Tag: Retro drinks

In November 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages, declaring the addition of caffeine to alcohol an 'unsafe food additive'. This action ultimately led to the reformulation of Four Loko and the end of its original, controversial version.

By the time it was discontinued in 2018, Shandy Bass had a very low alcohol by volume (ABV) of just 0.5%. This made the drink, once a nostalgic favourite, legally classified as non-alcoholic in many jurisdictions.

While most people associate modern energy drinks with the late 90s, the concept was alive and well long before. Asian markets, in particular, had thriving energy tonic industries, which served as the blueprint for the global products we recognize today. But did energy drinks exist in the 80s in the way we understand them? Yes, in several key forms.