REVIEW: RYSE Fuel Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Energy Drink

RYSE Fuel Kool Aid Tropical Punch Energy Drink Can

What is it?

RYSE Fuel is on the rise in the crowded and growing sugar-free energy drink market. Following initial launch collaborations with Smarties, Ring Pop, and Sunny D, the brand is back at it, colliding with one of the most recognizable and nostalgic faces in the junk food world — Kool-Aid.

How is it?

RYSE Fuel Kool Aid Tropical Punch Energy Drink Pour

Tropical Punch is my favorite Kool-Aid flavor, I’m an energy drink junkie, and I absolutely love this. From what I remember of tall sugary ice cold pitchers of the red stuff, RYSE bottled up this flavor beautifully. Fruity notes of cherry, orange, and pineapple take center stage with a little background flurry from lime. The taste is sweet but not aggressive, with a generous amount of bubbly bubbles that give a sharp and pronounced fizz.

The can packs 200 milligrams of natural caffeine for the stimulant energy rush, along with 500 milligrams each of choline bitartrate and taurine for improved memory and performance. It works well as a pick-me-up beverage without any intense pre-workout ingredients that might make you feel like your heart will explode. And, as an added bonus of pure fun, RYSE used natural coloring from vegetable juice to nail the iconic vibrant red hue.

RYSE Fuel Kool Aid Tropical Punch Energy Drink Color

Anything else you need to know?

If I had one tiny complaint, it would be that the flavor could be a touch punchier. It’s great, but the flavor emulation from brands like Ghost with its Sour Patch Kids and Warheads collaborations nailed it SO hard it makes perfection difficult in this sector. Kool-Aid is very sweet, and while this drink truly brings the flavors of Tropical Punch to life, I wouldn’t mind even a touch more sweetness to drive the profile home amid the flurry of intense effervescence.

Conclusion:

RYSE Fuel Kool Aid Tropical Punch Energy Drink Caffeine

RYSE’s Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Energy Drink is awesome. Whether you’re a fan of sugar-free energy drinks, riding a nice cool caffeine buzz, Kool-Aid, or all three, I can’t recommend grabbing a can of this enough. There’s a total lack of tropical punch from RYSE’s competitors, so this one is going into my rotation without hesitation. From the very first sip, it was “OH YEAHHH” vibes, and I might just have to go run through a wall with all of this excitement.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 16 oz can
Purchased at: Vitamin Shoppe
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1can ) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

SPOTTED (SEASONAL EDITION): 8/31/2022

Here are some new seasonal products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Reese s Peanut Butter Cups Halloween Lovers
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Halloween Lovers 2022

Goodbye, Reese’s Stuffed with Pieces that was in last year’s Reese’s Halloween Lovers Mix. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

Kit Kat Halloween Lovers 2022
Kit Kat Halloween Lovers 2022

Goodbye, Orange Colored Creme Kit Kat that was in last year’s Kit Kat Halloween Lovers Mix. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

Frankford Skull Hot Chocolate Bomb
Frankford Skull Hot Chocolate Bomb
Frankford Caramel Apple Hot Chocolate Bomb
Frankford Caramel Apple Hot Chocolate Bomb

(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)

Limited Edition Kellogg s Trick or Treat Snack Assortment feat Scooby Doo Chocolate Bone Graham Cracker Snacks
Limited Edition Kellogg’s Trick-or-Treat Snack Assortment feat. Scooby-Doo Chocolate Bone Graham Cracker Snacks

(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

Sam s Choice Pumpkin Spice Mini Grahams
Sam’s Choice Pumpkin Spice Mini Grahams
Sam s Choice Milk Chocolate Caramel Apple Pie Flavored Sandwich Cremes
Sam’s Choice Milk Chocolate Caramel Apple Pie Flavored Sandwich Cremes
Sam s Choice Milk Chocolate Salted Maple Flavored Bark
Sam’s Choice Milk Chocolate Salted Maple Flavored Bark
Sam s Choice Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Almonds
Sam’s Choice Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Almonds
Sam s Choice Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn
Sam’s Choice Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Super Coffee Pumpkin Pie Latte
Super Coffee Pumpkin Pie Latte

(Spotted by Tommy at Hannaford.)

Zapp s Voodoo Halloween Snack Pack
Zapp’s Voodoo Halloween Snack Pack

(Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

The Modern Gourmet Coffee Syrups Pumpkin Flavors
The Modern Gourmet Coffee Syrups Pumpkin Flavors

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Insta-Bowl

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Insta Bowl Bowl

What is it?

It’s Frosted Flakes with powdered milk in a single-serve bowl. All you need to do is add a bit of cold water, and magically you have milk in your cereal! Now that we have sodas and jelly beans with all the flavors of a Thanksgiving meal, this doesn’t seem so futuristic, but it’s a good option when fresh milk is not available.

It’s also available with Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, and Raisin Bran Crunch.

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Insta Bowl Lid

How is it?

Well, it’s a little unnerving to pour water on cereal, and the stirring process needs to be done with some caution as to not crush too many flakes. But in the end, it basically tastes like Frosted Flakes with milk, which I guess is the idea.

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Insta Bowl Powder

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Insta Bowl Water

There are a few caveats though. First, there’s an odd odor to this after peeling off the top, but I couldn’t quite place it. The best I can do is to say it smelled like a cleaning product, which is not what I’m looking for in a breakfast cereal. Perhaps it was just from the packaging, or maybe powdered milk has a unique aroma. (I have no idea what powered milk smells like on its own, and I didn’t have any on hand to test it).

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Insta Bowl Mixed

The milk tasted a bit sweeter than I expected, but that might have been because I let the water sit in the sugar-coated flakes a little too long while I was taking the spectacular photos you see with this review.

I was also surprised that the flakes got soggy within a few minutes, which again could be partly blamed on the photoshoot. But don’t dawdle when you eat this unless you like mushy flakes.

Anything else you need to know?

Do not try eating cereal with only water. Trust me. One of my not-so-proud parenting moments happened when my daughter, a cereal-eating fanatic, was about four years old. One morning, we were completely of milk, likely due to poor planning on my part. Now this was a child whose morning routine was not to be trifled with, so my bold idea that she eat the cereal dry was voted down. Instead, she suggested using water instead of milk. Not wanting to stifle her out-of-the-box thinking, I gave her plan a thumbs up and even assured her it would taste fine, despite knowing it was not likely to end well. And it didn’t. She gagged on the watery cereal in a dramatic way that only a little kid can do, and that day I think she started to think her dad was not quite as smart as she previously thought.

Conclusion:

Kellogg s Frosted Flakes Insta Bowl Spoon

If you have milk (that’s not expired) sitting in your refrigerator or if you can borrow steal some from the community fridge at work, then obviously that’s a better option. But if your morning is not complete without milk in your cereal and you only have access to water, then this will get the job done for you.

Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: One bowl (1.6 oz)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 190 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.