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- A high-quality energy shot has a healthy amount of caffeine, minimal harmful or artificial ingredients, and tastes well enough that it's not a chore to drink.
- Energy shots are a popular way for people to get a boost of energy via caffeine or an assortment of vitamins, herbs, or stimulants like guarana, taurine, and ginseng.
- Our top pick, the Forto Coffee Shot, is certified organic, doesn't cause significant jitters, and comes in a variety of available flavors.
- This article was medically reviewed by Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City.
In today's fast-paced world, you're expected to be on your game just about every waking moment. If your brain isn't functioning at peak capacity, your productivity suffers, and you may drop the ball in various areas of your life. While rest is important for recharging — and we strongly encourage going easy on yourself — sometimes you don't have the luxury to take a break. That's when a boost from an energy shot comes in handy.
Coffee is by far the most popular energy supplement people tend to consume. But, as you're rushing from one meeting to the next or high-tailing it to the gym, you don't always have time to visit a coffee shop or take a cup from home. Energy shots are a convenient way to get your caffeine fix when you're on-the-go.
This is the main way I use energy shots. I'm used to taking in roughly 125 milligrams (mg) of caffeine three times per day in the form of espresso from my fancy Saeco Xelsis Espresso Machine. But, when I'm away from home, I need to maintain my caffeine intake to stay alert and avoid headaches. It's not the healthiest lifestyle but it works for me. Plus, I closely regulate my caffeine intake to stay below the recommended daily limit of 400 mg.
How to shop for energy shots
Caffeine is the most common stimulant in most energy shots. During the testing for this guide, I tried a few alternatives that were advertised as caffeine-free, but they had little to no effect so none made our guide. They mainly serve as a boost of B vitamins, which mostly just end up in your urine.
The shots I tested had between 40 and 300 mg of caffeine along with herbs, nootropics, megadoses of vitamins, and other stimulants, such as guarana, taurine, and ginseng. Since the caffeine levels and other ingredients vary so drastically, it's important to monitor how often you take energy shots and what effect they have on you. It's also smart to consult with your healthcare provider before altering your diet by adding an energy shot to it.
For safety reasons, I tested the energy shots in this guide over the course of several months with a day or two between each test. I also consulted with Mandi Knowles, a registered dietitian with over 15 years of experience, who gave me guidance in what to look for in an energy shot.
How we test
Each energy shot featured in this guide went through several tests in order to thoroughly review them across a variety of categories. The most important factors I considered while testing were performance, caffeine content, ingredients, and taste. Here's how each category factored into what made the guide:
- Performance: Each test had to have an element of subjectivity to them and I tried to limit the variables in the tests as much as possible, but there's only so much one can do — especially for something as opinion-based as performance. The closest I could get to reliably reporting on this was to look at how jittery the energy shot made me feel in the first two hours after taking it. I also assessed how task-focused I was five hours after taking the shot, but since this can vary wildly from person to person, it wasn't a major contributing factor.
- Caffeine content: According to Knowles, it's smart to "prioritize the caffeine first and make sure that it has an acceptable dosage to be effective." She recommends between 100 and 300 mg and that "anything higher should be taken with caution as the upper limit is set at 400 mg for adults (and 85 mg for kids.)" She points out that a typical 16-ounce Grande cup of medium roast coffee at Starbucks contains roughly 310 mg of caffeine.
- Ingredients: I looked for shots that had other positive active ingredients outside of caffeine like guarana, ginseng, or taurine. Energy shots are commonly packed full of B vitamins, but Knowles warned against putting too much stock in these. "When it comes to B vitamins, the claim is they usually help the body make energy, but it really comes down to converting food into cellular energy and not a burst of energy." I also looked for shots that rely on natural ingredients and steer clear of artificial sugars or any confusing chemicals.
- Taste: Taste may be the most important subjective test as it's much more relatable than a shot's performance. I rated the taste and aftertaste of each flavor on a 5-point scale. The anchors on my taste scale were: 1 — "wince when drinking it," 3 – "not good or bad," and 5 – "found I craved the flavor." The aftertaste scale anchors were 1 – "need a chaser," 3 – "neutral aftertaste," and 5 – "I crave more." None of the shots received 5s in taste or aftertaste, though there were a few that got close. I found that while most tasted good, several had unpleasant aftertastes.
Additionally, I took into account each shot's nutritional facts, different buying options (e.g., flavors, potency, and package sizes), how convenient the shots are to carry around, and the cost per serving and how much caffeine you get for a dollar spent.
Here are the best energy shots:
- Best overall: Forto Coffee Shot
- Best eco-friendly: X-Mode Energy Shots on Tap
- Best budget: SToK Caffeinated Unsweetened Black Coffee Shot
- Best nootropic: Tru Focus Shot
- Best with ginseng: DailyPower Energy Shot
The best energy shot overall
Relying mainly on cold brew coffee for its caffeine and flavor, the Forto Coffee Shot is a good, clean solution for coffee lovers who don't have time to pay their favorite barista a visit.
