Why did they have to switch?

1998
Felicity Randol for The Criterion

Why did they switch to Coke from Pepsi? I mean, either way, I don’t drink either one – but still. I always had a weird thing with energy drinks, though.

Originally, I used to hate coffee. Weird for me to say since I drink it black and use so much of it now. I would always long for something sweeter, so I decided to pick up energy drinks.

I have tried a ton of them. Starting with Red Bull, I couldn’t get used to the taste, so I switched to Monster. With Monster, I stuck with the low-carb ones because I did not really like the taste of the original. Part of it was I was used to the taste of soda-pop, so I was expecting these carbonated drinks to be sweeter.

The first time I ever had a Rockstar, I absolutely hated it and believed that it was the worst energy drink ever made. 

Then, I discovered Kickstarts. The thought of Mountain Dew making an energy drink brought back so many late nights in high school playing Halo with a 12-pack of Code Red. Just the nostalgia alone made me try it. 

Felicity Randol for The Criterion

With the many different Kickstarts I tried in that first week, which led to me not getting much sleep, I settled on the Fruit Punch one as my all time favorite. Whenever someone was going to the store, I would ask if they would buy me one.

One day, I asked one of my friends to get me one. This buffoon returns with a Fruit Punch Rockstar. I was not happy to say the least. I had explicitly stated my distaste for Rockstar and this guy knew it.

However, he convinced me to try it anyways. One gulp, that’s all it took to get me hooked. After that first drink, I decided to give Rockstar another chance. I tried so many including the noncarbonated lemonade one. 

Rockstar became my official energy drink. When I couldn’t get my coffee, Rockstar it was. Although, I still do not care for the original.

Eventually, they would come out with their non-carbonated fruit punch flavor, and I would drink it like it was water. If you saw me around campus last year, chances are that you would have definitely seen me with one are some point. I just couldn’t get enough. This is why I’m so mad that they switched to Coke, because when Pepsi left the campus, so did Rockstar. 

Yes, I understand I can buy Rockstars at other places, but I’m on campus over 40 hours a week and what I’m arguing here is convenience. I mean is it really feasible to run across the street from campus in a 10 minute break between classes just for a drink?

Image courtesy of Felicity Randol