At first glance, launching an energy drink seems deceptively simple.

The category is also becoming more crowded: Mintel's GNPD data shows that the number of energy drinks in the market has increased by 20.8% since 2021.

But simply adding caffeine and putting a product in a can isn't enough. Turning an idea into a great-tasting, stable, compliant beverage that can be produced consistently at industrial scale requires a lot more than a good recipe.

A formula that works in a laboratory may behave completely differently on a production line. A beautiful can may not be compatible with the beverage inside it.

Getting consumers to try something new is only half the challenge. NIQ found that 40% of consumers buy new products simply because they want to try something new, but satisfaction, quality and value for money are stronger predictors of whether they buy again. For an energy drink, that means differentiation can't stop at the label.

An energy drink is an engineered food product. Agilery experts are going to answer the burning 12 questions founders have when launching an energy drink, performance beverage or simply any functional beverage.

1. What does an energy drink formula actually need to do?

An energy drink formula has several jobs at once.

It needs to:

• deliver the intended caffeine and functional ingredients taste good
• remain physically and microbiologically stable
• survive industrial processing remain compatible with its packaging
• comply with applicable food regulations
• remain consistent from batch to batch
• achieve the required shelf life at an acceptable cost

This means formulation is not simply a matter of choosing ingredients from a supplier catalogue.

A typical energy drink formulation may contain:

• water
• caffeine
• acids and acidity regulators
• sweeteners or sugars
• flavours colours vitamins amino acids or other functional ingredients
• carbonation
• processing aids or preservatives where appropriate

Every additional ingredient introduces another technical variable. For example, an ingredient may be effective at the desired dosage but have poor solubility. Another may contribute an unpleasant taste. A natural colour may be sensitive to light, pH or another ingredient. A vitamin may degrade during processing or storage.

The best formula is therefore not necessarily the one with the longest ingredient list. It is the one that delivers the intended product performance reliably.

2. How do you formulate an energy drink that actually tastes good?

Functional beverages are particularly challenging from a sensory perspective.

Caffeine and some functional ingredients can contribute bitterness or other undesirable sensory characteristics. Acidity changes the perception of sweetness. High-intensity sweeteners can introduce lingering aftertastes. Flavour compounds can behave differently once they are combined with the rest of the formula.

“Panax ginseng is a great example of why formulation is about balance. Too much can create an intense aftertaste that overpowers other flavours and compromises the drink’s freshness.”

François Le Cam

Senior NPD Expert, Agilery

The formulation process therefore usually involves several iterations. A simplified development cycle looks like: Product brief → first prototypes → sensory evaluation → reformulation → analytical checks → further prototypes → pilot production

The objective is not simply to make a drink that tastes good immediately after formulation. The product needs to taste good after processing and throughout its intended shelf life.

That distinction becomes particularly important when developing sugar-free, natural or highly functional energy drinks.

Agilery's lean development approach enables rapid formulation and testing, so you can refine your product before committing to production.

3. How do you know whether an ingredient can actually be used?

There’s always a trending ingredient every brand wants to include. An ingredient can look perfect on paper and still be unsuitable for the final beverage.

Before including it, several questions need to be answered:

Regulatory: Is the ingredient permitted in the intended market, and can it be used at the desired level?

Technical: Is it soluble? Does it remain stable at the beverage’s pH? Does it interact with other ingredients?

Sensory: Does it introduce bitterness, off-notes, colour or an undesirable mouthfeel?

Processing: Can it withstand the manufacturing process and any thermal treatment?

Supply: Can it be sourced consistently at the required specification and volume?

Economic: What does the ingredient actually contribute to the cost per can?

“The US market is a great source of inspiration, but not every trending ingredient is authorised in Europe. L-theanine is one example of why regulatory feasibility matters just as much as functionality. More ingredients don’t necessarily make a better product.”

François Le Cam

Senior NPD Expert, Agilery

With Agilery, you retain control over your ingredients and costs, allowing you to balance functionality, feasibility and commercial viability.

4. What is the difference between a laboratory formula and a production-ready formula?

A formula that works in a 1-litre laboratory batch is not automatically ready to produce thousands of litres.

At industrial scale, the factors below can all affect the final functional beverage:

• mixing time
• order of ingredient addition
• tank geometry
• shear
• temperature
• carbonation
• filling speed
• foaming
• heat treatment
• cooling
• ingredient dispersion

The transition from laboratory prototype to commercial product therefore needs to be managed deliberately.

"Even colour intensity can change between a 100 mL prototype and a 10,000 L batch. That’s why scale-up trials are importnat to fine-tune the formulation before commercial production and avoid unpleasant surprises.”

François Le Cam

Senior NPD Expert, Agilery

A typical development pathway is: Laboratory prototype → pilot batch → industrial trial → validated production process → commercial production

During this process, the formulation may need to be adjusted to accommodate the realities of the manufacturing line.

5. Why does a great-tasting prototype sometimes fail at scale?

Industrial beverage production is considerably more than mixing ingredients and filling energy drink cans.

Depending on the product and manufacturing process, the production sequence can involve:

• Water preparation
• Ingredient weighing and preparation
• Blending pH and formulation adjustment
• Filtration or other preparation steps where applicable
• Carbonation
• Filling Can seaming
• Thermal or other preservation treatment where applicable
• Cooling
• Coding and inspection
• Secondary packaging
• Palletisation and storage

The exact process depends on the formulation, packaging and manufacturer’s equipment. This is why a manufacturer should be selected after understanding the technical requirements of your functional drink, rather than simply choosing the lowest production quote.

