If coffee isn’t your thing, you may prefer sipping on a Monster Energy drink when lethargy looms in order to put a zip in your step. This popular brand is a key player in the energy drinks arena, accounting for almost 30% of market share, thanks in part to a portfolio of more than 30 interesting flavors like mango and kiwi lime. However, there’s one variety that’s often confusingly called The White Monster. So what is it and what does it taste like? Well, if you’ve tried Monster’s Zero Ultra, you already know the taste of The White Monster. The two terms are interchangeable for the same drink.
Zero Ultra is colloquially described as The White Monster because the can is white and features a grey “M” on the front — that’s the Monster logo, which is stylized to look like claw marks. Even the Monster website itself describes the beverage as “Zero Ultra a.k.a. The White Monster,” suggesting both names are equally viable. The white packaging stands in stark contrast to the original Monster flavor’s can, which was black with a neon green logo. The lighter color may indicate that Zero Ultra’s citrusy flavor tastes less sweet than other Monster flavors. Though the energy drink has zero calories (it’s sweetened with sucralose instead of glucose syrup), it still features the “full load” of Monster Energy blend and 150mg of caffeine per 500ml can.
What’s in White Monster energy drink?
The ingredients list on a can of White Monster only makes mention of “natural and artificial flavors” without going into further detail. However, in a Reddit thread devoted to the taste of the energy drink, commenters described its flavor in a variety of ways. One called it grapefruit combined with Sprite or white gummy bear. while another said it was like the grapefruit-flavored soft drink Fresca or “Sprite with some hints of Skittles, grapefruit, and lemon.” Another Redditor skips the mention of citrus altogether and pronounces the beverage’s flavor as a mixture of bubblegum and white grape, highlighting the lack of consensus. There’s also a link to an Instagram clip of an advanced sommelier who describes the aroma of White Monster as a mixture of white grapefruit, green peach, lemon peel, passion fruit, white tea, gummy bears, and Sprite.
White Monster contains L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, which is a dietary supplement believed to prevent muscle fatigue and weakness (however, its side effects can include headaches, nausea and tingly skin). It also contains taurine, an amino sulfonic acid found in protein-rich foods like fish and chicken. The body uses taurine in its energy production process, which is why it’s a common ingredient in energy drinks such as Red Bull. Along with ginseng (a herbal supplement known to stimulate alertness) and inositol (a sugar made by the body which helps process nutrients and turn them into energy), these ingredients give Monster Ultra drinks their edge.
