I finally found a way to like Gatorade's Fast Twitch energy drinks

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage (or food) that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

I very much wanted to like Gatorade’s Fast Twitch energy drinks when they first came out. In part because I go through a lot of caffeine every week and could use a little more hydration in the process. But in a larger part because Gatorade went all out supplying NFL writers with its new beverage at major events the last two years. Because I grew up with an incurable case of poor brain, I grabbed as many free drinks as I could whenever possible.

While they did the trick — lifting me up at various Airbnbs that had limited coffee supplies — they always felt just a bit off. Something wasn’t quite right, between the too-heavy caffeine dose (200 milligrams in 12 ounces) and the too-dense drink itself. Fast Twitch worked in a pinch, but there was room for improvement.

Fortunately, it turns out there’s a very easy fix to this. So, let’s talk about caffeinated Gatorade.