Billed as delivering “energy with soul,” Calaveras is a new functional energy drink in 12 oz. cans with flavors inspired by Latin fruits and aguas frescas. We tried three flavors: Strawberry Lime (20 grams of sugar), Original (both sugar and zero sugar versions) and Cucumber Mint & Lime (zero sugar). All three SKUs contain 200 mg caffeine from green coffee, 100 mg L-theanine, 200 mg lion’s mane, 1000 mg L-carnitine, and electrolytes and BCAAs.
Things we liked:
- These fruit flavors feel thoughtfully composed, and stand out in a sea of energy category sameness. Through their various combinations, each does a good job balancing their respective ingredients: for the sugar-sweetened Strawberry Lime, that comes through with a juicy punch (without using actual juice). Meanwhile, Original gives you grapefruit, starfruit and hibiscus, and Cucumber Mint delivers an impressively crisp, fizzy and light taste for not having sugar (sucralose instead).
- In terms of functional ingredients, Calaveras pretty much has it all: caffeine for energy, L-theanine and Lion’s mane for focus, electrolytes for hydration and L-carnitine for recovery, all of which are clearly marked in a separate “functional stack” label and explained in hero copy.
- The printed cans look sleek and feel polished, while evoking a clear brand identity. Adopting the aesthetics of Dia De Los Muertos gives Calaveras (which means “skull”) solid ground to build on, in terms of branding and design.
Things to consider:
- The functional stack is great for delivering benefits at volume, but makes this feel closer to a hardcore energy drink than an everyday refreshment choice. Yet with its strong flavor appeal and callouts to Latin culture, this doesn’t fit the profile of your typical performance energy product, either; that could be confusing initially, for both consumers and retail buyers.
- Individual call outs to “L-carnitine” and “L-theanine” along the rim of the can may grab attention from experienced functional beverage consumers, and may also be mystifying to mainstream shoppers.
- While the choice is easy to understand, the use of calavera imagery feels a bit repetitive from some other Latin-inspired brands. It’s a good place to start, but could be further refined to be more memorable.
Rating: 
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