Monster Energy is a brand ofenergy drinks that was createdby Hansen Natural Company (nowMonster Beverage Corporation) in April 2002 and released to the public with its original flavor on April 18, 2002.[1] In 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1%share of the American energy drink market,[3] the second-highest afterRed 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.[4][5]
Energy drinks have been associated with health risks, such as masking the effects ofintoxication whenmixed and consumed with alcohol,[17] and excessive or repeated consumption can lead to cardiac and psychiatric conditions.[18][19] However, theEuropean 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.[20] 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.[21]
In December 2011, 14-year-old Anais Fournier died of "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity" after drinking two 24 US fluid ounces (710 mL) cans of Monster Energy drink containing 240 mg of caffeine per can.[22][23] Fournier had a pre-existing heart condition, as well asEhlers–Danlos syndrome.[22][23] In October 2012, her parents sued the company.[22][23] Monster Energy has insisted that its energy drink played no role in Fournier's death.[22][23]
A request under the U.S.Freedom of Information Act revealed that from 2003 to 2012 theFood and Drug Administration (FDA) had received reports of five deaths occurring after drinking Monster Energy.[23] The reports did not prove a causal link between the drink and any health problems.[23]
Maxx (original flavor with addednitrous oxide, comes in a variety of flavors)[31]
Nitro Super Dry (citrus flavor; utilizes nitrous oxide rather thancarbon dioxide, giving the beverage a light & drytexture (mouthfeel) similar to that of fine champagne, black can with black logo shrouded in lime green)[32]
Mule (ginger beer flavor, zero sugar, matte finish black can with bronze logo and text with 'Non-alcoholic' wording due to the product's name being similar toMoscow Mule, a popular cocktail)[33]
VR46 The Doctor (orange flavor, yellow can withValentino Rossi'sThe Doctor branding)[34]
LH44Lewis Hamilton (red can with yellow and black patterns with black logo)[35]
Java (Coffee mixed with Monster Energy available in a variety of flavors including salted caramel, loca moca, Irish cream, and mean bean.)[36]Two cans of Pacific Punch flavored Juice Monster. One can is rotated to show thenutrition facts label.
Monarch (juiced line, pastel pink can with yellow logo andbutterfly artwork)[40]
Mango Loco (juiced line, blue can with orange logo and artwork themed to the MexicanDay of the Dead)[41]
Khaotic (juiced line, yellow can with light blue logo andgraffiti butterfly artwork)[42]
Aussie Lemonade style (Juiced line, blue can with yellow logo and artwork featuring a variety of sea creatures. Citrus flavored. Introduced in 2022)[43]
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.)[44]
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.)[45]
Zero Ultra (citrus flavor, zero sugar, textured white can with silver logo)[46] Commonly known as "White Monster"
Lando Norris Zero Sugar (melon yuzu flavour, black can with neon yellow pattern)[47]
Ultra Blue (light citrus and berry flavor, zero sugar, textured light blue can with silver logo)[48]
A Monster Energy drink refrigerator inGillingham,Kent, England.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 andkiwi flavor, zero sugar, textured lime green can with silver logo)
Ultra Rosá (pink lemonade flavor, zero sugar, textured hot pink can with silver logo)[49]
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)[50]
Ultra Red (fruit punch 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)[51]
Ultra Strawberry Dreams (strawberry flavor, zero sugar, pink can)[52]
Ultra Violet, a.k.a. The Purple Monster (grape flavor, zero sugar, violet can)[53]
In 2023, Monster launched theMonster 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.[54]
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 theNasty Beast line, a series ofhard iced tea beverages targeting the flavored malt beverage market and competing with brands like Twisted Tea.[55] 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 12 US fl oz (350 mL) variety packs and 24 US fl oz (710 mL) singles, depending on the flavor.[citation needed]
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 withAnheuser-Busch in the United States[56] and Grupo Jumex in Mexico.[57]
Monster became the title sponsor ofNASCAR's top series starting with the 2017 season,[58] renaming it to the Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series.[59] The name lasted through 2019; although Monster offered to extend the sponsorship, NASCAR rejected it in favor of a new sponsorship model.[60][61]
In 2012, Colton Lile Corporation announced that they were switching distributors fromAnheuser-Busch toCoca-Cola.[62]
In 2012, aMonster Jammonster truck sponsored by Monster Energy debuted inEl Paso, Texas, with Damon Bradshaw driving. A second truck was introduced inLas Vegas at theMonster 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.
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 theclaws of amonster ripping through the can.[63]
In November 2012, the firm announced a long-term partnership with theProfessional Bull Riders,[65] 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 theUnleash the Beast tour.
In December 2016, it was announced that Monster would replaceSprint Corporation as title sponsor ofNASCAR'spremier series. NASCAR's chief marketing officer cited Monster's "youthful and edgy" brands a driving force behind the deal, .[69][70] 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.[71][72]
Monster sponsoredFormula 1 teamMercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport between 2010 and 2023 and was endorsed by the team's drivers,George Russell and seven-time world championLewis Hamilton. Hamilton also has a signature drink with the brand,"LH44". Monster Energy partnered withMcLaren from the 2024 season onwards, introducing aLando Norris-inspired flavour featuring his helmet design on the can.[47] The company will continue to sponsor Hamilton on a personal level.[77]
Monster has sponsored motocross riders such asJeremy McGrath,Chad Reed,Ryan Villopoto,Nate Adams,Taka Higashino andRicky Carmichael. The brand sponsors the Kawasaki,[84] and Yamaha motocross factory teams. In 2016, the firm has aided the return of factory Yamaha to United States as the title sponsor of the team, officially named Monster Energy/360fly/Chaparral/Yamaha Factory Racing. During this time, Monster Energy served as a title sponsor for the Star Racing Yamaha team, which also took over the 450 program from Factory Yamaha in 2021. They have gone on to win the2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship withDylan Ferrandis, and the 2022AMA Supercross andAMA Pro Motocross Championships withEli Tomac.
