November 13, 2010
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Four Loko: Does it live up to the hype?
Four Loko, a 23.5oz “energy drink” that boasts an alcohol content of 12% by volume (24 proof), has been in the news all over the country recently. I’ve heard it’s been banned in a few states, I’ve read that it’s sent a few people to the emergency room, and that it more or less causes a kind of hysteria only seen in zombie apocalypse films. After all I’d read, seen and heard about this stuff, I had to try it. Would it live up to the hype? Or is the hype, as it is with most anything else, just a marketing scheme?
A review:
The Four Loko I drank was watermelon flavored. The first sip was a little disappointing. There was a rush of watermelon flavor that dissipated as soon as it came, leaving me to wonder if the drink was “diet” (sugar free, calorie free). As I continued drinking it, the watermelon flavor began to strengthen. I’m not sure if it just soaked into my mouth, or if I just got used to the alcohol taste (which was very difficult to pick up on) over time. I will say that the taste, initially, during and after drinking it, wasn’t the greatest. As for the effects, well, they were no different (for me) than drinking 4-5 beers. I got really, really tired, and my body felt like it might after a long and strenuous workout. The reason I’m noting the effects is because I’ve read a few stories, and heard a few stories, about this stuff taking a pretty serious toll on people. A story I read in the newspaper even said that several college freshmen were rushed to the hospital after drinking Four Loko at a party. The girl behind the counter at the liquor store said she tried it once and won’t go near it again because it’s “Way too strong.” Now, I’m not a heavy drinker by any means, I might make it through two cases of beer and bottle or two of liquor in a year’s time, and this stuff didn’t kill me. In fact I’ll probably be buying more. If you’re a budget conscious drinker, get a can of Four Loko. It’s like getting a six pack for $2.79, and it’s a 24 ounce can so you could easily split it with a friend.
The morning after:
Wow, I slept like a baby. I even woke up at 7:30 feeling like a new man. I haven’t slept that well in a long time. I recently started working 12-hour nights again, and with all the overtime I’m getting (I’m working nearly 60 hours every week) and all that’s going on in my personal/home life, I haven’t been getting much sleep and the sleep I have been getting hasn’t been all that great.
Have you ever tried Four Loko? If you haven’t, would you? If you have, what flavor(s)? Do you think it lives up to the hype that surrounds it?
Comments (21)
Nope….and watermelon would be my last pick! I do not drink often,an Amaretto Sour is more to my liking.
@seedsower - Really? I love watermelon! I know a guy who who likes Amaretto Sour, but I’m not sure I’ve had it. Thanks for stopping!
I used to tell the young boys in my Sunday School class that each of them was a ‘role model’ to other boys and girls! I said to them, ‘Don’t ever let anyone make you feel embarrassed about saying “No thanks!” I taught them, over many months to say “No thanks, I don’t drink!” “No thanks, I don’t smoke,” “No thanks, I don’t take drugs!”
I think those boys probably heeded that counsel for years to follow! Because they knew that the guy who firmly but courteously learned to say “No” to temptation was admired and respected, even if not openly! One of the boys’ mother told me years afterwards that I was the best Sunday School teacher her son ever had. He grew up to become a respected pastor.
A nice taste can be deceptive. This may seem judgmental, but I know you’re a good guy. I’m just answering this according to my own conscience and personal convictions!
Watermelon-flavored drink? Odd, but tasty-sounding.
mmm I want some now
I tried the fruit punch one and it tasted like a really syrupy Shirley Temple with too much sugar and a nasty alcohol after taste. I went online and read the nutritional information and I’m sorry but no level of drunk is worth 60g of sugar and 660 calories. Thats basically like drinking the juice at the bottom of a garbage can.
I’ll stick to Grey Goose and cranberry juice. Gets the job done.
LOL, well one thing’s for sure – this is more of a sleep inducer than an energy drink
This shit tastes like gasoline! Good thing you grabbed the tastier of the Four Lokos. The lemon one is shit. I can’t even stand how strong this stuff is.
My friends usually drink this when they want to get fucked up fast. It’s been in many Kings Cup games and usually gets you fucked fast. But it all depends on the person. It’s an energy drink and malt liquor in one. So people who don’t usually get affected by energy drinks, like myself, don’t really feel the full effect. But others who are sensitive to energy drinks feel it almost instantly, which happened to a kid who just started drinking and was downing this thing.
They are cheap and good if you want to get drunk fast. In my opinion.
