How to Make an Energy Drink

Energy drinks are a popular way to replace a morning cup of coffee, perk up in the afternoon, or recharge after a workout. But buying energy drinks regularly can get expensive, and there are many different recipes you can use to make your own drinks at home for a fraction of the price. There are different types of energy drinks you can make, including caffeine-based ones, electrolyte-based sports drinks, and energy-boosting coconut water drinks.

Ingredients

Caffeine-Based Energy Drink

2 lemons
½ cup (113 g) sugar
1 large orange
4 teaspoons dried ginseng root
320 mg caffeine powder
4 g taurine powder
240 mg ginko biloba
2 cups (470 ml) boiling water
2 cups (470 ml) pear cider, for serving

Makes 4 servings

Homemade Sports Drink

1 cup (235 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup (235 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ teaspoon (4.5 g) salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (141 g) sugar
6½ cups (1.5 L) cold water

Makes eight 8-ounce servings

Coconut Water Energy Drink

1 cup (235 ml) boiling water
1 teaspoon (2 g) green tea leaves
1 lemon
½ cup (118 ml) cherry juice
½ cup (118 ml) coconut water
½ cup (118 ml) soda water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) agave nectar
Ice cubes

Makes two 10-ounce servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Homemade Sports Drink

1
Juice the lemons and limes. Cut the lemons and limes in half. Use a citrus reamer or juicer to remove the juice from all the citrus halves. Transfer the juice to a large plastic or glass drink pitcher.^{[1]
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- Each lemon or lime contains about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of juice, so you'll need roughly eight lemons and eight limes to produce a cup (235 ml) each of juice.^{[2]
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- Instead of fresh juice, you can also use drink crystals to flavor the sports drink.
2
Dissolve the sugar and salt in the citrus juice. Pour the sugar and salt into the pitcher with the freshly squeezed citrus juice. Stir the mixture to combine the ingredients, and set the liquid aside for about 10 minutes. This will give the acid in the juice time to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Most commercial sports drinks contain about 6 percent carbohydrates, which is why you need this specific quantity of sugar per 2 liters (2.1 quarts) of liquid. This concentration helps your body absorb the water faster.
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3
Combine the citrus mixture with water. Pour the cold water into the pitcher to dilute the citrus and sugar mixture. You can use any type of water you like, including tap, mineral, spring, or even coconut water. Stir the mixture to combine all the ingredients.^{[3]
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4
Serve chilled or on ice. Fill a tall glass with ice and add a 1-cup (235-ml) serving of the sports drink. Stir and enjoy! Transfer the leftover sports drink to the refrigerator and keep it chilled until you're ready for more.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Caffeine-Based Energy Drink

1
Zest the lemons. Rinse the lemons under running water and scrub the peel with a vegetable brush or cloth. Pat the lemons dry. Use a vegetable or citrus peeler to remove the yellow zest. Avoid removing the white pith, as this is very bitter. Transfer the zest to a small ceramic or metal bowl.
- You can also use a sharp knife to zest the lemons if you don’t have a vegetable peeler.
- You can use any type or combination of citrus zest in place of the lemon, such as a combination of orange and grapefruit.^{[5]
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2
Combine the sugar and lemon zest. Pour the sugar into the bowl with the lemon zest and stir the mixture to coat the zest with sugar. Pound the zest gently with a pestle or muddler for about five minutes. This will help the citrus to release its oils. After five minutes of muddling, set the bowl aside and let the zest marinate in the sugar for an hour.
- The citrus oil and sugar mixture liquid this will produce is called oleo-saccharum, which was often used in cocktails in the nineteenth century.^{[6]
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3
Wash and zest the orange. Rinse the orange under running water and use a vegetable brush or cloth to scrub the peel. Pat the orange dry. Use the vegetable peeler or a knife to remove the outer orange zest from the fruit. Transfer the zest to a large heat-proof bowl.
4
Make the herb and orange energy tea. Add the ginseng, caffeine, taurine, and ginko biloba to the bowl with the orange zest.^{[7]
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Research source} Cover the mixture with boiling water and cover the bowl with a clean tea towel. Let the tea steep for about 10 minutes.^{[8]
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- Instead of dried ginseng root, you can also use ginseng tea bags.
- It’s important to add the caffeine and taurine powder to the tea now, because you want them to dissolve in the boiling water.^{[9]
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5
Strain the tea and add the oleo-saccharum. When the tea has had time to steep, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer and transfer it to a clean bowl. Pour the oleo-saccharum through the strainer as well, allowing the syrup to drain into the bowl with the strained tea mixture.
6
Set the tea aside to cool. Leave the tea to cool to room temperature for about an hour. To speed up the process, allow the tea to cool to the touch, and then transfer the bowl to the refrigerator.
- Make sure the bowl is cool before putting the tea in the refrigerator, otherwise the bowl could crack.
7
Mix the tea with pear cider before serving. When the tea has cooled, divide it into four equal half-cup (118-ml) servings. When you're ready to drink your energy drink, combine each serving with equal parts pear cider and ice before drinking.^{[10]
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- Instead of pear cider, you can also use plain carbonated water to mix the tea.^{[11]
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- When divided into four servings, each one-cup (250-ml) serving of caffeinated energy drink contains 80 mg of caffeine and 1 g of taurine, just like the commercial version.^{[12]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Coconut Water Energy Drink

1
Brew and chill the tea. In a tea pot, combine the green tea leaves and a cup (235 ml) of boiling water. Allow the leaves to steep for three minutes. Strain out the leaves to prevent the tea from becoming bitter. Set the tea aside to cool to the touch, and then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
- Each cup of green tea contains about 25 mg of caffeine, which is enough to give you a small energy boost.^{[13]
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  Mayo Clinic
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2
Juice the lemon. Cut the lemon in half. With a citrus reamer or juicer, remove the juice from the lemon. Transfer the lemon juice to a pitcher. Pick out any seeds that happen to fall into the pitcher with the juice.
3
Combine all the liquids. Once the tea has chilled in the refrigerator, pour it into the pitcher with the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add the cherry juice, coconut water, and agave. Stir the mixture to combine all the liquids. Finally, pour in the soda water and stir gently to combine.^{[14]
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- In this energy drink, the cherry juice provides vitamins and minerals, and the coconut water provides electrolytes that your body needs to function.
- You can use any liquid sweetener you like in place of the agave, including maple syrup or simple syrup.
4
Serve over ice. Fill two tall glasses with ice. Divide the energy drink between the two glasses. You can garnish the glass with a lemon wedge or twist before serving. Store any leftover energy drink in the refrigerator until you're ready to drink it.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I store homemade energy drinks overnight in the refrigerator?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. Just make sure they are sealed.
Question

Can I add other flavors to my energy drink, like raspberry or mango?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. Just make sure the fruit is juice or little chunks. But some fruit wont work, like non-juicy fruit.