San Francisco Energy Drink Trip 2018

It’s a race against time!

Well, I’ve safely arrived in San Francisco! From the airport, it takes just a little over 30 minutes by BART to get to the downtown center. It’s very traveler-friendly, so I highly recommend it.

I was able to check in early at the hotel in the morning, so I dropped off my luggage and headed straight to USPS. I’m shipping within the U.S. It’s tough because I’m short on time, but there’s so much to do for the energy drink hunt (；´∀｀)

After repeating sending and receiving packages, I finally finished the chaotic tasks before sightseeing. Now, my schedule is packed until midnight, so let’s get hunting!

Most things can be found within walking distance in downtown San Francisco

San Francisco is relatively small, and its tourist areas are compact, so it’s easy for short-term visitors to enjoy both sightseeing and hunting for energy drinks. Along Market Street, which runs diagonally through downtown, you’ll find convenience store 7-Eleven, drugstores CVS, and Walgreens at almost every block, so just walking straight down the street might be enough to finish your hunt.

Energy Drink Survey & Shopping

First, I walked down Market Street to check the availability, selection, and prices of energy drinks.

Be cautious around the Civic Center area and the downtown area below, where you’ll encounter homeless people, junkies, and dealers at all hours. If you’re not used to it, you might want to avoid walking there.

I went further south past Twitter to the Castro gay district. There were a few places I wanted to stop at and favorite shops, so I did some shopping while surveying energy drinks. Shopping after getting tired from hunting can be quite tough, so I finished it up early (●´ω｀●)

I really enjoy the unique neighborhoods in San Francisco. It’s bringing back so many memories from when I lived here (ｕ_ｕ*)

Hunting begins!

Once I returned to the hotel and lightened my load, I started buying energy drinks based on what I had observed! First stop, 7-Eleven. They had four types of the new massive Hydro drinks. Finding stores with bundle discounts is important, but speed is just as crucial when you find them
I bought 8 bottles of 750ml, weighing 6kg, way too heavy

I also bought some Muscle Monster bottled drinks. The weight kept increasing. By the way, San Francisco’s chain stores have really strong plastic bags that don’t tear easily, but they charge for them, so it’s a good idea to bring your own eco-bag or reuse the bags from the store.

For Rockstar and Monster cans, I bought them in two-packs as they often have discounts for members. This time, Rockstar’s Pure Zero had a minor change. When I found it and picked it up, I could tell it had changed, and it’s such an exciting feeling that never gets old (*´艸｀*)

I managed to get a 250ml limited edition Red Bull, but I only saw it at two stores. However, after buying it, I was shocked to find it for 2 dollars cheaper at CVS across the street (-_-;)

However, the Summer Edition was readily available, and the special feeling was completely gone. It’s a shame that there were no special displays anymore. I always come to the U.S. during Golden Week, when the Summer Edition is released, but it’s been like this more and more each year. It’s disappointing.

Going to get Rockstar’s limited edition product

After finishing most of my shopping, I went a little further to get the Rockstar AMPM exclusive Pure Zero #TMGS. There aren’t any AMPM stores around downtown San Francisco, so be aware of that.

I found it right away! AMPM is great for placing exclusive products in coolers and getting people excited (*´艸｀*)
TMGS is a mix of Tangerine, Mango, Guava, and Strawberry, and it seems like it’s a play on the AMPM slogan. The design and flavor are both incredible. I think this is one of the top AMPM exclusives I’ve ever had high hopes for.

By the way, when I checked, I found coffee-flavored drinks in the suburban AMPM stores that I hadn’t seen in the chain stores. Unfortunately, AMPM doesn’t accept cards, so if you don’t carry cash, it can be tricky. But this time, I bought a glass bottle and #TMGS in larger quantities. However, the coffee was expensive—over 400 yen per bottle.

There were about three convenience stores around, and one had a well-stocked Red Bull section.

I forgot to take an up-close photo, but you can see here that there was the 355ml Neymar 2018 design can. I thought I could buy it with the Summer Edition in a 2-can set! (since it’s pricey). But, unfortunately, they didn’t have the new Summer Edition here. It’s amazing that they had such a display but no new stock. Still, it’s fun to see how U.S. convenience stores create such detailed campaign displays for something as simple as a drink.

Heading to pick up the energy drink collection

At night, since the timing of my trip worked out, I visited a collector’s house in East Bay to pick up some old collections. It’s in a residential area, not far from where a friend of mine used to live. It was a nostalgic feeling

I won’t go into details, but I was able to get some old and nostalgic energy drinks. Some bottles had leaked so much that the contents were half gone, but the rest were in great condition, and it was moving to get something from when I lived in the U.S. again. I’m so lucky
(After returning home, some of the bottles have started leaking a little, so it’s becoming a race against time)

We wiped down the cans with wet tissues (for some reason, they were scented) and stuffed them into our suitcases before heading back to San Francisco. With that, the hunt and personal transactions were nearly complete!

Actually, on the way there, my friend kindly gave me a ride from the station both ways, so I didn’t have to worry about safety and could move smoothly. It was a reunion after 13 years, but with just a hug, it felt like I was back 13 years ago. It was such a great experience to reconnect with old friends—hugging and physical affection really make a difference. It’s something we don’t usually do in Japan, even with family and friends. I’m so grateful to have such good friends (ｕ_ｕ*)

Exploring independent shops before sightseeing

Since I finished most of my hunting on the first day, I spent the other days visiting independent shops while waiting for the tourist areas to get busier.

This is it. Even though rare or old items are becoming harder to find these days, there are still areas like this in San Francisco that are walkable, so I ended up going in while strolling.

There were many different types of people, from those screaming on the street to those taking their time as if time had stopped, to those crying with pure despair. If you look it up online, you'll see that most places advise not to go there, so it’s better to avoid these areas.

In some of these shops, you could find all the coffee varieties missing from chain stores. Energy drinks are available in varying quantities, but it’s interesting how the selection is so random.

For buying at regular prices, I think it’s safer to stick to Market Street, where everything is priced.

One shop even had a cat inside. It’s common in overseas stores, but I wonder if it’s hygienic

The shocking thing here was that they still had the old design of Rockstar Punch. That’s crazy
Three years ago, I found an old rare can at a store, but now the stock had been updated, so I couldn’t get anything. But there are still stores that have leftovers that no one buys because the cans are leaking or sticky. Of course, no one’s going to buy them (^_^;)

This old Punch 16oz had about three types, and since I already had them, I left them behind

Other stores had inventory just thrown into bags on the floor. This type of Monster Energy can actually has some ultra-rare versions. So whenever you see a 24oz, be sure to check it out! It’s almost impossible to find them in stores, but you never know…

With that, the hunt is pretty much over, and I was able to enjoy sightseeing in San Francisco. The weather was great, and the latest technology and services are quickly adopted here, so the Bay Area is really a lot of fun. I hope to come back again if I have the chance (●´ω｀●)