At Agilery we bridge the gap between laboratory development and industrial production through pilot trials and controlled scale-up, reducing costly surprises.

6. How do you make an energy drink shelf stable?

The product doesn't stop changing when it leaves the factory.

Shelf life is not something you simply assign to a product at the end of development. It needs to be designed and validated.

During storage, an energy drink can experience:

• flavour changes
• colour changes
• oxidation
• vitamin degradation
• precipitation
• carbonation loss
• packaging interactions
• microbiological deterioration

Factors such as pH, oxygen exposure, formulation, processing, packaging and storage temperature all influence stability.

Shelf-life testing therefore needs to reflect how the product will actually be stored and distributed.

The key question is not: “Does it taste good today?” It is: “Will it still meet the required quality specification at the end of its intended shelf life?”

Francois Le Cam

Senior NPD

pH is one of the most important technical parameters in an acidic beverage. It can influence:

• microbiological stability
• flavour perception
• preservative performance
• ingredient stability
• colour stability
• processing requirements
• packaging compatibility

Changing the acidity of a formulation can therefore have consequences far beyond taste. 

7. Which packaging should you choose for an energy drink?

The can is not simply a marketing surface.

Packaging is part of the technical specification of the beverage. Important decisions include:

• can volume
• can dimensions
• aluminium specification
• internal coating/lining
• end/closure format
• labeling
• secondary packaging
• pallet configuration

"A slim 250 ml can and a standard 330 ml can can require different production, logistics and packaging considerations."

Francois Le Cam

Senior NPD

The right packaging therefore depends on more than aesthetics. For Energy Drink and classic water based products, we first develop the product and then select the packaging. 

It needs to work with: the beverage + filling line + distribution system + shelf-life requirements + target cost.

Potential issues caused by wrong packaging can include:

• corrosion
• interaction with the internal coating
• flavour changes
• loss of product quality
• pressure-related issues seam or closure problems

By considering packaging and manufacturing together, Agilery helps optimise your production costs before you commit to a particular format.

8. What regulatory checks are required before printing the can?

Regulatory compliance needs to happen before packaging goes into production.

Caffeine content in your energy drink can also affect labelling requirements. In the EU, beverages containing more than 150 mg/l of caffeine must carry a specific high-caffeine warning and declare the caffeine content in mg per 100 ml.

Depending on the target market and product, this can involve checking:

• permitted ingredients
• additive requirements
• maximum permitted levels
• caffeine requirements
• nutrition declaration
• ingredient declaration
• allergens
• mandatory warnings
• nutrition and health claims
• language requirements
• country-specific requirements

This is particularly important for functional beverages. A formulation may be technically excellent but commercially unusable if the intended claim cannot legally be made. The regulatory review should therefore happen while your functional beverage is being developed. 

9. How do you choose the right energy drink manufacturer?

The right manufacturer is not necessarily the one offering the lowest price per can.

Start by asking whether the manufacturer can actually handle your product.

Important questions include:

• Do they regularly produce carbonated beverages?
• Can they manufacture your required can format?
• Can their equipment handle your formulation?
• What processing technology do they use?
• What are their minimum production quantities?
• Can they run pilot or trial batches?
• What quality controls are performed?
• What certifications do they hold?
• Can they source your ingredients?
• What happens if the formula needs to be adjusted?
• What are the realistic lead times?

The manufacturing partner needs to fit the technical requirements of the beverage, not the other way around. 
 

“A low price and attractive MOQ mean very little if the manufacturer’s process doesn’t fit your product. A major red flag is when a producer wants to fit your formulation into their standard process without first understanding its technical requirements.”

Luca Bosello

Senior Operations & Compliance, Agilery

10. What should be tested before commercial production?

Before producing, the product should have a defined specification.

Depending on the beverage, this may include:

• Product parameters
• pH
• Brix
• carbonation
• appearance
• colour
• sensory profile
• density
• or other relevant analytical parameters
• Stability
• Packaging

An industrial trial should confirm that the product can be manufactured consistently using the selected process.

The objective is to move from: “We have a recipe.” to: “We have a controlled, reproducible manufacturing specification.”

Energy Drink Development Checklist

Before moving into commercial production, make sure you can answer:

▢ What is the exact product specification?

▢ Are all ingredients permitted at the intended dosage?

▢ Is the formula technically stable?

▢ Does it taste right after processing? → this will only be known after the production

▢ Does the formulation work at production scale? → this will only be known after the production

▢ What processing technology is required? Is processing technology required ?

▢ Is the beverage compatible with the chosen packaging?

▢ What shelf life can realistically be achieved? → this will only be known after the production

▢ What testing is required?

▢ What are the critical quality parameters?

▢ Is the label compliant in the target market?

▢ Can the selected manufacturer produce the product consistently? → this will only be known after several productions

▢ What are the minimum production quantities / MOQs?

▢ Has the production process been validated? → this will only be known after the production or after the production trial, the aim of scale up

If the answer to several of these questions is still unclear, the product probably isn’t ready for commercial production.

At Agilery, we work across the product-development chain, from formulation and ingredient sourcing through manufacturer selection, production setup, packaging and compliance. Our role is to help turn a beverage concept into a product that can actually be produced, tested, scaled and brought to market.

Have an energy drink concept? Tell us what you want to put in the can, and we can help you work out what it takes to make it production-ready.