Sometimes a jolt of caffeine is the only thing that gets you off the couch and on the town come Friday night. But if you’re trying to do double duty and pregame while you power up, there’s only one path to take: Welcome to the buzzy, turnt up world of energy drink cocktails.
“A lot of the best parties happen late at night, and I want to be awake for them,” says Steph Russ, bartender and author of Energy: Cocktails to Get You UP, a cocktail book filled entirely with insane caffeinated cocktails that will definitely keep you alert and party-ready all night long. “When it comes to energy drinks, there's something for everyone. Whether you're preparing for an extreme sporting event or fighting that 2 o'clock feeling, there’s an energy cocktail for you.”
Russ looks past the basic Red Bull-Vodka and gets creative with her eye-opening cocktails. “I always like to try new things so that I don't get stuck on any one energy drink, especially because there are so many different types on the market right now,” she says. She uses a wide variety of stimulating options—each of which packs a different type of kick—to tailor the cocktails to best suit every situation. “If I know I'm going to a warehouse party or something that will run super late, I pour heavier on the stimulants,” she says. “If I just need a little boost, I add less of the energy drink or use a milder stimulant like tea.”