Are We Going Back to the Pill?

Caffeine has been consumed for years in coffee and cola but it wasn't until No Doz hit the block, in the form of a pill, that a new caffeine delivery method was created. This simple caffeinated pill heightened societies quest to stay awake.

Although caffeine has been injected into just about everything from soap to mints I am going to concentrate on the caffeine evolution from a beverage perspective.

Take a look at this chart below:

The pill went liquid with Jolt Cola who doubled the caffeine level of the average 12 oz cola while Water Joe stripped out the impurities (sugar, preservative, etc) and just gave us the basics...water and caffeine. Average retail: $1.

From there the energy drink revolution took over and increased the amount of caffeine into a smaller 8.3 oz can but also "fortified" the drink with some good-for-you vitamins. It didn't take long before someone decided we needed even more caffeine and Super Sized (16-24oz) the 8.3 oz format. This larger can took off in sales but so did the amount of sugars and calories one had to injest just to achieve caffeine nirvana. Average retail: $2+.

Now the new kid on the block is trying to condense all the caffeine goodness into just 2 fluid ounces. It proclaims no sugars and minimal calories into a handy dandy little shot. Average retail: $3.

So will the 2 oz extreme shot hold out as the winner? Or, are we just one evolution step away from going full circle back into a $4 "super-charged" pill?

Water Joe - World's First Caffeinated Water

Water Joe was the first water in the marketplace to add a sole energy ingredient - caffeine. With such a unique twist on water only the media could bring this mixture to life. And that is what happened back in 1996. Water Joe became the media darling of almost every newscast, newspaper or magazine. In fact by the end of 1996 USA Today had named it Product Hit of Year and Wired Magazine appointed it to their Tired Wired Top 100. By 1997 there were 42 caffeinated waters being produced all with funky, edgy names. Each trying to get a foothold in the caffeinated water space. Sounds familiar?? It should. This story reads almost like the energy drink phenomenon that is taking place today.

Today after an ownership change and a few label renditions later Water Joe is pretty much the only one standing in strictly the "caffeine and water" category. It obviously still has its devoted fans as Water Joe ranks as the #1 best selling item on Beverages Direct. So why is it that after all these new caffeine enhanced products have entered into the market Water Joe is still around? The video below (filmed on the road in 1997) articulates it the best...because it still tastes just like water!

We'd love to hear if you think Water Joe can survive another 10+ years.