Ingredients Questions

Does Monster Contain Alcohol? (The TRUTH)

Sometimes our lives need an extra energy kick in order to keep going. What with some of us having multiple jobs or juggling school and work, it’s easy to get tired. This is why we indulge in energy drinks.

One of the most popular energy drinks of this age is Monster. It has been around since 2002 and is one of the most top-earning energy drink brands out there.

As popular as it is, you’ve gotta wonder about its ingredients. Particularly whether it has any alcohol in it or not.

Short Answer: Monster Energy Drink contains zero amounts of alcohol. However, for a short period, it was a trend to mix Monster with alcohol, so perhaps during that time, people confused the energy drink with having alcohol.

Keep reading for a more in-depth analysis of the contents of Monster Energy Drink.  

Is there alcohol in Monster?

So far, in the history of Monster, there has been no alcohol in the drink.  But I get where the confusion is coming from, as for a while, it was a known thing to put alcohol and Monster together to create some sort of super-drink.  

Monster contains a ton of ingredients, most of which I’ll talk about later, but what it doesn’t contain is alcohol. People may think the drink has alcohol due to the once-popular and very dangerous trend of mixing alcohol with energy drinks, but truth be told, alcohol was never an ingredient of Monster.

While yes, there are some energy drinks out there that have a small percentage of alcohol in them like Sparks and Tilt, Monster energy drink is not one of them.

What are the ingredients of Monster Energy Drink?

a can of monster next to a bunch of ice cubes

While Monster does not have any alcohol, the drink does contain many ingredients. Here’s a list of the common ingredients found in Monster:

  • Carbonated water
  • Sucrose
  • Glucose
  • Citric acid
  • Natural flavors
  • Taurine
  • Sodium citrate
  • Color added
  • Panax ginseng root extract
  • L-carnitine
  • L-tartrate
  • Caffeine
  • Sorbic acid
  • Benzoic acid
  • Niacinamide
  • Sodium chloride
  • Glycine max glucuronolactone
  • Inositol
  • Guarana seed extract
  • Pyridoxine hydrochloride
  • Sucralose
  • Maltodextrin
  • Cyanocobalamin

The most important ingredient found in Monster is caffeine. According to Caffeine Informer, a 16 fl. oz. can of Monster has a caffeine content of 160 mg and a calorie count of 210.

While it’s not a lot compared to energy drinks like Bang or Reign, it’s still quite a lot. It’s definitely far too much for a simple wake-up boost, but it’s not anything crazy.

The FDA states that the safe amount of caffeine a person can have in a day is 400 mg. The caffeine content in Monster is definitely below that line, but drinking multiple cans can easily get you over 400 mg.

Another key ingredient in Monster is sugar. Monster has an incredible amount of sugar for one can, that being 54 g of sugar for a small 16 fl. oz. can.

According to the American Hearts Association, men should have no more than 36 g of sugar a day, and women should only have 25 g. The sugar content in Monster is definitely past AHA’s recommended intake and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Sugar, in small amounts, can be good for our bodies. But high doses of sugar are definitely not ideal.

For one thing, too much sugar can lead to obesity. Multiple studies have shown that consistently consuming sugary beverages can lead to weight gain. Not only that, but sugar can also increase the risk of heart disease.

There are many reasons why too much sugar is bad, which is why it’s very important to know the sugar content of whatever drink you consume. For Monster, that sugar content is up to 54 g.

However, Monster has come out with a line of sugar-free energy drinks which is called the Monster Energy Ultra. It has all the ingredients of a normal Monster drink save for the sugar. That said, just because a drink is sugar-free does not make it any healthier, but I digress.

To conclude, a 16 fl. oz. Monster has 160 mg of caffeine, 210 calories, and 54 g of sugar.

Vitamins in Monster energy drink

Mentioned above are all the ingredients in Monster energy drink but aside from those, Monster energy drink contains vitamins that are beneficial to our health.

