Pour something golden down yer neck... (Battle of the Energy Drinks)

Member Name: Blurbubble

Product:	Battle of the Energy Drinks
Date:	11/06/02 (402 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good for an unsettled stomach or an enerby boost, tastes nice

Disadvantages: Quite pricey, contains a lot of additives

I'm not normally drawn to fizzy gunk, whether alcoholic or not, so this is a bit of a departure for me to write about a carbonated soft drink. However there is something different about Lucozade, for me it can't help but bring back the odd brief nostalgic snapshot in my mind. I remember it from my childhood as something my mother used to buy herself as a treat and the glass bottle would stand on the side in the kitchen adorned with its crinkled amber cellophane wrapping drawing me to its bright colours and the tempting look liquid within. If I was very good, or fluttered my eyelashes enough, I would be allowed to have a glass of this "treat" too.

Back then Lucozade seemed to be the only drink of its kind around whereas now there are many "energy" drinks based on glucose. It was seen as somewhat medicinal - "aids recovery" -was its tag line, rather than its present image as another sports drink.
It used to be used for those who had been ill to help regain energy levels, replace fluids and encourage recovery as well as being a general tonic.

Well it seems all that has changed now. It has a new look, new packaging, new market and new flavours. Manufactured by SmithKline Beecham - more commonly associated with medicinal and pharmaceutical products - it now comes in a curvy plastic bottle but the Original flavour still displays its traditional red, yellow and orange colours so I guess it hasn't changed that much! It still tastes the same too. The distinctive amber coloured high fizz liquid is very sweet but leaves a somewhat "dry mouth" feeling. The flavour is hard to describe, sort of citrus but mellow. For me I still find it a lot more refreshing than most of the fizzy fruit drinks available today.

Its key ingredients are still carbonated water and glucose together with caffeine, colourings and added vitamins (Niacin, B6, B2, B12). The label states that it is not suitable for childre
n under 2 years old, presumably due to the additives. It is also not meant to be used to restore the fluid lost after suffering diarrhoea, as ever water remains the best option for that but if you are feeling generally unwell it can be used as a good energy boost.

This still isn't the cheapest drink around though - a one litre bottle cost me £1.99 from my local Alldays store (however they always tend to be rather expensive) but I'm sure you could knock a good 50p off the price by buying it from a supermarket.
It is also available in smaller bottles especially handy for sports bags and lunchpacks and priced at around 70p-90p depending on where you buy them from. If the Original flavour isn't for you there are also "new generation" Lucozades available in orange or lemon flavours though I have yet to try these as I like the Original variety.

My most recent dalliance with Lucozade was a couple of weeks ago after a nasty stomach bug and this was the only thing I found I could keep down and enjoy, and it gave me a much needed energy boost. So whether you're sporty or just sickly - this could give you the quick kick you need!

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