Oops, There May Be Vodka in That Energy Drink

New York Times

19 hours ago

Fans of a blue-raspberry-flavored energy drink may be in for a different kind of midafternoon jolt.
An unspecified number of cans of Celsius, a caffeinated soft drink, were accidentally filled with vodka-spiked seltzer before they hit shelves, according to a recall notice issued on Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration.
The affected cans were shipped to retailers between July 21 and 23 as a part of beach-themed variety packs of High Noon alcoholic seltzers. 'The recall was initiated after High Noon discovered that a shared packaging supplier mistakenly shipped empty Celsius cans to High Noon,' the F.D.A. notice read.
The agency advised that the mislabeled cans will have a telltale silver lid, rather than the black lid that is customary of Celsius drinks. So far, no cases of illness or 'adverse events' have been reported to the F.D.A., although some people online have worried that the drinks could be accidentally consumed by teenagers or alcoholics who abstain from drinking.
The pharmacy chain CVS, which sells the High Noon variety packs in question, said the products could be returned to its stores.
The incident quickly drew widespread attention, thanks in part to Celsius's reputation as the unofficial beverage of hustle culture. Most cans of Celsius contain 200 milligrams of caffeine, roughly equivalent to six cans of Coca-Cola.
The drinks are beloved by fitness instructors, tech executives, investment bankers pulling all-nighters and politicians like Speaker Mike Johnson, who keeps a stash in his office fridge, according to The Washington Post.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.