Source | Table Outside Table "Is handing out Red Bull before exams really that impressive?" Yi Yi used to laugh at the ads from civil service exam prep agencies. But as the national exam countdown began, she found it truly practical—one can kept her fully alert through the incomprehensible essay section; two cans kept her going all day. The golden energy drink became her closest 'exam companion.' From occasional drinking to daily consumption; from domestic flavored versions to imported fortified ones...

It's not just exam candidates who rely on energy drinks. In the all-night logistics parks, truck drivers and delivery couriers fuel the Double 11 shopping frenzy with bottle after bottle of Eastroc. Office workers racing to meet year-end KPIs have started stockpiling Red Bull at their desks.

As the 'fuel' for China's night-shift economy and success narratives, energy drinks are riding a wave of sales.

In 2024, Huabin Red Bull's sales returned to a peak of 21 billion yuan, equivalent to selling 'four Coconut Palm trees'; in the first quarter of this year, Monster Energy's net sales in China surged 43% year-on-year. Eastroc is raking it in, with a three-year compound growth rate of 28.5%, securing the 'C-position' in the domestic functional beverage market. Its market value has exceeded 150 billion yuan, and it has again filed for a Hong Kong IPO.

Once just a pick-me-up, energy drinks have become today's 'lifesaving water.'

Tea and Coffee Have Become 'Social Products' Energy Drinks Deliver Immediate Results

One sip makes your heart race; a full can leaves you breathless and flushed. College student Radish feels like she's on a adrenaline rush every time she drinks an energy drink. If she drinks too frequently and suddenly stops, she falls into endless fatigue, 'as if her body has been drained.' She's sworn off them countless times. But when she sits at her desk, facing a thick stack of unfinished assignments and dwindling time during exam week, she pulls out a can of Monster and downs it in one go. Within minutes, the effect kicks in—her fingers fly across the keyboard, her thoughts clear, and she stays focused all night. 'That kick is something coffee or milk tea can't give,' Radish marvels.

Office worker Mitte feels the same. For her, 'the energizing effect of coffee mainly comes from going downstairs to get some air.' When she first started working, half a cup of coffee would keep her up all night. But day after day, with a morning Americano and an afternoon latte, her body adapted to the caffeine assault, and coffee became as routine as water. Now, Mitte still has her daily coffee, but it's more about chatting with her 'slacking-off buddies'—the social value outweighs the pick-me-up.

Beverage enthusiast Lin Zi has also noticed she's becoming 'immune' to tea and coffee. Over the years, milk tea has evolved from instant mixes to freshly brewed tea and light milk teas, with less milk and more tea. Drinking them all along, she's unknowingly consumed more tea polyphenols. Coffee is similar—since the rise of 9.9-yuan coconut lattes, it's no longer bitter but sweet. So, having achieved 'coffee freedom,' Lin Zi now has caffeine running through half her veins. As her tolerance grows, she's had to turn to more potent energy drinks: 'Tea and coffee are like traditional Chinese medicine; energy drinks are like Western medicine.'

After all, energy drinks are formulated with 'taurine + caffeine,' and taurine is an amino acid naturally found in the human body, making it less likely to build tolerance. Plus, energy drinks are far less popular than tea and coffee, so for most people, the energizing effect is still 'immediate.'

And 'intense alertness' is no longer a choice but a survival requirement in today's world.

At 2 or 3 a.m., programmer Xiao Yu's eyelids are too heavy to lift. Instead of resting, he gulps down some energy drink and refocuses on the screen—tasks are broken down to person-days, and his OKRs state 'this phase must deliver.' 'Leaving work' isn't freedom; it's a reward. The next morning, drowsy at his desk, he opens another can to 'keep going,' because showing any sign of weakness could put him in the dangerous position of being replaced. 'And the workload keeps growing,' Xiao Yu sighs. As a newbie, he could handle his tasks easily, and a coffee would wipe out fatigue. But as he climbed higher, trivial matters multiplied exponentially; 'meetings by day, work by night' became the norm.

Xiao Yu's situation mirrors that of many workers today. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, over the past decade, the average weekly working hours for Chinese employees rose from 45.5 to 48.5 hours (as of the first eight months of this year). Surveys show that over a quarter of people sleep less than six hours a night.

Under this massive 'demand for alertness,' energy drinks—the 'stimulant for the working masses'—have seen sales and per-capita consumption climb steadily: in 2015, the average Chinese person drank about '4 cans of Red Bull' per year; last year, that number approached '10 cans.'

Of course, the ever-rising sales aren't solely built on the fast-paced social environment.

