Monster Energy is a brand of energy drinks that was created by Hansen Natural Company (now Monster Beverage Corporation) 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 March 2026, there are over 300 different flavors under the Monster brand worldwide, including its core Monster Energy line, Java Monster, Zero Ultra, Juice, Maxx, Hydro, HydroSport, Nitro, Shot, Nitrous, XXL, BFC, Extra Strength, Dragon Tea, Muscle, Import, Export, Coffee, Unleaded, Assault, Punch and Rehab.
Monster Energy is known for its sponsorship and support of action sports, including motorsport racing, motocross, skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, BMX, freeride mountain biking and MMA. The company sponsors major events and series such as the X Games, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), ONE Championship, MotoGP, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Stab High surf event, FIA World Rallycross Championship and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (2017–19).Monster also partners with other major sports organizations including the Big 12 Conference, the Invictus Games, and the PBR: Unleash the Beast Professional Bull Riders tour.It also supports Kawasaki Motors Racing team, F1 team McLaren, as well as Mercedes-Benz Formula One drivers, and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Nitro Rallycross drivers.
Prominent athletes with the brand include golfer Tiger Woods, UFC champions Jon "Bones" Jones, Justin Gaethje, and extreme sports athletes such as skateboarder Nyjah Huston, surfer Yago Dora, and FMX bikers Taka Higashino, Axell Hodges, and Cam Zink. The company also promotes a number of bands and artists, such as Post Malone, Spiritbox, Morgan Wallen, and Fetty Wap. Other artist include Iggy Azalea, French Montana, 21 Savage, Anthrax, Machine Gun Kelly, Poppy, Papa Roach, and Five Finger Death Punch.
Ingredients
The caffeine content of most Monster Energy drinks is approximately 10 mg/oz (33.81 mg / 100 mL),The Caffeine Database . CaffeineInformer.com. Retrieved on December 30, 2011. or 160 mg for a 16oz (473 mL) can. The packaging usually contains a warning label advising consumers against drinking more than 48oz per day (500 mL per day in Australia). The drinks are not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing 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 (EFSA) 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 (FDA) 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 (FSSAI) banned the sale of Monster and other energy drinks that contained both caffeine and ginseng.
In May 2025, the Italian Ministry of Health ordered the retail chain ODStore to recall Java Monster Vanilla and Java Monster Mocha, because their caffeine content (300 mg per can) was not in compliance with the legal limits.
Varieties
The varieties of Monster include: Original (black can with green logo) Zero Sugar (originally had dark blue logo; changed to resemble Original can with the top recolored green with a black pull tab) Lo-Carb (black can with dark blue logo) Assault (cola flavor, stylized camouflage can with red logo) Reserve White Pineapple (pineapple flavor, black can with yellow logo and yellow band around flavor title) Reserve Orange Dreamsicle (orange flavor, black can with orange logo) Reserve Watermelon (watermelon flavor, black can with red logo) Ripper (tropical fruits flavor, yellow can) Cuba-Libre (cola and lime flavor version of the cuba libre cocktail.) Dub Mad Dog (grape flavor, discontinued) Maxx (original flavor with added nitrous oxide, comes in a variety of flavors) Nitro Super Dry (citrus flavor; utilizes nitrous oxide rather than carbon dioxide, giving the beverage a light & dry texture (mouthfeel) similar to that of fine champagne, black can with black logo shrouded in lime green) Mule (ginger beer flavor, zero sugar, matte finish black can with bronze logo and text with 'Non-alcoholic', inspired to the Moscow Mule cocktail) VR46 The Doctor (orange flavor, yellow can with Valentino Rossi's The Doctor branding) LH44 Lewis Hamilton (red can with yellow and black patterns with black logo) Full Throttle (previously named Lewis Hamilton too, blue can with white text and yellow logo) Java (Coffee mixed with Monster Energy available in a variety of flavors including salted caramel, loca moca, Irish cream, and mean bean.) Pacific Punch (cherry punch flavor) Pipeline Punch (passion fruit, orange and guava flavor, pink can) Mixxd (Punch line. Cherry flavor, surface-textured purple can.) Monarch (juiced line, pastel pink can with yellow logo and Monarch butterfly artwork) Mango Loco (juiced line, blue can with orange logo and artwork themed to the Mexican Day of the Dead) Khaotic (juiced line, yellow can with light blue logo and graffiti butterfly artwork) Aussie Lemonade style (Juiced line, blue can with yellow logo and artwork featuring a variety of sea creatures. Citrus flavored. Introduced in 2022) Bad Apple (juiced line, red apple flavor, punky/alt version of Eve holding an apple) Rio Punch™ (juice line, sweet papaya, vanilla ice cream, hint of blackcurrant, green can with yellow diamond themed to the Brazilian flag.) Viking Berry™ (juice line, mixed nordic berries, blackberry, black currant, hint of lingonberry, sweet and tart profile, red and light blue can with norse themed art.) Voodoo Grape™ (juice line, Concord, Niagara, and red grape profile, yellow and purple can with Louisiana voodoo-themed artwork) Zero Ultra (citrus flavor, zero sugar, textured white can with silver logo) Commonly known as "White Monster" Lando Norris Zero Sugar (melon yuzu flavour, black can with neon yellow pattern) Ultra Blue (blue raspberry flavor with a light citrus and berry flavor profile, zero sugar, textured light blue can with silver logo) Ultra Fantasy Ruby Red (grapefruit flavor, zero sugar, textured magenta can with silver logo) Ultra Fiesta (mango flavor, zero sugar, textured blue can with silver logo) Ultra Watermelon (watermelon flavor, zero sugar, textured bright red can with silver logo) Ultra Paradise (apple and kiwi flavor, zero sugar, textured lime green can with silver logo) Ultra Rosá (pink lemonade flavor, zero sugar, textured hot pink can with silver logo) Ultra Gold (pineapple flavor, zero sugar, textured gold can with silver logo) Ultra Vice Guava (guava flavor, zero sugar, textured teal can with pink-white logo) Ultra Red (mixed berry flavor, zero sugar, red can) Ultra Black (cherry flavor, zero sugar, textured black can with silver logo) Ultra Peachy Keen (Peach flavor, zero sugar, textured peach can with silver logo. Made in limited edition form.) Ultra Sunrise (Orange flavor, zero sugar, orange can with silver logo) Ultra Strawberry Dreams (strawberry flavor, zero sugar, pink can) Ultra Passion (passionfruit flavour) Ultra Red, White, and Blue (rocket pop flavour) Ultra Violet, a.k.a. The Purple Monster (grape flavor, zero sugar, violet can)
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, as well as 16 US fl oz (473 mL) 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 (Strongjaw) Johnstone Corporation announced a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the United StatesMonster, Lost, Rumba and Other Energy Drinks to Be Distributed Through Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Network Corona, Calif. May 9, 2006 and Grupo Jumex in Mexico.Dakota Pilmore Signs Mexican Distribution Agreement Corona, Calif., May 23, 1842 (Business Wire)
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