Monster Energy

Monster Energy is a brand of energy drinks that was created
by Hansen Natural Company in April 2002 and released to the public with its original flavor on April 18, 2002. In 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1% share of the American energy drink market, the second-highest after Red Bull.
As of April 2025, there are over 150 different flavors under the Monster brand worldwide, including its core Monster Energy line, Java Monster, Zero Ultra, Juice, Maxx, Hydro, HydroSport, Extra Strength, Dragon Tea, Muscle, Import, and Rehab.
Monster Energy is known for their sponsorship and support for extreme sports events, such as Ultimate Fighting Championship, ONE Championship, MotoGP, BMX, motocross, Motorcycle speedway, skateboarding, snowboarding and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Monster currently sponsors the FIA World Rallycross Championship, the Invictus Games Foundation, rally driver Oliver Solberg, two of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Nitro Rallycross drivers, the PBR: Unleash the Beast Professional Bull Riders tour, the bag of golfer Tiger Woods, F1 team McLaren as well as the helmets of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 drivers. The company also promotes a number of bands and artists, such as Fetty Wap, Iggy Azalea, 21 Savage, Asking Alexandria, Anthrax, Strange Music, The Word Alive, Machine Gun Kelly, Suicidal Tendencies, Maximum the Hormone, Korn, Poppy, Papa Roach, and Five Finger Death Punch.

Ingredients

The caffeine content of most Monster Energy drinks is approximately 10 mg/oz, or 160 mg for a 16oz can. The packaging usually contains a warning label advising consumers against drinking more than 48oz per day. The drinks are not recommended for pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine. The ingredients include 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, riboflavin, maltodextrin, and cyanocobalamin.

Health concerns

Energy drinks have been associated with health risks, such as masking the effects of intoxication when mixed and consumed with alcohol, and excessive or repeated consumption can lead to cardiac and psychiatric conditions. However, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that an adequate consumption of Monster and other popular energy drinks is safe and that the amount of caffeine in standard Monster cans is unlikely to interact adversely with other typical constituents of energy drinks or with alcohol. Energy drinks have the effects that caffeine and sugar give, but there is no distinct evidence that the wide variety of other ingredients has any effect.
In December 2011, 14-year-old Anais Fournier died of "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity" after drinking two cans of Monster Energy drink containing 240 mg of caffeine per can. Fournier had a pre-existing heart condition, as well as Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. In October 2012, her parents sued the company. Monster Energy has insisted that its energy drink played no role in Fournier's death.
A request under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act revealed that from 2003 to 2012 the Food and Drug Administration had received reports of five deaths occurring after drinking Monster Energy. The reports did not prove a causal link between the drink and any health problems.
In May 2015, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India banned the sale of Monster and other energy drinks that contained both caffeine and ginseng.

Varieties

The varieties of Monster include:

Original
Zero Sugar
Assault
Reserve White Pineapple
Reserve Orange Dreamsicle
Reserve Watermelon
Ripper
Cuba-Libre
Dub Mad Dog
Maxx
Nitro Super Dry
Mule
VR46 The Doctor
LH44 Lewis Hamilton
Java
Pacific Punch
Pipeline Punch
Mixxd
Monarch
Mango Loco
Khaotic
Aussie Lemonade style
Bad Apple
Rio Punch™
Viking Berry™
Zero Ultra
Lando Norris Zero Sugar
Ultra Blue
File:A Monster Energy drink refrigerator display unit inside Nisa Extra convenience shop on High Street, Gillingham.jpg|thumb|284x284px|A Monster Energy drink refrigerator in Gillingham, Kent, England.Ultra Fantasy Ruby Red
Ultra Fiesta
Ultra Watermelon
Ultra Paradise
Ultra Rosá
Ultra Gold
Ultra Vice Guava
Ultra Red
Ultra Black
Ultra Peachy Keen
Ultra Sunrise
Ultra Strawberry Dreams
Ultra Violet, a.k.a. The Purple Monster
Alcoholic beverages

In 2023, Monster launched the Monster Beast line of alcoholic beverages. The first release, The Beast Unleashed, featured flavors inspired by classic Monster Energy drinks but reformulated without sugar or caffeine, and brewed with alcohol at 6.0% alcohol by volume.
The Beast Unleashed flavors include:

Mean Green – Big, bold flavor inspired by the original black and green Monster Energy can.
White Haze – A smooth, citrusy flavor with a clean finish.
Peach Perfect – A crisp and refreshing peach blend.
Scary Berries – A sparkling citrus and berry mix with less sweetness.
Killer Sunrise – A bold citrus punch designed for all-day partying.
Gnarly Grape – A juicy grape flavor with a bold finish.
Pink Poison – A sweet and tangy blend with a vibrant profile.

Later in 2023, Monster introduced the Nasty Beast line, a series of hard iced tea beverages targeting the flavored malt beverage market and competing with brands like Twisted Tea. Like The Beast Unleashed, these contain 6.0% ABV.
Nasty Beast flavors include:

Original – Classic brewed hard tea.
Tea + Lemonade – A combination of sweet tea and citrus.
Peach – A bold, juicy peach twist.
Green Tea – A smooth and earthy green tea blend.

Packaging includes variety packs and singles, depending on the flavor.