In our testing, the Forto Coffee Shot was the clear winner, and there were two main reasons why it stood out. First, it has a healthy dose of caffeine – 225 mg in each serving — and it also comes in a 150 mg alternative. The second is that Forto is made with organic ingredients. The main ingredient is cold brew coffee, and the sweetness comes from organic cane sugar.
Forto Coffee Shots come in a variety of flavors, including a few limited-edition options like the Krispy Kreme-partnered "Original Glazed Latte." The company also offers Gevalia Kaffe, Hershey's Chocolate Latte, The Original Donut Shop Sweet & Creamy Latte, and several other flavors. The caffeine content of each of these varies from 100 mg to 150 mg, so take note if you closely monitor your caffeine intake.
I tested the popular Vanilla Latte flavor, which I found tasted good and had a smooth, enjoyable aftertaste. I also appreciate that the packaging is made to look like a small disposable coffee cup, similar to what you might get at a coffee shop.
Each shot has 35 calories, which is more than any of the other shots I tested, and there's also a gram of fat, 10 mg sodium, 1 g protein, and 7 g sugar (5 g of which are added sugar.)
Forto Coffee Shots can be found on Amazon as well as in many grocery and convenience stores. The biggest negative, though, is the price. The popular Vanilla Latte flavor is currently $3.33 per serving, which works out to roughly 68 mg of caffeine per dollar. This makes it the most expensive shot on our list.
Pros: Made with healthy ingredients, organic, available in several flavors, good taste, no jitters, 225 mg caffeine (though there are lower-dose options)
Cons: Expensive, 35 calories, has 7 g of sugar (including 5 g of added sugar)
Shop at AmazonThe best eco-friendly energy shot
If you regularly consume energy shots but feel guilty about the little bottles you dispose of, consider the X-Mode Energy Shots on Tap.
I like to think of the X-Mode Energy Shots on Tap as the boxed wine of energy shots. It's a good solution for eco-conscious consumers because the shots don't come in little plastic bottles. Instead, 100 shots of the X-Mode product come in a large cardboard dispenser (there's the boxed wine similarity) and you simply press the tap and fill the bottle that comes with the unit.
Since you aren't paying for the extra packaging, the X-Mode shots are cheaper than most energy shots at about 30 cents per, which works out to an impressive 500 mg of caffeine per dollar. In theory, the shots are just as portable as others since they come with refillable bottles but in practice, I found the bottles tended to leak, which created a sticky mess.
X-Mode comes in Cherry, Jacked Apple, Tangerine, and Watermelon Rush. I tested Cherry, and I thought the taste and aftertaste were both fine. If I had any jitters, they were barely noticeable.
To give the shot extra oomph, the concoction features taurine and massive doses of B vitamins: A percent daily value (DV) of 10,000% for B12 and 150% for B6. The shots don't have any calories, fat, sodium, or other nutritional elements but the biggest negatives are the ingredients. X-Mode gets its sweetness from sucralose, which can cause digestive discomfort in some users. There are also several other ingredients that are hard-to-recognize and therefore may not be the best to put in your body.
Pros: Only 30 cents per shot, comes in an eco-friendly box, tastes good, features taurine
Cons: Contains sucralose and several other questionable ingredients
Shop at AmazonThe best budget energy shot
Not only is the SToK Caffeinated Unsweetened Black Coffee Shot affordable at just 15 cents per shot, but it's also free of artificial ingredients that could be bad for you.
At 15 cents per shot, the SToK Caffeinated Unsweetened Black Coffee Shot is the most affordable option in our guide. However, since each shot only has 40 mg caffeine, you end up getting around 267 mg caffeine per dollar (which, caffeine-wise, isn't as cheap as the X-Mode shots).
Since the caffeine levels are so low, I'd often take three at a time. The manufacturer warns against taking more than two shots per day but looking at the ingredients, it's hard to see what harm could come from taking more. Nonetheless, if you choose to go wild and have three shots at once like me, you should know you're doing so at your own risk.
The ingredients list is the shortest of any shot in our guide. It contains just cold-brew coffee (filtered water, coffee extract, and caffeine) and corn syrup. That's it. Each shot is about 5 calories and 1 g sugar. That's about the extent of the nutritional facts, too.
The taste and aftertaste are also fine and the shot reminds me of a strong cup of coffee with just one or two sugar packets added. I did tend to be a little on the jittery side (again, this was after three shots).
The SToK Black Coffee Shots come loose in boxes of 60, 100, and 264. I ordered the big box of 264 and noticed that a few of the shots busted open in the box. This was annoying, for sure, but didn't make too much of a mess. I do suggest you avoid keeping the shots in your pocket or purse since they tend to open easily.
The only other negative is that the packaging – similar to the individual creamers you find on diner tables - seems particularly wasteful.
Pros: 15 cents per shot, minimal ingredients, good taste and aftertaste
Cons: Only 40 mg per serving, the shots can open accidentally, contains corn syrup
Shop at AmazonThe best nootropic energy shot
Thanks to the array of ingredients designed to boost brain function, the Tru Focus Shot is best for long work sessions when a protracted focus is a must.
