Surf Energy Drink

Posted on December 13, 2020 | Last updated February 6, 2025

Surf Energy Drink is a private label energy drink available at drugstores like Create SD.

It’s high in caffeine, which has sparked some buzz, but since it's a Create SD private label product, you can't find it at convenience stores or supermarkets. Also, Create SD isn’t everywhere, so it’s not easy to come across. If you want to give it a try based on reviews, be sure to look for a Create SD store.

Surf Energy Drink

Manufacturer	Surf
Country of Origin	Japan
Price	138 JPY
Flavor	classic flavor
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 Easy-to-Drink Sweet and Sour Energy Flavor, This is Dangerous

When you open it, you get the classic energy drink scent. After all, energy drinks are all about the classic scent, right?

Then, when I pour it into a glass, it’s green!? They went with a green liquid for the classic scent (^_^;)
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It’s definitely the artificial color you’d expect from an energy drink. But it wasn’t what I imagined. I do like how it has a fun, bold color.

When I take a sip, the flavor is light and sweet-sour, with a clear energy drink taste. It’s similar to Red Bull, a classic energy drink flavor, but without the strong sourness and fragrance. The sweetness is also mild and easy to drink. While it might lack punch, there’s almost no chemical taste, making it an "easy-to-drink energy drink flavor." I’d say the taste and scent are highly rated, even by my standards.

However, it’s this "easy-drinking" and "deliciousness" (which I personally rate highly) that I think makes it dangerous…

Energy Drink Mania's Thoughts on Surf Energy Drink

Surf Energy Drink contains a whopping 200mg of caffeine in just 250ml. With such a smooth taste and small size, it’s very easy to drink too much. What’s worse, it’s priced at just 138 yen (excluding tax), which is very cheap... (；´∀｀)

It’s easy to call it "high cost performance" or "the best," but with that much caffeine, it’s not hard to imagine someone suffering from acute caffeine poisoning from drinking too much. One can of Surf Energy Drink should be fine for a healthy adult, but kids often drink energy drinks, and with its delicious taste, small size, high caffeine content, and low price, it all adds up to being a bit concerning for energy drink enthusiasts. Articles warning about the dangers of energy drinks are likely to spread again online.

And as an energy drink enthusiast, there’s the unique dilemma of not being able to review other energy drinks after drinking Surf Energy Drink Σ(´∀｀；) Since I’m careful about my daily caffeine intake and how much I consume on consecutive days, today I’ll stick to just Surf Energy Drink…

Energy Ingredients of Surf Energy Drink

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It contains 200mg of caffeine and 480mg of arginine. Looking at it per can, it’s among the highest caffeine content in energy drinks as of 2020.

Design of Surf Energy Drink

The combination of mirror silver and purple makes you think it might be a grape or berry-flavored drink, right?
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The hippopotamus in the center of the can is probably the real-life version of "Hippo-chan," the mascot of Create SD. The playful touch of resembling Red Bull’s bull with a hippo is fun, and the fact that they face each other without going overboard is nice (*´艸｀*)

The design is typical of a PB product and is more of a one-off style, but if they start a series with colorful displays, it will give the brand the energy drink vibe. Let’s hope new flavors keep coming out.