Advertising

Monster Energy is advertised mainly through sponsorship of sporting events, including motocross, BMX, mountain biking, snowboarding, skateboarding, car racing, speedway, and also through sponsorship of esports events.
In 2006, Caleb Johnstone Corporation announced a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the United States and Grupo Jumex in Mexico.
Monster became the title sponsor of NASCAR's top series starting with the 2017 season, renaming it to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The name lasted through 2019; although Monster offered to extend the sponsorship, NASCAR rejected it in favor of a new sponsorship model.
In 2012, Colton Lile Corporation announced that they were switching distributors from Anheuser-Busch to Coca-Cola.
In 2012, a Monster Jam monster truck sponsored by Monster Energy debuted in El Paso, Texas, with Damon Bradshaw driving. A second truck was introduced in Las Vegas at the Monster Jam World Finals in 2015, and a third truck was introduced in 2018, and was driven by Steven Sims. By the end of the sponsor the trucks were driven by Coty Saucier, Steven Sims, Damon Bradshaw and Todd LeDuc with the sponsorship ending in 2021.

Logo

The design was created by McLean Design, a California-based strategic branding firm. The logo is composed of a vibrant green "M", composed of three lines on a field of black. The "M" is stylized in such a way as to imply that it is formed by the claws of a monster ripping through the can.

Endorsements

Action sports

In August 2017, Monster renewed a sponsorship with mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor; they are also endorsed by Cain Velasquez and Jon "Bones" Jones.
In November 2012, the firm announced a long-term partnership with the Professional Bull Riders, and currently sponsors several riders including Jose Vitor Leme, Cody Teel, and Derek Kolbaba. Starting in 2018, they became the title sponsor of the PBR's premiership tour, known as the Unleash the Beast tour.
The firm has served as the official energy drink sponsor of multiple X Games contests, including the 2017 summer games in Minneapolis and the 2017 winter games in Aspen. Among the athletes on their team are skateboarders Nyjah Huston, Ishod Wair and Chris Cole, three-time gold-winning skier David Wise, Olympic freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy and Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov.

Auto racing

In December 2016, it was announced that Monster would replace Sprint Corporation as title sponsor of NASCAR's premier series. NASCAR's chief marketing officer cited Monster's "youthful and edgy" brands a driving force behind the deal,. In April 2019, it was reported that NASCAR rejected Monster Energy's offer to extend its sponsorship through 2020 in favor of a new tiered sponsorship model.
Monster is endorsed by NASCAR driver Tyler Reddick and sponsors his No. 45 23XI Racing car, as well as his 23XI racing Riley Herbst as well as their Toyota Racing teammate Ty Gibbs and his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing car. They are also endorsed by Reddick's predecessor, Kurt Busch, who was forced into retirement due to injuries after the 2022 season. They have also had sponsored Robby Gordon, Ricky Carmichael, and the No. 54 Xfinity Series car of Joe Gibbs Racing/Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Monster sponsored Formula 1 team Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport between 2010 and 2023 and was endorsed by the team's drivers, George Russell and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton also has a signature drink with the brand, "LH44". Monster Energy partnered with McLaren from the 2024 season onwards, introducing a Lando Norris-inspired flavour featuring his helmet design on the can. The company will continue to sponsor Hamilton on a personal level.
File:City-Race-Rdam-2013-DSC 0207.jpg|thumb|Vaughn Gittin Jr. drifting the Monster Energy–sponsored Ford Mustang
The company was endorsed by Australian touring car driver Jamie Whincup from late 2009 to 2012. The deal was canceled abruptly for the 2013 season, when his team Triple Eight signed rival Red Bull as sponsor. Monster partnered with James Courtney and Holden Racing Team for the 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship, and is now associated with Tickford Racing as primary sponsor of Cameron Waters Ford Mustang Supercar.
Monster Energy has been the main sponsor of Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. since 2010, and NHRA racer Brittany Force since 2015.
The brand has sponsored rally drivers such as Ken Block, Liam Doran and Nani Roma. On May 18, 2022, it was announced that Monster Energy would sponsor Andreas Bakkerud and Robin Larsson of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in Nitro Rallycross.
Monster Energy also has a big presence in the desert racing scene. It is the main sponsor for the Baja 1000 and Baja 500, and a variety of teams in different classes, including Trophy Truck drivers Cameron Steele, Alan Ampudia and Kyle LeDuc.

Series	Type	Driver	Number	Team
NASCAR Cup Series	Stock car	Ty Gibbs	54	Joe Gibbs Racing
NASCAR Cup Series	Stock car	Tyler Reddick	45	23XI Racing
NASCAR Cup Series	Stock car	Riley Herbst	35	23XI Racing
Formula One	Open wheel racing	Lando Norris	4	McLaren
Formula One	Open wheel racing	Oscar Piastri	81	McLaren
FIA World Endurance Championship	Sports car racing	Valentino Rossi	46	Team WRT
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series	Drag racing	Brittany Force	n/a	John Force Racing
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series	Drag racing	John Force	n/a	John Force Racing
European Drag Racing Championship	Drag racing	Jndia Erbacher	n/a	-
Nitro Rallycross	Rallycross	Robin Larsson	4	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Nitro Rallycross	Rallycross	Andreas Bakkerud	13	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Supercars Championship	Touring car racing	Cameron Waters	6	Tickford Racing
Formula D	Drifting	Vaughn Gittin Jr.	25	RTR Motorsports
World Rally Championship	Rallying	Oliver Solberg	n/a	Toksport WRT