PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink

Posted on August 21, 2018 | Last updated February 14, 2025

On August 21, 2018, PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink, a new energy drink in a PET bottle format, was released as a regional exclusive by Suntory (with a nationwide launch planned for October).It is a collaboration product with the outdoor brand Snow Peak.

Until now, energy drinks had a somewhat unhealthy image, so this product is a new release with a unique direction. As it features a bitter flavor, I’m really excited to give it a try!

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink

Manufacturer	Suntory
Country of Origin	Japan
Price	190 JPY
Flavor	Spicy
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 PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink

The pet bottle is refreshing. I'm used to popping open aluminum cans. By the way, the smell is a sharp ginger scent that hits the nose. Since I knew ginger was included, it was a good choice not to sniff it too much (^_^;)

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink
When poured into a glass, it’s a beautiful champagne gold color. I really like this kind of color. There’s no need to make it overly flashy or greasy just because it’s an energy drink.

When I tasted it, I was taken aback by how light the flavor was at first, almost like "What am I drinking?" The strong carbonation, ginger flavor, and a light lemon water-like taste. After drinking it, there’s a lingering aftertaste, possibly from the lemon juice.

Drinking straight from the pet bottle allows you to enjoy the fizzy carbonation more. For those who enjoy a light lemon water taste, this will be a familiar flavor.

However, this was not the bitter energy drink I was expecting... Since it contains grapefruit, mint, and ginger, I thought it would have a stronger, heavier bitterness with a more prominent minty fragrance. Given the ingredients, I was expecting a more sophisticated, adult flavor. It’s different from what I anticipated and leaves me wanting more, so I’m curious how people who are looking for an energy drink will perceive PEAKER’s flavor.

Energy Ingredients of PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink

It contains 45mg of caffeine, guayusa extract, ginger, and mint extract. The caffeine content has been kept lower than traditional energy drinks, as it’s been considered too much in previous drinks. Given that it’s a 375ml pet bottle, the caffeine content is quite low. With this amount, they could have even made it caffeine-free.

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink
Additionally, the catchphrase on the front of the bottle reads "Doesn't drop until the end."

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink
The image of a bird flying for a long time suggests that it promotes energy that doesn’t run out quickly.

It says "Drinking style," so I’m not sure if it means you can take your time drinking it since it’s a pet bottle, but I think it’s best to drink it quickly before the carbonation goes flat for the best taste (^_^;)

Design of PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink is a collaboration with the outdoor brand Snow Peak. The design itself is cool and calm, and there’s no cheapness, so I think it looks great.

Although it’s different from PEAKER’s pet bottle style that’s meant for anytime drinking, personally, if they made it in a 355ml can with a smooth surface finish, and glossy, sparkling mountain patterns, it would feel much more luxurious and might catch my eye in stores. In any case, I think the design is quite cool.

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink
It’s interesting that it has a volume gauge. Ignoring the practical function or purpose of the gauge, it’s fun to have this mini bottle styled similarly to a water bottle with a volume marker. If it were a 500ml long bottle, it might be annoying, but on this small bottle, it looks cute.

However, the numbers on the back side of the bottle are too close together. For instance, "Suntory 200" is partially cut off in the photo, and near the top, the text is readable as "Natural Mineral Water, 250," which makes it look a bit confusing at first glance.

It Doesn’t Look Like an Energy Drink at All

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink Lastly, when I saw this in stores, it seemed more like a bottled coffee than an energy drink. Bottled coffees like "Georgia" often have mountain illustrations. It just doesn’t seem like an energy drink. Maybe it’s too focused on Snow Peak and the outdoors? It’s hard to tell whether this is aimed at climbers and outdoor enthusiasts, or who exactly it’s meant for.

PEAKER Bitter Energy Drink
The cap has a caution label. Since it’s quite fizzy, it could explode if shaken too much.

For a price of 200 yen and based on the taste, I’m not sure I’d buy a second bottle after the review. With the energy ingredients being somewhat underwhelming, it might be better suited as a functional energy drink priced at 200 yen, but I’m not sure if it would be accepted in the market.