Below is the list of vitamins and what they can do to our body;

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)Helps the body absorb protein and fats
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)Relieves arthritis, lowers cholesterol, enhances brain function
Vitamin B6Improves mood, reduces Alzheimer’s risk, aids hemoglobin production, reduces heart disease risk,
prevents cancer, prevents eye diseases, treats inflammation
Vitamin B12prevents anemia, supports bone health, reduces your risk of macular degeneration, improves mood, prevents loss of neurons, gives an energy boost, improves heart health, supports healthy hair, skin, and nails

Although Monster contains these vitamins, it’s still not a good idea to gulp down multiple cans. Remember that Monster is still heavy in sugar and caffeine and can be quite dangerous to caffeine-sensitive people, children, and pregnant women.

Monster should only be consumed by those who have no underlying health conditions and are at the right age. But even then, it’s still important to watch out and not overdose on cans of Monster.

a can of monster energy drink

Can you get drunk off of Monster?

Since Monster does not have any alcohol, you cannot get drunk off of the drink. However, if you mix the energy drink with alcohol, you might get drunk depending on how much you consume and what alcoholic drink you decide to mix it with.

While you can’t get drunk off of Monster, there are other things that you may experience with high consumption of Monster.

Sugar Crash

As I’ve established, a typical can of Monster contains 54 g of sugar, which is a lot. Consuming multiple cans of Monster also means consuming a whole lot of sugar, and when you consume a whole lot of sugar, your body produces insulin at a rapid pace.

This then causes your blood glucose to decrease, which ultimately lowers your energy levels as well. This is what we call a ‘sugar crash’ or, in medical terms, Hypoglycemia.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia, according to Mayoclinic, is:

  • An irregular or fast heartbeat
  • Fatigue
  • Pale skin
  • Shakiness
  • Anxiety
  • Sweating
  • Hunger
  • Irritability
  • Tingling or numbness of the lips, tongue or cheek

An Addiction

Prolong intake of Monster may lead to an addiction. Energy drinks like Monster contain a lot of addicting ingredients, like caffeine and sugar.

When you ingest food or beverages that are high in sugar, your brain releases dopamine, the feel-good hormone. The more you drink, the more your brain releases this hormone, and because it makes you feel good, the more you chase this feeling.

This means you become dependent on the drink to acquire dopamine, instead of acquiring it naturally. If you’re not careful, this will lead to an addiction.

Drinking it occasionally obviously will not have such a drastic effect, but consistent consumption in high doses will most likely lead to an addiction to energy drinks, and like most addictions, this will be difficult to overcome.

Caffeine Withdrawal

Caffeine is the main star of most energy drinks. It is the wake-up stimulant that most people buy energy drinks for.

Caffeine is what stimulates your nervous system, wakes your brain, and reduces your fatigue. At the right amount, caffeine carries several benefits, but if done incorrectly, caffeine does more harm than good.

Caffeine withdrawal isn’t something that comes the minute you drink Monster and then quit, it comes after you’ve already developed a dependency on the drink.

Once you’re dependent on a highly caffeinated beverage and then all of a sudden stop, you’ll face caffeine withdrawal. The symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Nausea
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Muscle soreness

This can be quite difficult to go through as caffeine withdrawal usually lasts 2 to 9 days.

How much Monster can you have?

a can of monster energy zero ultra

This is different for everyone depending on their health conditions and their sensitivity to caffeine. Some people can have multiple cans a day while some can only have one. In my opinion, no matter what your caffeine sensitivity is, only have one can of Monster a day.

The FDA’s recommended daily limit of caffeine is 400 mg and while Monster has a caffeine content that is below 400 mg, let’s not forget that it has a sugar content of 54 g. And that’s past the recommended amount of sugar.

So Monster may not be over the daily caffeine limit, but it is way over the sugar limit. And for that, it really isn’t ideal to consume multiple cans of Monster daily, even if your stomach can handle it.

Not to mention the drink has a ton of other ingredients that you may or may not be sensitive to. The safest thing to do is limit yourself and only indulge in one can a day.

