Juvee is a new line of energy drinks from gaming lifestyle company 100 Thieves. The low calorie and zero sugar beverages were designed to be approachable and inclusive, which is something that factors into both drink’s formulation and its branding approach.

There are three flavors in the initial Juvee lineup, including Kiwi Strawberry, Watermelon Lime and Tropical Crush. The products all have zero sugar and 5 calories per 12 ounce can thanks to the use of sucralose. More commonly known by the brand Splenda, sucralose is a synthetic sweetener that you don’t see in too many new products from startup brands, which as of late have typically opt for natural alternatives. It’s hard to say if this will have an impact on Juvee. 

On the functional end of things, Juvee has 128 mg of caffeine along with added B vitamins, taurine, L-theanine and panax ginseng. This should tick all the right boxes and the caffeine level is on par with the category average.

When it comes to flavor, Juvee’s three flavors are pretty palatable as far as mainstream oriented energy drinks are concerned. All three fruit flavors are tart and moderately sweet, and, we think, well-executed.  The sucralose works surprisingly well, with just a mild amount of aftertaste at the finish. There’s also a bit of bite to these products from the added functional ingredients, but it’s definitely better than the category average.

Juvee’s branding is vibrant and colorful, which is something that can be said about many energy drinks on the market today. However, the execution of the graphics, which the company says are designed to sit “in between legacy and performance,” very much has its own personality. This starts with the brand’s tagline of “rejuvenating energy,” which is much less aggressive sounding than the copy you’ll find on most of today’s energy drinks. 

The label, which is a glossy shrink sleeve, features a unique background color and secondary color for each flavor (pink for Watermelon Lime, yellow for Tropical Crush, and green for Kiwi Strawberry).  They’ve taken a somewhat minimalist approach with the label copy and there’s plenty of room to breathe with each of the elements. This starts with the “rejuvenating energy” tagline that’s at the top of the front panel, which is followed by the Juvee logo and the flavor name. Down at the bottom are callouts for calories, caffeine content, and zero sugar. 

Ultimately, the branding certainly succeeds at giving the product the approachable and inclusive vibe it was looking for. However, because it’s different it could be less obvious that this is indeed an energy drink. From our perspective, that’s a risk worth taking especially given the sheer number of performance-oriented entries in the category right now. 

In the end, we like the approach that Juvee has taken. It feels like a product that could have broad appeal thanks to the pairing of a good tasting liquid with a brand that’s subtle rather than in-your-face.