Fuel and flex in one can — RYSE Energy just rewrote the energy drink playbook.
RYSE is tearing up the rulebook with its latest innovation. The functional powerhouse has revealed plans to drop a world-first drink featuring the ultimate tag team: protein and caffeine.
CEO and founder Nic Stella is on a mission to turn the caffeinated offshoot of RYSE into a billion-dollar beverage brand — and this might just be the release that cracks it.
RYSE began its move into the energy drink space with RYSE Fuel — 16oz cans featuring 200mg of natural caffeine and cognitive-enhancing extras for focus and flow.
Last year was a big one for RYSE Fuel.
UFC Champion Sean O’Malley came on board as a sponsored athlete, and the drink became the official energy partner of the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks.
Fans were told a second edition — RYSE Energy — was on the way. Up until now, all we knew was that it would still include caffeine (obviously) and come in a smaller 12oz can.
Now, after 15 months of research, it turns out RYSE was working on a hybrid formula that fuses energy, recovery, and gut support into one triple-threat.
RYSE Energy: The Road to Innovation
RYSE Energy has been a long time in the making, as Stella revealed in his announcement video.
“When you look at most energy drinks today, they’re basically all copies of each other — pretty much the same formula with slight tweaks,” he said.
“As part of my mission to build a billion-dollar beverage brand, I knew I needed something to break the mold and do something that’s never been done before.
“So after 15 months of research, studying market trends, formulating, and starting back over from scratch, an idea finally hit us.”
It sounds simple, but one big question needed answering: How much protein can you fit in an energy drink before it tastes off?
Turns out the sweet spot is 8g — the exact amount you’ll find in every can of RYSE Energy.
It’s not going to rival your post-gym shake, but Stella calls it “protein that adds up without weighing you down.”
The added protein content and trimmed can size comes at the expense of the caffeine punch we’re used to seeing in RYSE Fuel.
RYSE Energy packs 150mg of caffeine — 50mg less than its predecessor.
Again, it’s a concession that won’t make a huge difference, given RYSE Energy will still be plenty stronger than your average cup of coffee.
Gut-Friendly Additions
Caffeine and protein aren’t the only elements invited to the party.
To make RYSE Energy truly unique, Stella said he and the team searched for another trending addition to round out the formula.
They landed on pre and probiotics — the kind you’ll find in RTDs targeting gut health.
RYSE Energy has been hyped by its creators as the first energy drink infused with protein. While it may be the first to also include pre and probiotics, the blend of caffeine and protein is far from unchartered territory.
Monster took a swing at it with Muscle Monster, and in Europe, Mammut Nutrition introduced Flexergy with 13g of protein and 100mg of caffeine.
Plus, there’s a growing market of protein-coffee RTDs that play in the same space.
Regardless of whether it’s an official world first or not, RYSE Energy is undoubtedly unique — and it brings something fresh to the booming energy drink category.
Flavors & Macros
RYSE Energy will launch in six flavors, including Orange Creamsicle, Strawberry Watermelon, and collabs like Kool-Aid and Country Time — both returning favorites from the RYSE Fuel range.
Each can is zero sugar, using a mix of natural and artificial flavorings.
No hard release date yet, but Stella says RYSE Energy will be landing “soon.”
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