Vancouver (Canada) Energy Drink Journey 2020

Hunting Energy Drinks in Western Canada

It's been a while since I've been to Vancouver on the west coast of Canada. I was excited to see how many new releases there were on this side ((o(´∀｀)o))

In winter, the sun sets early. I've been to Vancouver in winter many times, but I still love the view of the sun setting along Granville Street during this season.

For the first half of my stay, I booked a hotel in downtown Vancouver, and for the second half, I chose a hotel in a more convenient area for my energy drink hunting. I planned to relax and do some sightseeing and restaurant-hopping during the first half, and then go on a buying spree in the second half.

Since there was time before the evening sightseeing, I decided to start by heading to the familiar 7-Eleven.

I found Rockstar's 2019 new release, Revolt Apple Pom.

This one is only available on the west coast. A few months ago, I was in Montreal on the east coast in Canada, and it’s interesting how even top brands in the same country might not be available depending on the region.

In Montreal, I thought, “I knew it wasn’t available,” and now, in Vancouver, I thought, “Of course it’s only available on this side.” It was nice to confirm this with my own eyes, so I'd love to visit some eastern cities in Canada again if the chance arises.

By the way, this Apple Pom was unbelievably delicious. I was glad I bought quite a few, as I ended up purchasing more than I had planned to balance out the sets before returning home.

I also found the Canadian version of Bang in three flavors, which was covered in the news in October 2019. The Bang brand is gaining momentum not just in Canada but also in Europe and other regions.

However, it seemed like the brand wasn’t quite as popular as it is in the U.S., as there were only three products on display. It reminded me of how Bang was in the U.S. six years ago.

I also came across Red Bull's 2019 Winter Edition, which was released worldwide. In Canada, both 250ml and 355ml sizes are available in each edition series.

Sometimes when a new product is released, if you arrive in Canada too early, one of the sizes might not be available yet. But since it had been a few months after the release and the new year had started, I was able to find both sizes at a single store.

There aren't many stores in Canada that offer large displays of new products, so it seems like it’s better to visit a bit later to enjoy new product displays.

By the way, I'm also collecting Rockstar Gears 5 editions on the west coast as I find them.

When I was in Montreal, the release was so recent that it was hard to find them, but this time, all the different designs were widely available, making it easier to complete my collection.

Vancouver’s Later Stages

I moved to a hotel in a more convenient location for hunting. It's easier to hunt, but I also enjoy staying at different hotels during a single trip, so I tend to change hotels halfway through. I remember doing the same when I was in Montreal.

Now, let’s go check out the new Rockstar Vodka. Rockstar Vodka had completely disappeared in 2018, but it was actually relaunched in 2019 (though I won't go into details here). I couldn't find it in Montreal, so I was really looking forward to it in Vancouver.

First, I headed to my go-to shop.

Almost everything was available there. The drinks were sparkling and beautiful.

It’s been about two years since I saw this wide selection. Rockstar Vodka is a product that doesn’t get much publicity, so it was discontinued quietly when nobody was paying attention... But now that it's back, I felt relieved.

However, most stores had a much smaller selection, with only the original version stacked up. Even though Rockstar Vodka was available, the alcohol section had so many other options that it didn’t really stand out.

It seems that while it has recognition as an energy drink, it’s not very popular as an alcoholic beverage. I’ve been observing the displays for years, and this is evident from the way it's stocked.

I then visited a well-stocked shop.

Since Rockstar was on sale for four cans for $7, I bought a large quantity here. I had planned to buy in bulk at different hotels, so this was part of the plan. Since there weren’t any set discounts for Monster Energy at this store, I bought them in bulk at another 7-Eleven that offered set discounts.

By the way, I was surprised to see that LIVE NATION was still available even though it had been out for a while.

I was also surprised to find Caffe Monster in the fridge, right by the coffee counter.

I even found a 250ml Rockstar during a sightseeing break.

I don’t think I had encountered this size during any of my previous trips to Canada...

Even products that hadn’t yet been "Big Star-ed" were all displayed with the Big Star design in the image.

Rockstar’s official website in Canada has already switched to the Big Star design, so it seems that my favorite old design is now gone. It’s a bit disappointing.

Oh, and I forgot to take a picture, but there were also three new cannabis energy drink flavors available, which seemed to be naturally integrated into convenience stores in Vancouver.

Other than that, there weren’t many new products, and Red Bull, Monster Energy, and Rockstar remained the main brands, with not much activity from others. Next time I visit Canada, I hope to introduce some energy drinks that are uniquely Canadian. Stay tuned!