The Sneak Energy formula provides long-lasting focus in a tasty and effectively hydrating drink
If you’re reading this, the chances are you’re looking for a cleaner alternative to traditional energy drinks, and you want to know if Sneak lives up to the claims of providing “clean energy” and a healthier alternative to sugar-loaded store-bought drinks.
Like many, I used to be hooked on energy drinks. It started as a quick pick-me-up when I was gaming late into the night, but it progressed to the point where I was necking them several times a day and relied on them to get me going in the morning. Yes, it gives you a boost, but I soon found the sugar hit would rapidly wear off and I’d quickly end up feeling worse than before I’d drank it, and craving another – Not to mention that I was consuming way more sugar than my recommended daily allowance.
I’m no stranger to the world of gamer-focused energy drinks, and I’ve been drinking other brands (some good, some not so much) for over a year now. Once I made the switch, I never looked back; I love the variety of flavours they come in and the guilt-free way of sustaining myself during a busy day. So, when the opportunity came up to try out Sneak I jumped at the chance.
First impressions count
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Sneak knocked it out of the park. The quality of their packaging is excellent, especially on the tubs. Rather than being a simple printed label, the Sneak branding is embossed into the wrap giving the effect of peeled back layers, with a mixture of smooth matte, shiny metallic and textured glossy finishes giving it a premium feel. Combined with the chrome-effect rim and the impressive graphics covering the lid, Sneak definitely has curb appeal.
Shake it up
The Sneak shakers also impressed me. I was under the impression that there’s not much you can do to make a shaker stand out besides adding a few colour variants and sizes, but I’m happy to be proven wrong. A lot of the other shakers I’ve tried are either plain inside or have something you can put in to aid in mixing the powder. With Sneak, they’ve engineered a clever insert that sits inside the rim of the shaker.
With angled fins like those found on a fan or propellor, this insert mixes and rotates the liquid as you shake it, and I found it did an exceptional job of dissolving the powder, giving Sneak a smoothly blended finish – if you’ve tried powdered drinks before, you’ll know there’s nothing worse than coming across chalky lumps at the bottom of your shaker or the grainy mouth-feel of an improperly mixed drink, none of which I got with Sneak. It also doesn’t rattle around inside the shaker when you’re drinking, which mildly bugged me with some of the other shakers I’ve tried.
I have two shakers: an OG Shaker, a traditional single-walled plastic shaker with an impressive 750ml capacity; and a Blizzard Metal Shaker, a thermos-like dual-walled metallic shaker designed to keep your Sneak cooler for longer.
The OG
The Sneak OG Shaker is nice if unremarkable, with a durable feel. The lid and spout-sealing cap at the top fit tight so you don’t have to worry about leaks, and I love the way the drinking spout is oval rather than round so it feels more like drinking from a larger glass or can. I also like that the tension of the cap stops it from flipping down and bonking you on the nose when you take a swig (something I’ve experienced on lesser shakers). I would have preferred the markings on the side to be clearer, though, as it’s almost impossible to read the volume unless the lighting and angle you’re looking at are exactly right.
The Best, The Beast – The Blizzard
If you want the premium Sneak experience, it has to be the metal Blizzard Shaker. It costs a bit more than the standard shakers, but it’s far superior. It has an almost coarse feel in the hand giving you a solid grip even if you’re suffering from sweaty gamer claw, and I adore the embossed logo and graphics adorning the side of the shaker. Unlike the standard shaker, which has the measurements on the outside, the Blizzard has them on the inside, and they are much easier to read. It still has the fan-shaped mixing aid, but here it’s integrated into the lid. This could make it slightly more difficult to clean if you don’t regularly wash your shaker after use, but I found it rinsed off easily without leaving any residue or aftertaste.
The Sneak Blizzard has a dual-walled design, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at it. The walls are thin, so it’s only slightly taller than the regular shaker (and still fits in the fridge ok), but it has the same large capacity as the OG. Compared to a typical dual-walled flask or bottle, the Blizzard feels impossibly thin – so much so that I had serious doubts about its drink chilling properties, but colour me impressed, it works!
I chilled my two shakers of Sneak to 4℃, then left them on my desk (where the indoor air temperature was 26℃). After an hour, the OG Shaker had risen to 12℃, but the Blizzard had only slightly increased to 6℃. Three hours in and the Blizzard shaker was just 9℃ – I’d have left it longer but I was thirsty. I imagine if you throw in a few ice cubes, you’ll have no problem keeping your Sneak icy-cold for far longer, which is a huge boon amid a heatwave.
How does it taste?
It’s all good and well having fancy packaging, but it’s the flavours that will have you coming back for more.
Sneak recommends that you mix 10g (equal to one scoop or sachet) with 300-400ml of water, adjusted to taste. For most of the flavours, I found 400-500ml to be the sweet spot, as the flavours can be very intense without enough water. That’s not a bad thing, of course, especially if you like that strong flavour hit.
