Latest news with #5-HourEnergy
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
5-Hour Energy's new spicy mango flavor is actually hot and kinda... nice?
5-Hour Energy's new spicy mango flavor is actually hot and kinda... nice? Welcome back to FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. As someone who is generally bad at sleeping, caffeine is a vital part of my morning ritual. My house is loaded with coffee and energy drinks designed to clear up my bleary eyes and make my writing, well, probably not "good," but at least "comprehensible." Despite this, 5-Hour Energy has rarely made an appearance in my mornings. That's not because of a taste issue or the caffeine content. It's just because I like having a full can or cup to sip on over the course of an hour. It's much more difficult to do that with 1.93 ounces of concentrated jitters. But since I've been out here reviewing Red Bull and Celsius and Ghost and C4, I figured it was time to give 5-Hour a shot. The company, fortunately, teed me up perfectly; a Cinco de Mayo-themed spicy mango that comes with its own hot sauce if you buy it online. That sounds like the exact kind of weird I want in my review. Let's see if it's any good. Spicy Cinco de Mango: B I chilled this down before drinking, then realized that is not 5-Hour Energy's base state. In the wild it is not consumed cold or poured over ice. It is hastily grabbed from a convenience store counter and pounded quickly to the soundtrack of a Spotify playlist titled "bangers" and made exclusively of songs from when you were in high school. I have some concerns about adding hot peppers to a drink that tastes like crushed up chewable vitamins (complimentary). It smells sweet and a little foreboding thanks to a ring of spice that surrounds an otherwise hard candy aroma. Welp, it *is* spicy. And the mango is unmistakable. 5 Hour Energy promised two things; tropical fruit and hot sauce flavors. It delivers on both levels. It's a sweet heat up front, with more of a candied apple feel than mango. That takes a turn halfway through. The habanero kicks in. So does the mango. The finish is sharp and lingers on your tongue. That heat builds from sip to sip. While it's absolutely a feature it's never too potent. Well, it's not too potent for a drink that clocks in at under two ounces. I couldn't do a standard can of this. The result is much weirder than I would have expected from 5-Hour Energy but also nice. This is a big swing and the company pulls it off well. It maximizes the energy shot's short lifespan and gives you something to remember it by. While that heat does get bogged down by some lingering sucralose artificial flavor, it's still a proper jump outside the company's comfort zone. The extra strength caffeine payload (230 milligrams, or about three cans worth of Red Bull) kicks in quickly. I typically drink about 24 ounces of coffee in the morning, but this does have me a little more excitable than my average, spaced-out caffeine drip. Not jittery, but after a night of poor quality sleep next to a snoring, farting pit bull (he's old and stubborn, moving him provides maybe 15 minutes of relief), I do feel a little uneven. 5-Hour Energy x Taco John's Energizing Hot Sauce: B- Caffeinated hot sauce. I'm not sure if that's stupid or brilliant. I do love the idea of getting a little extra wake-up kick from my eggs or a bloody Mary. I don't love the idea of being a little drunk, shrugging, dabbing this on a hastily-ordered pizza and then being awake until 4 a.m. So, mixed bag up front. Cracking the bottle unleashes the mango habanero smell you'd expect after trying the energy drink. It's fruity, with a menacing hint of capsaicin waiting along the edges. There's a problem here. The bottle is a standard 5-Hour Energy bottle, but clear. There's no governor on the cap, so pouring it on food is a delicate balance. I tried to use a deft hand on a slice of cold Costco pizza but, as you can see above, wound up soaking it. The flavor here is more sweet than heat. It's possible the hot sauce actually packs less of a Scoville unit punch than the drink version from which it's derived. But that spice lingers and builds nicely. Ultimately, it's caught in a tug-o-war with the mango that's dominant from the first bite. Ultimately, it's a useful, sweeter hot sauce. It wouldn't be the first thing I reach for, but it would probably do great with a little Zing Zang and vodka. The 200 milligrams of caffeine in the bottle are interesting, but I didn't use enough of it to really get much of an effect on top of the already potent effects of the 5-Hour Energy I drank earlier. It's a nice idea. I doubt 5-Hour will be transitioning to hot sauces full time, but the result here is certainly good enough for an energy drink concern. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink 5-Hour Energy's Spicy Cinco de Mango over a cold can of Hamm's? I like the flavor, and there's no doubt 5-Hour maximizes its compact form here with a bold mix. But I prefer my caffeine spaced out a little more through my morning ritual. So if I'm in a hurry in the morning -- rushing out to work or getting my crap together for a morning tailgate or whatever -- Spicy Cinco de Mango is a fit. But most average AMs I'll probably stick to something a little bigger.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shopping channel ShopHQ increasing Eden Prairie layoffs to 200 workers
IV Media, LLC, the parent company of home shopping network ShopHQ, has announced the number of layoffs at its Eden Prairie operations will increase to 200 employees. The company announced in January that it would lay off 121 workers as part of a reduction in operations in the Twin Cities, with a further 7 employees later added to this for a total of 128. In a WARN mass layoff notice to Minnesota regulators, IV Media confirmed a further 72 employees would be laid off, bringing the total to 200. The layoffs are expected to take place during a 14-day period beginning on June 16 at the facility at 6740 Shady Oak Road, according to the notice received by the State Rapid Response Team. The layoffs impact varying positions throughout the company, including assistant buyer, assistant technical designer, assistant textile designer, associate digital marketing specialist, broadcast system development administrator, content producer, controller, design motion graphics senior role, and many more. IV Media is a subsidiary of Innovation Ventures, the company behind 5-Hour Energy drinks. It bought ShopHQ from previous owner iMedia Brands in 2023, when the latter filed for bankruptcy protection. Bring Me The News reached out to IV Media and ShopHQ for comment but have not received a response.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
