clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT

Posted on October 22, 2023 | Last updated January 30, 2025

clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT
This is the Dragon Fruit flavored energy drink from "clever," a private brand of the Austrian supermarket "BILLA."

Released as a limited edition flavor in 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "clever" brand, which was founded in 1999. It's often the case that the best products are limited edition... so I’m curious to see what this Dragon Fruit flavor tastes like. Let’s try it out right away.

clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT

Manufacturer
Country of Origin	Austria
Price	0.49 EUR
Flavor	Dragonfruit
Total rating	★★★★☆

Author information Author: Energy Drink-kun

In 2001, while living in the United States, I encountered energy drinks through the dance scene and was deeply impressed. After returning to Japan, I found that energy drinks were considered novelty beverages, so I established a comprehensive website in 2013 to share the true appeal of energy drinks. As an energy drink enthusiast, I began drinking them seriously again, collecting over 7,000 varieties of energy drinks from various countries. I am also active as a critic and expert, receiving media interviews.

Flavor of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT

When you open the can, a fragrance with the tartness of cranberry and pomegranate fills the air. The liquid is clear with a light gold hue, which seems to match the white dragon fruit flesh depicted on the can. Let's take a sip and see how it tastes.
Flavor of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT
Upon tasting, a tart, fruity flavor that’s hard to pinpoint spreads across your mouth. While it's difficult to describe exactly what it tastes like, the fruity flavor is quite well-executed, with a burst of fruitiness from the tartness.

The reason it's hard to identify the flavor is that dragon fruit itself doesn't have a particularly distinct taste.

That being said, clever DRACHENFRUCHT offers a fruity taste with tartness, but it doesn't aim to recreate the flavor of dragon fruit exactly. Instead, it enhances the overall taste and aroma to create a more enjoyable experience.

The sweetness is light and envelops the tartness, creating a refreshing mouthfeel. The aftertaste is subtle and doesn't linger much. Personally, I really liked this fruit flavor.

As a bit of an aside, when thinking about the tartness alone, it’s similar to the tartness of kiwi or the restrained tartness of grapes. While it has some sweetness, it’s the fresh, juicy fruitiness with a lively acidity that defines the clever DRACHENFRUCHT flavor.

Energy Ingredients of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT

Energy Ingredients of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT
It contains 75mg of caffeine, 75mg of taurine, 50mg of inositol, and 25mg of glucuronolactone. These are fairly standard amounts for an energy drink in a 250ml size.

Design of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT

The clever dragon fruit flavor is a limited edition product celebrating the 20th anniversary of the clever brand.
Design of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT
As such, the can has a simple design featuring a silhouette of dragon fruit on a white base. Below the clever logo, there’s a "20th Anniversary" mark along with gold confetti, and the flavor name "DRACHENFRUCHT" is printed on a blue line.

This blue line, while not immediately noticeable from the front of the can, looks really nice when you slightly slide the can to the right, as it resembles a gift box with a ribbon on a white package.
Design of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT
The clever 20th anniversary packaging is simple and understated, which is typical of private brand products from supermarkets, and I find it quite appealing.

Design of clever Energy Drink DRACHENFRUCHT
By the way, it seems that multiple products from the clever series featured 20th anniversary limited edition packaging. Although it’s a private brand product, it has a stylish vibe, don’t you think?
At the time, I was lucky enough to be on an energy drink trip to Austria during this period. You can read about it here: Energy Drink Trip to Austria (2019).