Crossroads of Alcohol Mixers: Energy Drinks, Soda, and Drinking Alone

Energy Drinks vs. Caffeine Mixers: What's the Real Impact on Your Alcohol Consumption?

Theo Raines in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 5 min read.

"New research reveals surprising insights into how energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages affect your drinking habits and health risks."

It's no secret that alcohol consumption, especially among young adults and university students, remains a significant public health issue. While recent reports suggest a decline in overall drinking, risky behaviors like binge drinking and intentionally getting drunk are still prevalent. This has led researchers to investigate factors driving excessive alcohol consumption, with the popularity of mixing alcohol with energy drinks (AMED) being a key area of focus.

Previous studies have indicated that those who mix alcohol with energy drinks tend to consume more alcohol, more often, and experience more negative consequences compared to those who drink alcohol alone. However, recent perspectives question whether energy drinks are uniquely responsible for this effect, considering that other caffeinated beverages like cola are also common mixers. The question then becomes: Are energy drinks truly different in their impact on alcohol consumption and related harms?

To investigate this further, a new study has directly compared the effects of alcohol consumption occasions involving AMED, alcohol mixed with other caffeinated mixers (AOCM), and alcohol consumed alone (AO). By examining the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed, as well as the occurrence of negative alcohol-related consequences across these scenarios, the research aims to provide a clearer picture of the specific role energy drinks play in influencing drinking behaviors.

Energy Drinks vs. Other Mixers: Unpacking the Consumption Data

Crossroads of Alcohol Mixers: Energy Drinks, Soda, and Drinking Alone

The study, which involved a UK-wide online survey of students, collected data on drinking habits and negative consequences experienced during different alcohol consumption scenarios: alcohol alone (AO), alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AMED), and alcohol mixed with other caffeinated mixers (AOCM). The researchers analyzed the data from 250 participants who reported engaging in all three drinking patterns. This within-subjects approach allowed for a direct comparison of how each mixer type influenced individual drinking behaviors and consequences.

Interestingly, the findings challenge some previously held beliefs about energy drinks. The research revealed that there were no significant differences in the number of alcoholic drinks consumed during a standard or heavy drinking session between AMED and AOCM occasions. However, a key difference emerged: the number of standard mixers typically consumed was significantly lower on AMED occasions compared to AOCM occasions.

Fewer Heavy Drinking Days: When consuming AMED, students reported significantly fewer days consuming five or more alcohol drinks.
Less Mixing Overall: They also had fewer days mixing drinks in general.
Reduced Instances of Drunkenness: Participants experienced fewer days of feeling drunk when consuming AMED compared to AOCM.
Consequences: Importantly, the number of reported negative alcohol-related consequences did not significantly differ between AMED and AOCM occasions.

A particularly noteworthy finding was that alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences were significantly less on both AMED and AOCM occasions compared to when alcohol was consumed alone (AO). This suggests that mixing alcohol with any caffeinated beverage, whether it be an energy drink or cola, may lead to a different pattern of consumption compared to drinking alcohol straight.

Rethinking the Role of Energy Drinks in Alcohol Consumption

These results challenge earlier claims suggesting that energy drinks uniquely drive excessive alcohol consumption. In fact, the study indicates that heavy alcohol consumption occurs significantly less often on AMED occasions compared to AOCM occasions. The greatest overall alcohol consumption and associated negative consequences were clearly linked to occasions where alcohol was consumed alone.

The similarity in negative consequences between AMED and AOCM drinking occasions suggests that energy drinks are comparable to other caffeinated mixers in this regard. This highlights the need to avoid singling out energy drinks as the primary culprit in promoting risky drinking behaviors.

Ultimately, the research underscores the complexity of factors influencing alcohol consumption and its consequences. While the study provides valuable insights into the role of different mixers, it also calls for further investigation into the underlying biological, social, personal, and economic reasons that shape individual drinking patterns.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.2147/ijgm.s143476, Alternate LINK

Title: Are Energy Drinks Unique Mixers In Terms Of Their Effects On Alcohol Consumption And Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences?

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: International Journal of General Medicine

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Sean J Johnson, Chris Alford, Karina Stewart, Joris C Verster

Published: 2018-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What were the key scenarios the study examined?

The study examined three scenarios: alcohol alone (AO), alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AMED), and alcohol mixed with other caffeinated mixers (AOCM). Researchers compared drinking habits and negative consequences across these scenarios. The findings revealed that participants consumed fewer alcoholic drinks during AMED and AOCM occasions compared to AO occasions. This involved a UK-wide online survey of students, which collected data to directly compare the impact of each mixer type on individual drinking behaviors and consequences.

How did mixing with energy drinks differ from mixing with other caffeinated beverages?

The research revealed some key differences between the drinking patterns. Students reported significantly fewer days consuming five or more alcoholic drinks when mixing with AMED. They also had fewer days mixing drinks in general and experienced fewer days feeling drunk compared to when mixing with AOCM. This suggests that energy drinks might not be the primary driver of excessive alcohol consumption as previously thought, but rather other caffeinated mixers, or alcohol alone, may contribute to this more.

What were the main differences observed between different mixer types?

The study showed that there were no significant differences in the number of alcoholic drinks consumed during a standard or heavy drinking session between AMED and AOCM occasions. However, the number of standard mixers consumed was significantly lower on AMED occasions compared to AOCM occasions. Participants experienced fewer days of feeling drunk when consuming AMED compared to AOCM, and both AMED and AOCM occasions showed fewer negative consequences compared to when alcohol was consumed alone (AO).

What does the study suggest about the role of energy drinks in influencing drinking habits?

Mixing alcohol with any caffeinated beverage, like energy drinks or cola, may lead to a different pattern of alcohol consumption. The greatest alcohol consumption and related negative consequences were linked to occasions where alcohol was consumed alone (AO). This challenges the idea that energy drinks are uniquely responsible for excessive alcohol consumption. The study suggests that other factors or drinking behaviors when consuming alcohol alone play a more significant role in influencing drinking behaviors and the resulting consequences.

What are the broader implications of the study's findings?

The implications suggest a need to re-evaluate the role of energy drinks in promoting excessive alcohol consumption. The research indicates that AMED occasions are not associated with significantly increased alcohol consumption or negative consequences compared to AOCM occasions. The findings highlight the importance of considering all drinking patterns, including alcohol alone, to understand and address risky drinking behaviors. Understanding the nuances of different drinking patterns can help in developing more effective public health strategies to reduce alcohol-related harms.