Caffeinated consumers: some prefer soda to coffee

By Braedon Martin
Staff writer

Typically, when people think of caffeine intake, especially caffeine intake for energy, they think of coffee or energy drinks. However, there is one important caffeinated beverage that is ignored when discussions on how to wake up occur.

Soda, pop, soft drinks, or whatever you call it.

It’s an odd thing to ignore, really, when it comes down to the brass and tacks of it. Soda is heavily considered when you talk about caffeine, since it’s such a well-rounded and enjoyed substance.

However, it simply isn’t one of those things that come up with the discussion. Maybe it’s the fact that many sodas are such sugary beverages, that it is seen as more of a snack drink, compared to a wake-up drink like coffee or energy drinks. Alternatively, it may just be because few seem to drink soda to wake up.

However, there is one minority that is often ignored, be it because they are an incredibly small group of people, or because no one considers their opinion in the grand coffee versus energy drink debate. People that drink soda to wake up.

Ryker Douglas, Hutchinson freshman, is just such a person.

“I’ve never liked coffee, ever since I first tried it I hated the taste,” Douglas said. “With energy drinks, my parents always told me they were dangerous as a kid, so I never tried them. When I finally did, I didn’t even get any energy from them, I stayed just as tired as I had been, and then got even more tired when I crashed, so I tend to avoid them.”

Gabe Spencer, Hutchinson sophomore, falls under a similar, but slightly different category. Someone who likes both coffee and energy drinks, but his preference lies with soda.

“I think coffee is really good, probably because I’m addicted to caffeine, and energy drinks are fine, but I really like soda,” Spencer said.

Along with their reasoning for disliking the main two wake up drinks, the sheer variety of sodas certainly provides for more diversity in this rare minority of morning soda drinkers.

“My preferred soda is Diet Dr Pepper,” Douglas said. “The taste isn’t anything special though. It’s just my mom’s favorite soda, so it was the only one we had in our house for a long time and usually still is. In the end, I’ve just gotten used to the taste and it’s become my go to.”

“I really like Mountain Dew, there’s something about the slight lemon lime flavor, and it tastes less carbonated which I think is pretty good,” Spencer said.

In the end, even though they are not a majority in the slightest, it is important to hear from this brave group of soda drinkers, enjoying their soda to wake them up in the morning.

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