In June 2015, Monster agreed to a sponsorship deal withZayat Stables to sponsor the race horseAmerican Pharoah, rumored to be the largest single-horse advertising sponsorship to-date. The deal allows the product's logo to be used on thehorse sheets, on jockeyVictor Espinoza's shirt and boots, as well as caps and other gear worn by people around the horse.[85]
Monster Energy also sponsors several individuals in theesports community, as well as esports associations. The company broke into esports with their sponsorship ofEvil Geniuses, one of the premiere North American multi-game organizations.[86] Monster Energy is affiliated with esports in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.[87] Some of the organizations and individuals they support or have supported include the Australian organization "MindFreak",[87]Paris Saint-Germain eSports,[88] and the streamerTimTheTatman.[89]
Monster Beverage Corporation has been criticized for its policy ofindiscriminately suing companies and/or brands that use the wordmonster, the letterM, or the wordbeast in their marketing for trademark infringement, despite such trademarks being generally dissimilar or distinguishable from Monster's. The wordsmonster andbeast have existed in theEnglish language since the 13th century,[90][91] with theLatin letterM tracing back to the 7th century BC. By 2019, the company has initiated over a thousand trademark cases that have been reviewed by theUS court system orUS Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO)Trademark Trial and Appeal Board,[92] making them aposter child for "trademark bullying" which theUSPTO defines as "a trademark owner that uses its trademark rights to harass and intimidate another business beyond what the law might be reasonably interpreted to allow."[92][93]
Examples of such lawsuits include the 2009 ones against Bevreview.com, a beverage review site that published an unfavorable review of the Monster Energy drink,[94]Rock Art Brewery fromVermont that marketed a beer named "Vermonster",[95] and the aquarium hobbyist site MonsterFishKeepers.com in 2012.[96] The "Vermonster" case was even brought up by SenatorPatrick Leahy in a study of problematic trademark litigation tactics.[93] Monster Beverage dropped the lawsuit against the microbrewery due to the adverse publicity the lawsuit generated.[97]
In a four year case from 2015 to 2019, Monster suedMaple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the parent of theToronto Raptors, and theNBA. MLSE and NBA had applied to register the Raptor's logo Raptors, a basketball with three diagonal claw gashes, for various goods and services.[98] The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board dismissed Monster's claim.[99]
In March 2016, Monster filed a lawsuit to revoke the company trademark of Thunder Beast LLC of Washington, D.C.,[100][92] a smallroot beer brewery, insisting the use of "beast" in the company name encroached on Monster's trademark slogan, "Unleash the Beast".[101] The owner of Thunder Beast, Stephen Norberg, was fighting Monster's lawsuit as of 2019.[92]
In August 2018, Monsta Pizza ofWendover in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, fought a claim brought by Monster Energy in theIntellectual Property Office. The claim was that the pizza firm could be mistaken for Monster Energy, leaving customers confused. The pizza firm won a landmark ruling against Monster Energy, when the court decided there would be no case of misrepresentation.[102] In fact, Monster Energy loses many of their lawsuits, however as with other cases of "trademark bullying" the main goal of the lawsuit seem to be bankrupting the opposition at which they are quite successful.[103][92]
In April 2023, Monster Beverage Corporation sued independent videogame developer Glowstick Entertainment for their horrorparty gameDark Deception: Monsters and Mortals. Apparently to Monster Beverage, the use of "Monster" in the title of the game and their green and black logo make it "very confusing" because of the similarities between the two. Glowstick Entertainment's head creator, Vincent Livings, had decided to fight it in court and has since won the case. Additionally later that month, it was discovered that over 100 trademark complaints had been filed in Japan, including complaints against thePokémon (1996–),Monster Hunter (2004–), andMonster Musume (2012–) franchises, the first of which predates the Monster Energy brand by over half a decade.[104][105][106][107]
Monster Energy has occasionally been on the other side of copyright infringement lawsuits. For example, in August 2012, theBeastie Boys filed a lawsuit against the company for copyright infringement over Monster's use of their music played byZ-Trip in an online campaign.[108] In 2014, a jury found Monster Beverage Corporation had infringed on Beastie Boys' copyright by using songs without permission, and owed the group $1.7 million.[109][110]
Christine Weick, an AmericanChristian activist and author, created a video that argued that Monster Energy sports drinks are associated withSatan. The November 2014 video was published on YouTube, garnering over 14 million views as of 2024.[111][112][113] The viral nature of the video got her an appearance on the Web Redemption segment ofComedy Central'sTosh.0.[114]
The energy drink also features prominently asproduct placement in the video gameDeath Stranding (2019), in which it restores stamina and can be consumed by the main character in his private room.[115][116]
^"MΦNSTER Regular". April 9, 2020. Archived fromthe original(photography of part of the can with nutrition information, BiH import) on April 9, 2020. RetrievedApril 9, 2020.
^Fujiwara, Hideaki (April 6, 2023)."「モンスターエナジー」権利元、過去に『ポケモン』や『モンスターハンター』などの商標登録異議を大量に申し立てていた" ["Monster Energy" rights holder had filed a large number of trademark objections in the past, including "Pokemon" and "Monster Hunter"].Automaton Media (in Japanese).Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. RetrievedApril 25, 2023.
^Chegwidden, W. R.; Watts, D. C. (November 20, 1975). "Kinetic studies and effects of anions on creatine phosphokinase from skeletal muscle of rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)".Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Enzymology.410 (1):99–114.doi:10.1016/0005-2744(75)90210-7.ISSN0006-3002.PMID77.
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