Monster Energy just released a new flavor: Viking Berry. It popped up in the Pod much to the surprise of Berry students, who, for a split second, had themselves believing that their school just collaborated with a favored energy drink brand. This was not the case, of course, but the stars aligned a little too well for it to not pique my interest, unlike earlier this year, when Berry had a formal collaboration with Converse to create Berry Journey shoes. This coincidental crossover with Monster just seems far more appropriate for Berry’s audience (i.e., caffeine-addicted students with too many FlexBucks). I bought it, and I honestly think it’s a great addition to the Monster palette.
Of the people I’ve spoken to who have not tried it yet, very few are set on never trying it. Beyond that, all the people I’ve spoken to who have tried it were not disappointed. They enjoyed the berry flavor, ambiguous as it is. The Monster Energy website describes its flavor profile as “Berry flavors with a unique twist.” That unique twist has really stumped people—when trying to figure out what the “berry” was in Viking Berry, some said it tasted like blackberry, while others argued it was more probable that the taste was lingonberry, given its Nordic implications. Interestingly enough, I learned that there actually is such a thing as a viking berry; more commonly referred to as the aronia or even chokeberry, the “Viking berry” seems to be similar to the elderberry in flavor and popularity (or lack thereof). Despite being a lesser-known fruit, it is often used to add depth to the profiles of juice mixes.
Overall, this drink has brought a little bit of variety to the Berry student diet, and I recommend energy-drink enthusiasts to give it a shot. I really do get a little kick every time I see the drink and reflect on what a great coincidence it is that I as a Berry Viking could have my very own Viking Berry drink.
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