COMPANY: Ricochet Beverages, Cold Spring, MN . Or from what I read on the web this is actually made by Albertsons.
CAN DESIGN: Bad design as far as the logo goes. The Ricochet text blends in with the background and ultimately get lost in it. If I saw this on the shelf I'd have to actually pick it up and study it to find out what it is. That's not a good shelf strategy. Make the logo pop! I didn't even notice they had a little running rabbit mascot at the top. Black against a deep red is really a bad decision.
CAN DETAILS: 8.4 FL OZ, No Calories Listed?
PRICE: 1.99 at Albertsons
WEBSITE: I don't seem to be able to find one and there isn't one listed on the can. What the hell is wrong with these people when they don't print a URL on their cans. All you have to do is at least buy a domain in advance of printing your merchandise, then set up a simple homepage. Not having a presence on the web is a costly mistake in my opinion as far as people being able to find your product.
TASTE: Here's where it gets weird. This is an energy drink with alcohol. It tastes like a fruity Seagram's or a Fuzzy Navel. Not a bad taste of course but aren't caffeine and alcohol at odds with each other? Alcohol relaxes you and caffeine energizes you. If the two cancel each other out nothing happens. And as I recall that's exactly how I felt. So it's not a bad taste, but the concept is pointless.
AFTERTASTE: The usual alcohol taste on my breath. I would have to say if anything won in the contest of wills it had to be the alcohol. I felt like I had drank a Hard Mike's .
SUSTAINED EFFECTS: Nothing
OVERALL: Not a bad idea from a marketing point of view. People are willing to try a new idea or even a weird idea the first time around. However, the second time around is another story. I don't think this idea is really sustainable. Why would I buy an energy drink for the purposes of "energy" that has alcohol? It doesn't make sense.
WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN? No.

GENERAL COMMENTS: Even Albertsons needs a website when they create a product. This idea is just silly enough to work with enough hype--in the short term. I don't think the drink will last though.