Thanks for the comments everyone, you’ve been a big help.
@Grampa_David - I was raised not to drink, too. As the bible says, living under the control of alcohol is a horrible way to live, and a sin. Alcohol doesn’t have any sort of control over my life, I just enjoy it as a “culinary” experience, if you will. And let’s face it, being drunk really sucks.
@GreekPhysique - That’s what I thought, too. I love watermelon Jolly Ranchers, I was kind of hoping it tasted something like that. It wasn’t gross by any means, but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be. Worth a try, none the less.
@WordsandThoughts - I’ve heard from others that the fruit punch one was nasty, too. 660 calories? Wow! Where did you find the nutrition info? I looked around (and on the can) and I couldn’t find it. That’s pretty crazy though, even for such a big can.
@SerenaDante - Yea, I was wondering which direction it would send me. Bouncing off the walls or hitting the pillow. Turned out to be the latter.
@ThePrancingPony - This watermelon one was the first Four Loko I’ve ever tried, but I’ve heard a thing or two about some of the other flavors being too strong, gross tasting, etc. I’m not much for being drunk, and I’m not much of a drinker. This thing knocked me out, that’s for sure.
I’ve tried a bunch of flavors, I don’t like any of them. None of the flavors hides the fact that it’s extremely cheap malt liquor, lol. The only reason I drink Four Loko is because I can get tipsy for under $5, haha. I really don’t see what the big deal is, energy drinks + booze is nothing new.
@quasarglow - I think the big deal is the high alcohol content, but even that’s not too big a deal. They are a great value. It’s close to the alcohol content of a six pack of beer, and it’s under three dollars whereas a six pack is around ten (right?) dollars.
@vwagenjetta - Yeah, I think they’re a really great deal. But I don’t understand why colleges are banning them and people are talking about them like they’re death wishes. It’s crazy.
@quasarglow - No kidding. I read an article in the paper that said several (several?) freshmen at some college were rushed to the hospital after drinking Four Lokos at a party. A bunch of idiots if you ask me. Even a first time drinker should know when to stop.
I’m a fan.
@ThePrancingPony - Wait. How do you know how gasoline tastes?
I don’t do energy drinks.
i’m personally not a fan of four lokos
@they_call_me_steffyjean - I don’t usually do energy drinks either, but I do like to try a new one every once in a while. Mountain Dew does it just fine for me.
@hotboyollie - It was good, but I wouldn’t say I’m a fan. Not something I’ll be drinking every day.
Wow, post an alcohol post and the comments abound… haha.
I don’t drink anymore, and even when I did, I was like you, maybe finished off a case of beer and a bottle of liquor in a year, if that. I just don’t care for alcohol, and I’m usually too broke to buy expensive drinks when I’m out…. so I’ve just given it up in general. I don’t have a problem with it (except for getting so drunk you do something stupid), I just don’t care to drink, after having tried it all in college and found that it didn’t do much for me.
Four Loko sounds like something that would totally turn me off. First of all, I used to drink so many energy drinks that I think I have permanent damage from all the caffeine I ingested, so nowadays I shy away from most energy drinks. Second, flavored drinks like that always end up tasting way to sugary for me. Last, that is a lot of alcohol to be packed into one can. My body would probably freak out, because in one sense I have an energy drink making me hyper, and then I have alcohol making me sleepy. I did that once by taking a non-drowsy allergy pill with ephedrine in it, and then taking a sleeping pill. Worst…. feeling… ever…. I felt sleepy, but I could not sleep. The next morning everyone said I looked like I was 5 inches from death because I was up all night freaking out.
Glad you liked it though, and it helped you get some sleep… haha.
@respawn87 - I put forth some extra effort to make sure I got some comments on this one, because with all I’ve read and heard about it I was sure there were at least a few horror stories out there worth hearing. I was hoping it would taste sugary, but it really didn’t. It had that “diet Mountain Dew” taste too it, only watermelon instead of citrus. All flavor to start, dry, no flavor feeling to finish. Being super tired but not being able to sleep is a horrible feeling. I was a little worried this thing would have such an effect on me. Luckily it didn’t. I tipped the empty can back for the final drop, laid down, and slept like a rock for a solid 8 hours exactly.
I have not and would not try Four Loko as I don’t drink alcohol. But I enjoy the caffeine buzz of energy drinks, and my friend is in love with Four Loko, so I am curious about it. By the way the FDA may ban alcoholic energy drinks.
No its not available in my country All energy drinks are non-alcoholic