Energy drinks. You see them everywhere labeled with promises of high performance. Be a ROCKSTAR! Attack that 90-foot double jump with MONSTER strength! Ride with the aggression of RED BULL! There are even shot sized energy boosters that claim increased endurance for five hours, and now you can get them in extra strength.
I have to say I’ve partaken in a few energy drinks in my time. I’ve trusted them to keep me awake many a Sunday evening while driving hundreds of miles back home after a full weekend of racing. Energy drinks have also been a good friend when trying to meet a tight article deadline.
So just where did energy drinks come from?
Complete a Google search on energy drinks and you’ll come up with many responses. Many claim Red Bull’s sweet carbonated beverage was the original energy drink. It’s funny to read that both Red Bull and Monster are still rumored to be blended with bull semen – but it’s not. These drinks are often made up of Ginseng, B-Vitamins, sugar, Caffeine and Taurine, the latter of which was said to be extracted from the sperm of bulls. The truth is that Taurine is an organic acid that is a basic component of all amino acids, even those found in humans. The Taurine found in energy drinks is also produced synthetically. Taurine stimulates the nervous system and studies indicate that it helps improve athletic performance. 3000mg of Taurine a day is considered a safe level, and the typical 16oz. energy drink (Monster) contains one third of that.
Others internet finds argue that Gatorade is the original energy drink. Created in 1966, a team of doctors invented Gatorade for the University of Florida football team, the Gaters. The lemon-lime flavored drink was rumored to be the reason the team beat Georgia Tech in 1967. It was the Gators first ever Orange Bowl victory. The story spread to Sports Illustrated magazine soon after and Gatorade sales skyrocketed. Gatorade really isn’t so much an energy drink as it is a hydration drink. It is loaded with instant energy producing carbohydrates, but it also contains electrolytes, which hydrate the body faster than water – especially under heavy exertion.
But forget all about fancy packaging. Energy drinks have been around for centuries in some form or another. Believe it or not, men did once drink a concoction that contained bull semen, claiming it heightened their abilities as hunters and warriors. Peoples of the tropics believe coconut water is a natural energy booster, loaded with electrolytes, high potassium, low acidity and all-natural ingredients.
However, I believe I have found the mother of all energy drinks, one that has been around since the beginning of civilization…
While Trail Nation was recently on a week-long television shoot in Baja, Mexico, we stumbled upon a tequila festival in San Felipe, along the beach of the Sea of Cortez. As I strolled down the boardwalk with our crew, I spotted a large 2.5 gallon glass jar that contained a clear liquid and what appeared to be a snake coiled up in the bottom. The owner of this jar caught my curiosity with promises of monster-like strength and endurance. I could solo the Baja 1000 without tiring. My body would be transformed back into its eighteen-year-old state. “It will make you a better lover, my friend,” he claimed.
I grabbed my wallet and immediately produced a five dollar bill. Bottoms up!
I didn’t know it before hand, but producing rattlesnake tequila is a very intense process. I probably would have thought twice before even taking a sip, much less a double shot, had I known what I was putting into my body. It’s the stuff of Mexican Voodoo.
The process goes something like this:
A gallon or so of any type of tequila is used, as long as it’s cheap. There’s no point in using Patron or Cabo Wabo since going down smooth isn’t exactly the objective.
You then catch a rattlesnake. My new found friend tells me that he only uses the “preferred rojo (red) diamondback” for his blend. The live rattlesnake is carefully placed in the large jar, which is then filled with the cheap tequila. As the snake drowns in the tequila (which actually keeps it very well preserved over time) the snake flushes itself of elements and chemicals that my friend describes as medicinal. He claims it increases strength while calming the nerves. The snake supposedly also produces “cancer resistant qualities” and will be good for my digestive system and kidneys. I assume he’s referring to antioxidants. It all seemed interesting enough, but there’s more.
Once dead, the snake is removed from the jar and filleted right up the center to expose all of the juices and good stuff, venom and all. The snake is then dropped back in the jar and placed out in the sun for several months, and then in the shade for several months after that. Over time, the innards spill out into the bottom of the jar along with a handful of scales. This particular batch I was drinking was one-year old.
Now I can’t tell you it tasted all that great. In fact I’d have to compare it to chewing on dirty band aids. You also can’t drive or ride immediately after consuming a rattlesnake shot since alcohol is involved, but the effect is said to slowly release over several days.
I swear to you, I rode my dirt bike hard for two-hundred miles the following day without breaking a sweat. Multiple-time Baja 1000 champion Larry Roeseler was along for the ride from San Felipe up to Ensenada, and I was convinced I was going to show him a trick or two. This stuff is potent! But then again, perhaps it’s just the mystique of riding in Baja that continues to fool me into thinking I’m still that eighteen-year old kid.
Would I try a rattlesnake shot again? Hell yes! And this time I might even shake the jar. I like a little pulp in my juice.