With no shortage of contentions and controversies to cover at NYU, our tenure as news editors has been defined by record-late work times and countless all-nighters. When you’re stationed in the basement of Third Avenue North from late afternoons until early mornings, a caffeine boost is necessary — and Celsius has become a news-desk staple.
Over the past semester, we tried all 31 flavors we could find and gave each of them a score out of ten. After averaging our rankings, here are five that disappointed us and five that we’d pick up on our next bodega run — from one Celsius connoisseur and one novice.
Borderline battery acid
Dharma: Granted, I’m not a fan of grape-flavored things, but I feel like I might as well be drinking straight NyQuil. Celsius really nails the flavor profile of the type of cough syrup that makes you gag. The fizziness fails to counteract the drink’s sickly sweetness and it feels like Sparkling Grape Rush spoils after one minute at room temperature.
Aashna: You can’t convince me that’s not straight-up cough syrup. Why one would choose to buy this Celsius flavor after trying it once is truly beyond my comprehension. Like many grape-flavored drinks and candy, it tasted more like the color purple than grapes themselves.
Dharma: I like Diet Coke, but it needs to be within a certain context, and that context rarely overlaps with the time that I’m drinking Celsius. I don’t think this is poorly executed — the amount of artificial sweetness is pretty up to par with what you’d expect from soda. I just think that the concept of a Coca-Cola-flavored energy drink isn’t particularly appealing.
Aashna: I might as well have eaten a spoonful of artificial sweetener. To be fair, I’m not a huge fan of Diet Coke, but this was so much worse. Also, where was the cherry flavor? I walked away disheartened and disappointed.
29. Arctic Vibe: Sparkling Frozen Berry Edition
Dharma: By “frozen berry,” they really must have meant freezer burned. It’s like the weird, bitter and off-putting sister of Sparkling Wild Berry Celsius, and there was absolutely no reason to concoct that. When I was 16, a can of Arctic Vibe spilled in my hot and stuffy car on the way to dance class and my Subaru smelled like not-so-sparkling frozen berry for two weeks. I’ve had a vendetta against it ever since.
Aashna: I wasn’t sure what to expect an “arctic vibe” to taste like, but I had certainly hoped it would be better than this. With each sip, I felt more confused and uneasy about the taste in my mouth. The overly powerful, tangy pop of flavor really took me by surprise and overpowered anything resembling a berry.
28. Fantasy Vibe: Sparkling Mandarin Marshmallow Edition
Dharma: I was a big fan of this flavor in high school, but I think I’ve reached a point in my life where I have no desire to drink something that tastes like marshmallow — so this just does not hit the spot. “Creamy” is not a descriptor I tend to crave in energy drinks and in this case, it dulls the orange flavor to a syrupy sweetness.
Aashna: I didn’t absolutely despise this one, but I would just prefer something more refreshing and less dessert-esque in an energy drink. I also didn’t appreciate its powerful, sickeningly sweet smell. That said, Celsius really nailed the “mandarin marshmallow” flavor profile.
27. Tropical Vibe: Sparkling Starfruit Pineapple Edition
Dharma: I don’t think there’s a person on Earth who could pinpoint what “Sparkling Starfruit Pineapple” should taste like, and this Celsius isn’t doing anything to help. It’s like an odd convolution of several other flavors, and tastes overwhelmingly sweet the second it nears room temperature. Other Celsius flavors prove that pineapple can be executed well, but this unfortunately falls short.
Aashna: There’s nothing exceptional about this flavor. I appreciate the ambition behind combining starfruit and pineapple, and although I’m not sure what starfruit should taste like, the pineapple in this one really didn’t land for me. It was forgettable, to say the least.
Crowned caffeinators
Dharma: Orange Celsius is best described as reliable. It’s always refreshing and my go-to choice from the Bobst Library vending machines. It tastes more like oranges than other orange sodas, and it isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. My sole qualm is that I’ve had this one so much that it’s worn on me a little.
Aashna: No notes — it was marvelous. With a crisp, refreshing orange flavor that brought me joy in every sip, this Celsius definitely made me feel at home in the unfamiliar world of energy drinks.
Dharma: I have to admit that I was hesitant about this one. Mango and lemonade are an odd combo, and when I first tried it, I really wasn’t a big fan — but the more I’ve had it, the more it’s risen in my rankings. It’s a little more bitter than the other lemonade flavors, but the tartness pairs well with the sweetness of the mango’s tropical flavor.
Aashna: When I first heard about this one, I was shocked that I’d never seen this flavor combination before and was impressed by Celsius’ ambition to tackle it. I’m a big lemonade fan in general, so this one really brought me back to my roots. However, I was also happy to find that the tart mango flavor, in unison with the lemon, didn’t overwhelm my palate too much.
3. Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade
Dharma: This is a summer staple and the Celsius I recommend to newbies. The lemonade-adjacent flavors are all pretty good, and watermelon adds a refreshing note that disguises the sucralose undertones a little more. The citrus and sweet flavors blend together nicely, and it has the perfect amount of tang without veering toward acidity.
Aashna: As I mentioned, anything lemonade-oriented strikes a chord with me, but this one perfectly encapsulated the feeling of a warm summer day. The citrus taste was bright and fun — giving me more energy than the caffeine itself — and it had a nice contrast to the subtle melon flavor. Very yummy!
Dharma: Raspberry peach is a close second. I remember when I found this flavor in Heavenly Market for the first time last year — it immediately became a favorite. I would scour every bodega around for a Raspberry Peach Celsius. It’s admittedly on the sweeter end, but it’s less acidic than the others, making for a satisfying balance of flavors.
Aashna: Not only does this Celsius stray away from many energy drinks’ quintessential battery acid flavor, but it also combines the best of both worlds with these two fruits. This flavor is surprisingly light, almost akin to an elevated mocktail — if it weren’t for the 200 milligrams of caffeine and a few too many dashes of artificial sweetener.
1. Fizz Free Raspberry Acai Green Tea
Dharma: Raspberry Acai Green Tea is a hidden gem in the world of Celsius. As a refreshing fizz-free option, it’s by far one of the most palatable flavors for those who are skeptical of the battery acid-esque reputation that energy drinks have accrued. The berry flavor is discernible without being too sweet, and the green tea adds herbal undertones that mitigate the overwhelming fruitiness admittedly present in other Celsius flavors. I thought that they discontinued this because I hadn’t seen it in a while, so finding it in Healthy Greens Gourmet Deli on 10th Street was a relief, to say the least.
Aashna: As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy raspberry or green tea, I was pleasantly surprised by this one! The flavors blended well together into a beautiful, tropical symphony. Throughout the research process for this article, I learned that many Celsius flavors taste more or less the same — so I appreciate how this flavor dares to be different.
Contact Aashna Miharia and Dharma Niles at [email protected].
