Ghost Energy Drink Review: Sour Patch Delivers

Ghost is a fitness lifestyle brand that offers standard supplements like whey protein to energy powders specifically designed for gamers. The brand is relatively new but has already made an impact on the competitive dietary supplement landscape.

Ghost has licensed the rights to flavor many of their supplements based on popular consumer goods. For example, they have a chips ahoy flavored protein and a Swedish fish flavored pre workout. Today we’re reviewing Ghost’s RTD energy drink, flavored in both red and blue sour patch kids varieties.

The first thing you’ll notice is the elaborate packaging. The sour patch kids flavored RTDs come in a bright yellow can with red or blue on the perimeter. The can has a unique feel, with a wrapping around the aluminum and the Ghost lettering bubbling out slightly. It definitely stands out.

Taste 10/10

Sometimes you eat or drink something flavorful, but the novelty soon wears off and you become sick of it. That is not the case here. The taste is on point, especially the redberry as they call it. It tastes just like a red sour patch kid. I’ve gone through three cases to this point, two red and one blue, and still look forward to drinking it every day.

Key Ingredients 9/10

Ghost’s energy drink contains no sugar and only 5 calories, so it can fit into any diet. It contains 200mg of caffeine, which is a pretty standard amount compared with other brands. Caffeine has a myriad of benefits, and is likely the reason you would purchase any energy supplement to begin with.

The best ingredient in the formula is L-Carnitine L-Tartrate. I’m a big believer in carnitine and its effects on athletic performance and fat burning. Carnitine is a transporter which helps shuttle fat into the mitochondria to be used for energy.

Ghost has 1g of carnitine, which is an efficacious dose, so kudos to them on not skimping on the good stuff. This drink is worth it for the carnitine alone, as an L-Carnitine L-Tartrate supplement would cost about $30 by itself.  

Alpha GPC is a promising compound for cognitive function and brain health. It’s even been shown to slow cognitive decline in people with neurodegenerative disorders (although you have to take quite a bit to accomplish this).

Astragin is a supplement ingredient that combines astralagus and panax ginseng, two popular herbs for overall health. Astralagus has been shown to have both anti-inflammatory and longevity benefits. It’s been thought to potentially increase lifespan, but it’s more likely to increase healthspan (healthy lifespan). That is, you’d have a higher quality of life rather than more actual years.

Panax ginseng is an herb most people are familiar with. It’s been shown to improve cognition and alleviate stress. It’s also been shown to increase blood flow.

Price 8/10

A case of 12 costs about $30, or $2.50 per can. This is in line with most other popular brands, perhaps a few dollars cheaper overall. Individually they usually run about $3 a piece.

Effects 9/10

I originally purchased this drink in an attempt to lower my caffeine intake, and because sour patch kids are awesome. The energy drink I typically buy is 350mg of caffeine per can, almost double what’s provided in Ghost’s RTD.

To my surprise, and delight, there was no drop off in energy. If anything there was an increased level of focus, which makes sense given the nootropic ingredients in the formula. Whether this was due to a true physiological reaction who knows, it’s hard to gauge these things unless you’re really in tune with your body.

I’ve used this both pre workout and as a pick me up for when I’m doing regular computer work tasks. It works well for both, but particularly when I need to focus on content creation, video editing, etc.

Availability 7/10

As of now you won’t find this product in most supermarkets or convenience stores. In my area it’s strictly available in GNC or Vitamin Shoppes. This isn’t particularly troublesome, as there are plenty within a reasonable distance.

Ghost’s RTD is finally available online after a few listing issues previously. All varieties are available in 12 pack containers.

As the popularity of the brand grows, I predict you will see it in more retailers and wholesalers. The product is still less than a year old. The energy drink market is ridiculously competitive, but this has already become a staple in my routine. Hopefully it sticks around and they find success with it.

Update: since the original writing of this article, I’ve seen Ghost sour patch kids energy drink pop up in select 7-Eleven stores. It isn’t ubiquitous in all stores yet, but it shows that their distributor now, at the very least, has the option to sell it.