Even outside exam weeks, Radish keeps energy drinks on her desk—as long as she drinks one, her state quickly 'jumps from 80 to 120 points.' This state of sharp thinking and focus is addictive. 'Everyone wants to perform better,' Radish says. In her observation, energy drinks are no longer just for all-nighters or overtime; they're a 'cheat code' you can activate anytime you face a challenge.

This shift in mindset and habits is also the secret behind the rise of energy drinks.

From 'Driver's Gas Station' to 'All-People Anti-Fatigue Solution'

The outdoor hiking trend turned Arc'teryx and Salomon into 'middle-class essentials' and made Tiger Leaping Gorge and Wusun Ancient Road 'top-tier' destinations. But few noticed that Red Bull and Eastroc were quietly cashing in.

Lin Zi had her first energy drink on a mountain. At the Three Gorges Peak, she thought she could 'easily handle' the two hills. But soon she regretted it—the trail zigzagged up the ridge, and after climbing 66 switchbacks, she was gasping for air. Relying on cola and electrolyte water, she barely made it to the observation deck. When she finally tackled the 'Despair Slope,' her legs wouldn't move, and she nearly gave up. Luckily, a teammate pulled out a can of Red Bull. Lin Zi took a big gulp, felt the double jolt of 'energy + sugar,' and instantly revived. Her 'refuse to lose' spirit reignited, and she made it to the top.

From then on, Lin Zi, who's 'not great but loves it,' always carries energy drinks on hikes: 'I used to hate the artificial flavor, but when you're at your wit's end, you know it tastes like victory.'

Xu Xing also fell in love after just one can. In college, he often teamed up for LAN gaming sessions. After a period of heavy all-nighters, his head throbbed and his gameplay suffered. A classmate noticed his fatigue and handed him a bottle of Eastroc. After drinking it, his headache eased, and he got back in the game. Once he tasted the benefit, energy drinks became his 'state switch': he drinks before gaming, before workouts, and before important work events. 'One can and I'm instantly in the zone.'

In his view, energy drinks offer better value than tea or coffee: 'Milk tea and coffee at 9.9 yuan are already promotional prices, but Monster is only 8 yuan, and Red Bull and Eastroc are just 5 or 6 yuan, or even less.'

As domestic brands flood the market, energy drinks have fallen into a 'price war.' This intense competition not only gives drivers and construction workers—who used to only have cold air—the confidence to drink energy drinks for a boost, but also drives the continuous expansion of consumption scenarios, creating structural growth space.

Data shows that among core functional beverage users, white-collar workers, civil servants, and college students make up a significant proportion. Energy drinks have gradually evolved from 'exclusive supplies' for truck drivers and couriers to 'all-people daily anti-fatigue solutions.'

Mitte has also noticed more people drinking energy drinks, but she believes Red Bull and Eastroc still have a long way to go to become as popular as tea and coffee. She recalls the awkward moment when she first brought energy drinks into an office building—on her left, someone carried a co-branded milk tea; on her right, someone sipped coffee. She, in the middle, held two cans of Red Bull, feeling like a 'truck driver who wandered into an elite circle.'

'Drinks are about image as much as substance,' Mitte says with resignation. Although energy drinks have broken out of their niche, most people still associate them with 'long-distance driving' and 'manual labor,' while coffee is the sweet drink for the petty bourgeoisie to spice up life.

Moreover, Chinese people have a habit of napping, unlike Europeans and Americans who work straight through, so the natural demand for energy drinks is lower. This means that until they shed the 'rustic' label, an invisible ceiling hangs over every brand.

However, Radish has noticed that some energy drink brands have gone from being drunk to being traded on second-hand platforms. 'A Monster pull tab can sell for 50 cents, ten times the price of scrap aluminum cans sold by weight,' Radish exclaims. The tiny tab has become a 'badge' for young people to show off their drinking prowess, trending on social media. Some even turn Monster logos into pendants and earrings to wear.

'Monster's design is cool,' Radish says. The bottle's bold colors and claw-mark logo have a wild edge, making it visually striking in the fridge. Each color corresponds to a different flavor. 'Traditional energy drinks taste like medicine,' Radish says, but Monster, with flavors like white peach and passionfruit and its sparkling water approach, successfully disguises itself as a 'fruit soda.' Compared to the overly sweet Red Bulls, Monster has lower sugar but higher caffeine and taurine content—this builds its healthy, premium brand image, resonating with young people who value individuality and slimness.

'Even my cousin in middle school has started drinking Monster,' Radish says with a shrug. But she's actually cut back and gradually quit: 'Drinks are tasty, but life is more important.'