According to Mintel, 42 percent of people who drink energy shots take them in the afternoon, and 49 percent of people who consume energy drinks also do so in the afternoon, said Jennifer Zegler, global food and drink analyst at the Chicago-based market research firm, in Beverage Industry’s August 2013 issue. However, the consumption occasion for energy drinks is changing, according to Jonas Feliciano, beverage analyst for Euromonitor International, Chicago.
When energy drinks were first introduced in the United States, they were positioned as lifestyle beverages and often were mixed with alcohol, he said in the article. In recent years, energy drink manufacturers have moved away from this positioning and grown the category in terms of flavor and function, he added.