Kickin' It Into High Gear

With apologies to Motley Crue, I don't think this is exactly what the band had in mind when they had a big hit with "Kick Start my Heart" back in the day. References to naked skydiving and rockin' out surely could not have been the impetus for PepsiCo when they decided that America and the world needed yet another  "get up and get going" morning drink to compete with the veritable legion of choices out there, from the baristas slinging java to taurine-infused Red Bull and its brethren, it's a crowded market, and we're just about to have another entry.

Slated for introduction in the latter part of February, this caffeinated drink aims to compete head on for our morning jolt. It combines the well-known taste of Mountain Dew with an infusion of fruit flavor (though probably not actual fruit, per se). The 16-ounce drink will arrive in both an orange-citrus blend as well as a fruit punch offering.  Yes, it has caffeine (we wouldn't drink it if it didn't!), but somewhat less than other notables in the field.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (who knew?), the 92 mg of caffeine in Kick Start place it below some of the more recognizable drinks:

Amp, for example, contains 142 mg of caffeine, while a 16 oz cup of coffee at Starbucks is loaded with 330 mg of caffeinated high. Interestingly enough, a 16-ounce serving of Mountain Dew contains "only" 72 milligrams of caffeine, and we were led to believe that Mountain Dew was absolutely killer in that department.

So, if it's the jittery jive of full-tilt caffeine you want, Starbucks is the place to go. Of course, all of that hype comes at a cost, but it's far more economic to drink coffee than two or three cans of Kick Start to get the same rev.

Or, you could just get to bed earlier and get a solid eight hours of sleep to wake refreshed to a good breakfast and a nice, brisk walk to work.

That is even cheaper.