury caffeinated cappuccinos in the '70s.
Caffeine is king and consumers' need for energy has increased; during the pandemic, energy drink sales were up 9.2% in 2020. Seeing a trend, Starbucks jumped on the official energy drink bandwagon and debuted a new line of non-coffee energy drinks called, “Starbucks BAYA.”
The company advertises the drink as a “ready-to-drink beverage crafted from caffeine found in coffee fruit.” Three flavors are offered: Mango Guava, Raspberry Lime, and Pineapple Passionfruit. Each can contain 90 calories and 160mg of caffeine per 12 oz. can.
So, Is This Stuff Any Good?
According to some consumers, BAYA shines with its flavor which is described as “not overpowering, but light and refreshing.” However, some complain of a funky aftertaste that “lingers on your tongue.” One consumer likened the flavor to gasoline, while another described it as “delicious and tropical.” To each his/her own, right?
What's In It?
Ingredients are a common-plus for Starbucks BAYA. Amazon reviewer “Aztrum” noted, “I like that the ingredients don’t make me uncomfortable like most energy drinks out there.” BAYA gets it caffeine from coffee berries and beans and also contains 90 mg of vitamin C.
What Makes It So Sweet?
The sweetness in Starbucks BAYA comes from cane sugar, which is responsible for most of the drink’s calories. And since energy is generated from the coffee bean, consumers shared they didn’t get a sugar crash.
While some people don’t like the high cane sugar content—17 grams of added sugar, about the weight of a compact disc—others prefer it, stating, “I was abusing Sucralose from other energy drinks and it was giving me all types of bad anxiety to brain fog. Thanks to this energy drink that doesn’t happen anymore."
What's Better Than BAYA?
Glad you asked!
Kill Cliff’s lines of clean energy beverages are FDA-regulated and contain caffeine and green tea extract, and NO sugar. The 150mg of caffeine in Kill Cliff's Ignite drinks is sourced from green tea extract which also assists in burning fat.
No funky aftertaste. No tastes-like-gasoline.
Additionally, Kill Cliff’s line of drinks include only FDA-regulated ingredients in its specialized blend of B-vitamins and electrolytes. They provide you with 10 percent of your daily values of magnesium and potassium, which helps regulate hydration and blood flow.
Clean, and no questions: Kill Cliff.