The term nootropic has a variety of definitions ranging from a handful of specific chemicals that meet certain criteria to a broader, "any substance that has a positive impact on mental skills." For the sake of this category, we consider an energy shot to be nootropic if it's marketed as such. The Tru Focus Shot dons the nootropic label because it features acetyl-L-carnitine, which may be effective at improving memory and thinking skills.
Other active ingredients in Tru Focus include choline bitartrate, CoQ10, and the adaptogen Rhodiola Rosea. The shot also includes yerba mate and 150 mg caffeine. The goal of the Tru Focus Shot is to boost focus while minimizing stress — whether it was able to actually do this or not during my tests is hard to say. I felt alert and focused but can't contribute that solely to the shot.
What I liked most about the company behind the Tru Focus Shot is that it has different energy shot formulations to address an array of use-cases. In addition to Tru Focus, there's a Tru Energy wake-up blend, Tru Power workout blend, Tru Rescue detox blend, and a Tru Dream sleep blend.
I also like that the shots are free of artificial colors and flavors and rely on easy-to-understand ingredients. The Tru Focus Shot gets its sweetness from apple juice concentrate, stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit extract.
The biggest negative I found was the taste and aftertaste. The Tru Focus Shot isn't something you'll want to savor. Instead, you'll want to down it like a shot of cheap whiskey and maybe have a swig of something else to chase it.
Pros: No artificial colors or flavors, several varieties geared toward specific activities or use cases
Cons: Not the most pleasant taste
Shop at AmazonThe best energy shot featuring ginseng
The DailyPower Energy Shot has ginseng, taurine, 220 mg caffeine, a megadose of B vitamins, and more to keep you going throughout the day.
Dietitian Mandi Knowles suggested ginseng to be a good ingredient to look for in energy shots since "200-400 mg is known to be effective for improved mental function." Of the shots in our guide, only the DailyPower Energy Shot had ginseng (specifically Panax ginseng extract). However, DailyPower doesn't reveal how much is in its proprietary energy blend.
Knowles also noted that "ginseng is known to speed up the nervous system and cause jitters, therefore anyone who is sensitive to caffeine might not want to purchase a product with both ginseng and caffeine." The DailyPower Energy Shot has 220 mg caffeine, and it caused the most jitters of any shot I tested.
Also, it's worth noting that the shots feature taurine, which is an antioxidant with potential mental performance benefits, and megadoses of B vitamins, including 1,470% DV of B6 and 20,830% DV B12. And though Daily Power has natural sweeteners, such as stevia and monk fruit extract, it also has the artificial sweetener sucralose.
While it's nice that you get a strong cocktail of potential brain boosters in this shot, the taste was among the worst. I tested both the blue raspberry and pink lemonade varieties, and both had a very chemically flavor that caused a burning sensation as they passed my lips.
If it's ginseng you're after, this is a great choice but do be aware of how much caffeine (and sucralose) is present in the shot, as well.
Pros: Features Panax ginseng, 220 mg caffeine
Cons: Unpleasant flavor, caused jitters, has sucralose
Shop at AmazonWhat else we considered
I tested many energy shot varieties while researching this guide, and the following just missed the cut but are still worth considering.
- 5-hour Energy Shot ($49.98) – No guide to energy shots is complete without mentioning the brand that owns nearly 90% of the energy shot market share. I almost included this ubiquitous energy booster in our guide because of its just-right 200 mg caffeine content, smooth aftertaste, and added oomph of taurine. However, I found the taste was inferior to our top picks, and the shots are packed full of artificial ingredients that I don't feel comfortable endorsing.
- NEU Extra Strength Nootropic Energy Shots ($31.57) – The NEU Energy Shots have the most caffeine of the products we tested with 300 mg. Yet, despite the high caffeine levels, I didn't feel any jitters when testing this shot. However, I tried all three flavors and didn't like any of them. Also, it's packed full of hard-to-understand ingredients and sucralose.
- BrainJuice Brain Booster Shot ($52.91) – The highlights of the Brain Booster Shot are its smooth aftertaste and that it's free of artificial sweeteners. The biggest negative, however, is the relatively low 75 mg caffeine content. And, with its megadose of B12, (20,833% RDV), you might not want to take an extra shot for a caffeine boost. I also wasn't impressed with the taste.
- Qualia Nootropic Energy Shot ($119) – The Qualia Nootropic Energy Shot is sweetened with organic coconut sugar and features ginseng. But, there are several reasons why I can't recommend this shot. First, it received the lowest score in our taste test. Secondly, it only has 90 mg of caffeine, which is lower than what I looked for in a shot. Lastly, at $5.95 per shot and 13 mg caffeine per dollar, it's the most expensive option I tested.
- Vitamin Energy Shots ($29.95) – About the only features I liked about the Vitamin Energy Shots is its high caffeine content (260 mg) and that it's easy to carry around on the go. There are five varieties: Mood+, Focus+, Energy+, Immune+, and Workout+, yet, I didn't notice much difference between them. The taste wasn't good, the aftertaste was worse, and the shots are full of artificial ingredients, including sucralose.
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