In that case, the amount of Monster that we can have varies according to each type of drink as each has a different level of caffeine content. Below is a list of Monster energy drinks and the amount of caffeine content in each;

The Original Green Monster Energy80 mg per serving/160 mg per can
The Original Lo-Carb Monster Energy
70 mg Per Serving /140 mg per can
The Original Zero-Sugar Monster Energy70 mg Per Serving  /140 mg per can
Monster Energy Reserve Watermelon160 mg per can
Monster Energy Reserve White Pineapple160 mg per can
Monster Energy Nitro Super Dry 160 mg per can
Monster Energy Assault 80 mg per serving/160 mg per can
The Non-Alcoholic Monster Mule 80 mg per serving/160 mg per can
The Original Monster Energy Super-Premium Import77 mg per serving/179 mg per can
Monster Energy Ultra150 mg per can
Zero-Sugar Ultra Black69 mg per serving/137 mg per can
Java Monster Coffee + Energy100 mg per serving/200 mg per can
Java Monster Triple Shot Mocha300 mg per can
Java Monster Triple Shot French Vanilla300 mg per can
Juice Monster Mango Loco76 mg per serving/152 mg per can
Juice Monster Energy + Juice80 mg per serving/160 mg per can
Hydro Super Sport Killer Kiwi160 mg per bottle
Hydro Super Sport Macho Mango160 mg per bottle
Hydro Super Sport Red Dawg160 mg per bottle
Hydro Super Sport Blue Streak160 mg per bottle
Monster Hydro Tropical Thunder150 mg per bottle
Monster Hydro Purple Passion150 mg per bottle
Monster Hydro Blue Ice150 mg per bottle
Monster Hydro Zero Sugar a.k.a. Hydro White150 mg per bottle
Monster Hydro Watermelon150 mg per bottle
Rehab Monster160 mg per can
Muscle Monster Energy Shake157 mg per bottle
Monster Dragon Iced Tea160 mg per 23 fl. oz serving

Is it okay to mix Monster with alcohol?

You can mix alcohol with Monster, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It is extremely dangerous and incredibly unhealthy. Monster is a caffeinated beverage and mixing caffeine with alcohol is not a good idea.

According to the CDC, caffeine can mask the intoxicating effects of alcohol, allowing the drinkers to feel more awake and more inclined to keep drinking. This will lead to binge drinking, which will then expose the drinker to many possible alcohol-attributable harms.

This study on the behavioral effects of alcohol mixed with energy drinks concluded that those who drank alcohol were more likely to pose a risk than those who just drank alcohol alone. According to the study, students who consumed alcohol mixed with energy drinks ended up with more alcohol-related consequences like being physically hurt than those who consumed alcohol alone.

Another study showed that people who had alcohol mixed with energy drinks coming from bars were more likely to put themselves in risky situations like intoxicated driving.

So in conclusion, mixing energy drinks like Monster with alcohol is not a good idea. It messes with your brain and puts you (and others) at risk. It isn’t safe and frankly, there are no known benefits to doing it. So why do it?

Why not just safely enjoy the energy-boosting benefits of energy drinks on their own and have alcohol another time?

Check this video out for more information;

Bottomline

To keep it short, there’s no alcoholic content in Monster energy drink. However many people confuse Monster with having alcohol because of the once-popular trend of mixing energy drinks with alcohol, but truth be told, the only prominent ingredients found in Monster are caffeine and sugar.

That said, you shouldn’t mix Monster or any energy drink with alcohol. Alcohol alone already messes with your brain function, but with the addition of a highly caffeinated beverage like Monster, the effects might be worse.

Even the CDC advises against it. Monster by itself, however, is okay. So long as you don’t go beyond the recommended daily limits and have the drink in moderation.

In my opinion, one can a day should be enough to keep you going. Otherwise, you may potentially expose yourself to several health threats if you’re not careful enough.

The safest thing to do with drinks like Monster is to limit yourself and not mix it with any intoxicating substance.