The Sneak flavours are packed full of taste, but I’d recommend trying out some of the single sachets before committing to a tub. There were a few flavours that I expected to love that didn’t quite hit the mark. I prefer a natural fruity flavour but I found some tasted more like artificial flavours than the real deal – best described as being like drinking a liquid version of a packet of sweets.
I’m not going to single out the ones I didn’t like, as a quick scroll through the Sneak Discord proved that taste is subjective anyway, with pretty much all of the flavours having hardcore fans. I will say that I loved the vast majority of flavours, but even if I wasn’t a fan of some, it was never because they were weak or lacking in taste, as all of the varieties I tried are packed full of flavour that tingles and tantalises your taste buds.
Flavours that slap
What I’ve found so far is that the fruity flavours slap hardest. They don’t all taste exactly as you’d expect, though. The sour apple, for example, isn’t sour at all (to me), tasting more like those apple jack sweets you used to get. It’s lovely, just not sour! Purple Storm, on the other hand, which is another favourite of mine, is very similar to Vimto.
Raspberry Lemonade is my current everyday favourite, although I didn’t actually like it at first. It is an exceptionally strong flavour that was overpowering and sickly sweet at normal dilution ratios, but I now mix it with around 650ml of water and it tastes amazing; it’s much smoother and very refreshing, with a subtle raspberry finish that tempers the citrusy lemonade bite (along with the bonus of the weaker mix getting more servings for your money).
Tropikilla is another flavour that lives up to its name. This killer mix of orange, mango and pineapple is delectably delicious, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. I could drink this all day anywhere, but throw in a couple of shots of vodka and Malibu and it would make the perfect tropical island cocktail!
For fans of slush drinks, I highly recommend the Blue Raspberry flavour. I’ve tried loads of Blue-Raz drinks over the years, and they invariably lack the richness, tang and intensity you need to carry it off. Sneak has crushed it, though. If you have a slush maker or the patience to make it in the freezer (involving freezing then stirring ad nauseum), you’ll love this flavour.
The great thing about Sneak is it’s so versatile. Yes, you can just drink it as is and enjoy it, but many people in their community have tried new and inventive ways of mixing their drinks. Having seen how people are using Sneak, a lot of these flavours make a lot more sense. I’ve seen people mixing their Sneak with milk for an impromptu milkshake – a great pairing for the Strawberry Millions flavour. You can also mix it with other soft drinks like lemonade, make it into slush, or use it in cocktails by adding a dash of your favourite spirits for a summery aperitif.
Pro-tip: If you want to use sparkling drinks or soda water, mix your powder with about 50ml of liquid first to dissolve it, then top it up and stir to avoid making it go flat.
Does it work?
Although these are energy drinks, they don’t technically have that much literal energy in them when it comes to calories (12kcal) and Joules (50kJ) per serving. This is true of all these drinks though – a more accurate descriptor (and the one on the back of the label) is “vitamin, mineral and amino acid food supplement”. That’s not particularly catchy, though, and they are energising, so I’ll let it slide.
You don’t get that rapid sugar rush with Sneak (obviously, as it has no sugar), but it starts working fast. You’ll feel the effects after about 15 minutes, but it’s the sustained effect that is most impressive. At the point where you’d typically come down from that sugary high, you feel refreshed, focused and revitalised – crucial when you’re gunning for that clutch gameplay moment. You’ll also feel better hydrated with Sneak, as it contains vital electrolytes that our bodies need.
The caffeine kicks in quickly, bringing attention and concentration levels up without causing jitters, but it’s the other vitamins that make Sneak a much better alternative to a typical energy drink. A lot of the vitamins in the formula, like vitamins C, B6, B12 and folic acid, are very helpful for the human body and aid in digestion, releasing energy from food, creating healthy blood cells and much more.
Now, I’d in no way suggest you use these drinks instead of eating healthily, but as an alternative to large quantities of sugar, they are delicious and make a great supplement to a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
The verdict
I’ve tried a lot of gamer-branded energy drinks, and Sneak is up there with the best of them. They are actually all very similar when it comes to the caffeine uplift and variety of vitamins they use, and I wouldn’t say Sneak does anything majorly different in this regard. Where Sneak excels, however, is in the quality, variety and intensity of its flavours.
Sneak retails at £39.95 per tub, which provides 40 servings, so it’s comparable with or better priced than most store-bought premium energy drinks and similar to other leading brands of gamer energy. Their shakers start at £10, but I wholeheartedly recommend saving £18 for the metallic Blizzard shaker. Sneak also has discount codes available, which can give you a sizeable discount on your order total.
Follow this link to the Sneak homepage
If you’re new to gamer supplements, especially if you are hooked on regular sugary drinks, it’s definitely worth giving Sneak a try, and even if you currently drink other brands, the quality of Sneak’s flavours means you should definitely consider them for your next restock.
