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"It caught on because it was an energy drink and it was free - not that complicated, really," said Riker. That helped it become a phenomenon among the men and women in uniform who consume it voraciously. With such a high demand, it became a regular "morale staple" included on trips and convoys alongside food, water, and bullets.
#RIP IT ENERGY DRINK FOR FREE#
In addition to being purchasable at military commissaries, Rip It is also commonly provided for free to soldiers by superior officers. It manufactures camo-laden cans and proudly highlights military charities in promotional materials and on banner ads. Rip It's social media profiles are littered with photos of soldiers. That military connection is essential to the brand image. (The terms and conditions are unknown: Neither NBC nor the Department of Defense responded to requests for comment.) struck up a contract with the military circa 2004 to offer the energy drink in US military installations across the globe, especially in the Middle East. Rip It is owned and distributed by National Beverage Corp., the company behind the hipster-approved LaCroix and Michigan's Juggalo-approved Faygo. Stateside it's mostly known as a bare-budget option, often costing $1 per can and almost always gathering dust on the shelf.
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It has 15 flavors - including grape, citrus, and even coconut mango - plus a sugar-free version. It's a basic energy drink comprised of taurine, 100mg of caffeine, inositol, and guarana seed extract - all the usual suspects. Yet among those who serve, it has achieved near-mythical status.įor the uninitiated, it's all here: the good, the bad. The drink is referred to nearly exclusively as "crack."Ī single energy drink essentially fueled the American military during the recent Middle East conflicts and almost no one outside the Army (or hypothetical energy drink-addict support groups) has even heard of it. Soldiers would play Rip It drinking games as if they were at a caffeine-addled frat party. Riker caught privates filling their CamelBaks with the stuff in lieu of water and sipping it through a straw. Some soldiers roll out of bed and pop open a can. "If someone served over there and says they didn't at least try a Rip It, they're not being honest with you," Riker said. Riker conservatively estimates over three-quarters of military personnel are drinking this stuff on the regular, and almost everyone in uniform - particularly those serving in the Middle East - has at least tried it. Riker's mission took place in 2010, but Rip It's prevalence in military life had been growing in Afghanistan and Iraq during America's campaigns throughout the 2000s, and it's still popular today. Frankly, it's not very distinguishable among a sea of nearly identical competitors with more pervasive marketing and bigger parent companies.īut Rip It has carved a unique niche in the energy drink world: It's ingrained in 21st-century military culture.
There's a chance you've seen the discount energy drink Rip It buried in convenience-store shelves alongside Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar. It might have been the only thing that got us through those last few hours," Riker said.
He had six Rip Its stashed in his backpack in lieu of some other essential supplies. "To put it bluntly, shit was sucking."Īt their darkest moment, hours before they even stood a chance at making contact with another squad, one of the privates piped up and hesitantly told his team (including Riker, his direct superior) that he had bent the rules a little bit. Someone messed up along the way and our supplies were gone.
What was supposed to be a brief air assault mission in a remote region had become a grueling day-and-a-half excursion into enemy territory. More than 30 hours had passed since they were air-dropped via chopper. Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Riker and his squadron were stranded in the middle of the Afghani desert.
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