14 daylight saving time deals on coffee and food to help with lost sleep
As much as we enjoy longer, sunnier days, losing an hour of sleep when daylight saving time rolls around is kind of a drag. Alas, the clocks will 'spring forward' this weekend, leaving us with one less hour of shuteye on Sunday, March 9. Waking up groggy is no fun, so many brands are serving up discounts to give us all a caffeine boost or a dose of sugar to start the day. Here's a go-to list to keep handy as we all tackle daylight saving time together. 5-Hour Energy is teaming up with Flavor Flav to promote its 1-hour Energy shot, which comes in a 0.5-ounce bottle. On March 10, the TV personality will be handing out the energy shots to New York City commuters. Additionally, customers can get a free 1-hour Energy shot with the purchase of any 5-hour Energy product online while supplies last. Just in time for daylight saving time, Baskin-Robbins customers can enjoy the chain's Cappuccino Blast drink at a discounted price of $5 for a small, $6 for a medium and $7 for a large. Bruegger's Bagels rewards members can get a free coffee (hot or iced, any size) each time they make a purchase in the chain's app or website. Burger King rewards members can enjoy a full week of deals at participating restaurants only on the BK app and website for order ahead. The single-use offers aren't valid on delivery orders and can't be combined with other deals. They're also not valid in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories. March 9: Free Croissan'wich with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours). March 10: Free 4-piece Churro Fries with a purchase of $1+ (not available during breakfast hours). March 11: Free medium Iced Coffee with a purchase of $1+. March 12: Free 5-piece French Toast Sticks with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours only). March 13: Free large Hash Browns with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours only). March 15: Free Sausage Biscuit with a purchase of $1+ (available during breakfast hours only). Clean Juice loyalty members can get a free 12-ounce 'The Wakeup One' juice with any $10 purchase between March 9-10. The offer is valid in the chain's app at participating locations. Between March 9 — 10, Grubhub customers can get a free Dunkin' coffee with any Grubhub order of $15 or more while supplies last. The single-use offer is valid on Grubhub and Seamless at participating Dunkin' locations. Einstein Bros. Bagels rewards members can get a free coffee (hot or iced, any size) each time they make a purchase in the chain's app or website. On March 9, Gopuff is offering the following deals on coffee and energy drinks while supplies last: 40% off La Colombe 11-ounce cans (only for Gopuff FAM members). 2 for $6 Nguyen Coffee. $1 off Groundwork Cold Brew. $1 off select Juvee Energy Drinks. 3 for $6 Alani. 3 for $6 Prime Energy. Between March 9 — 10, La Madeleine Bonjour rewards members can get a free drip coffee or fountain drink with any purchase. readers can save 25% off sitewide on Quantum Energy Squares through March 16 using the code SPRINGFORWARD25. The brand, which sells energy bars with protein and caffeine, also offers free shipping on orders over $35 plus a free gift on orders over $50. In honor of daylight saving time, Recess is offering readers 10% off using the code DAYLIGHT. The brand offers a range of beverages including sparkling waters, mocktails and more. Shipley Do-Nuts loyalty members can get a free glazed doughnut with any purchase on March 9. Smoothie King Healthy Rewards members can score a free 12-ounce Metabolism Boost Smoothie Dark Chocolate Banana on March 9. Between March 10 — 14, Wendy's is offering several in-app deals in honor of daylight saving time. The following offers are valid at participating U.S. Wendy's locations during breakfast hours: Breakfast sandwich for $2 with purchase. $2 off any breakfast combo. $0.99 for a small coffee with any purchase. This article was originally published on
Reuters
18-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Convenience stores sue Pepsi and Frito-Lay, alleging price discrimination
Feb 18 (Reuters) - PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay unit have been sued in U.S. court in California by convenience stores that claim they have been denied the same sales deals offered to major retailers such as Walmart and Albertsons, causing them to pay higher prices. Two California convenience stores filed the proposed class action, opens new tab on Monday in the federal court in Los Angeles, accusing PepsiCo of violating a provision of U.S. antitrust law that bans price discrimination. The complaint alleged that the companies' pricing affected "hundreds" of convenience stores in California and also violated California state competition law. The lawsuit said PepsiCo's alleged pricing policies, favoring major retailers over smaller independent convenience stores, are illegal under the federal Robinson-Patman Act. That law can restrict a seller from providing discounts, rebates and other pricing activities to some buyers, but not all. Their lawsuit comes about a month after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued PepsiCo in federal court in New York, accusing it of providing Walmart with unfair pricing advantages under the Robinson-Patman Act. PepsiCo said last month that it "strongly disputes" the FTC allegations. PepsiCo and Frito-Lay did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Monday's lawsuit. A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Mark Poe, in a statement on Tuesday said that Frito-Lay's "discriminatory pricing" resulted in "millions of consumers" paying higher prices. The convenience stores are seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order stopping the alleged price discrimination. Walmart is not a defendant in either the FTC lawsuit or in the case filed by convenience stores. Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For decades, the federal government had largely not enforced the Robinson-Patman Act, but the Biden-era FTC revived it. The lawyers for the convenience stores are separately pursuing a 2018 lawsuit under that federal law that accuses 5-Hour Energy drink maker Living Essentials of an illegal pricing scheme. The case is Alqosh Enterprises Inc and NMRM Inc v. PepsiCo Inc and Frito-Lay North America Inc, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 2:25-cv-01327. For plaintiffs: Mark Poe and Randolph Gaw of Gaw | Poe For defendants: No appearances yet Read more: US sues Pepsi over exclusive discounts to Walmart FTC revives price discrimination law, sues alcohol distributor US Supreme Court won't hear 5-Hour Energy drink pricing case
