Coffee is an energy drink, this much we can say for sure, but itโ€™s not really the sort of beverage people think of when they hear the words โ€œenergy drink.โ€ Red Bull, Monster, and regrettably, Four Loko all come to mind first. But thereโ€™s a new energy drink now on Kickstarter that is looking to take a more plant-based approach rev up your engine. Itโ€™s called Nomad Energy and itโ€™s made with cascara.

And not just any cascara. According to Forbes, Nomad Energy chose to use coffee fruit from the famed Finca Las Lajas micromill in Central Valley, Costa Rica (featured here on Sprudge), perhaps best known as the first Costa Rican producer to use the natural processing method. Though they have other cascara-based products, Max Keilson and Jon Espteinโ€”owners of Nomad Trading Co, the makers of Nomad Energyโ€”are hoping to challenge Red Bull in the energy drink market by offering consumers a natural, plant-based alternative that lacks โ€œthe sugar-crashes and jitters that accompany the energy-boost of most mainstream energy drinks.โ€ Along with cascara, Nomad Energy only contains water, lemon juice, maple syrup, Himalayan pink sea salt, and a little carbon dioxide for effervescence, all while still packing a walloping 120mg caffeine.

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As of press time, the Brooklyn-based Nomad Energyโ€”why they didnโ€™t call it Red Bullbon still remains a mysteryโ€”has already over doubled their $5,000 Kickstarter goal with 17 days remaining. Pledges start as low as $10, which will receive a couple cans of Nomad Energy, ranging all the way up $1,070 for a full pallet of energy drinks, 900 in total. The latter is really meant for distributors, or you know, one really REALLY good LAN party.

Admittedly, I gave up my energy drink addiction many years ago once I got out of the service industry and working doubles were no longer a thing I had to power through. But even then, I would reach for the sugar-free 80 oz. Monster or whatever ridiculous, heart-exploding size they came in. Now with Nomad Energy, I may have to bust out the ole Playstation 4 for an energy-drink fueled video game all-nighter. I mean, have you seen that gameplay debut for Ghost of Tsushima? Sign my palate up for a pallet.

Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.

Top image via Nomad Energy

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