Sparks: Energy Drink with an Alcohoic Zing!

No. Sparks is the latest addition to the energy-beverage sensation. Others, such as Tilt, compete, but none taste quite as citrusy as a Sparks!

Sparks malt beverages are what the company calls a hybrid of alcohol, caffeine, and taurine. Hmmm.

What I love most about these sixteen-ounce cans of alcoholic energy is the upstanding buzz!

I have always hated the sluggishness of three or four beers. The buzz is nice at first, but the subsequent downtrodden blues ruin any good buzz, especially if you intend on trying to accomplish anything while under the influence.

Unlike your typical partier who may want only to bake in the buzz of a good brew, I want to keep going. Whether I am socializing with friends or reading the latest Stephen King novel, I want to be awake to enjoy the little buzz. Ordinary beers and malt liquors don't allow that. They knock you upside the head for a moment, then knock you down for the rest of the buzz.

I'm getting old, and I don't want my buzz to translate into the alarm buzzing the next morning, so I really enjoy not only the fresh, citrus flavor of Sparks but also the refreshing infusion of energy that makes semi alert during a good buzz.

That, to me, is the best of both worlds.

Sparks cans resemble a battery with a positive charge symbol on one side and a negative charge on the opposite side. The regular 6.0 % formula comes in the orange-topped can, while the heavier, more potent 7.0% formula comes in the black-topped one. I have yet to see the Carolina-blue topped can that is apparently a light formula.

Although some bars stock the alcoholic energy drink, Sparks can be found in most stores that carry beer and wine. They are sold coast to coast. I first bought them in California, but I see them in stores throughout North Carolina. You shouldn't have any trouble locating a four-pack.

The cost is reasonable. More expensive than one can of beer, Sparks is as much as fifty cents cheaper than the average two-dollar energy drink.

Be careful where you drink them, though. The labeling does not clearly indicate their alcoholic content. You will know; the cashier will know, but to the average passer-by, they all-too-easily resemble ordinary, non-alcoholic energy drinks. With all the garish can designs, Sparks blends right in and can be mistaken for a harmless energy drink.

Young drinkers should already be wary of their penchant for energy drinks because not all body organs can handle great amounts of such potent ingredients as taurine, ginseng, and other popular energy-bearing substances. To add alcohol to the mixture can lead to numerous toxic problems in the liver and kidneys. Don't quote me on any medical-sounding info here; I'm no doctor. However, as a Type II diabetic dependent on insulin, I can tell you from first hand experience that too many of these or other energy drinks can lead to unnecessary doctor visits!

Moderation is the key in all drinking, and the makers of Sparks and other alcoholic beverages would agree that you should be responsible when drinking alcohol.

With that in mind, spark your buzz with a delicious taste of energy, citrus, and alcohol in a Sparks!