Caffeine Jitters: A Comprehensive Timeline

Pre-2020: The Era of Jitters

Leading up to the year 2020, caffeine’s rise in popularity and market dominance remained unchecked and unstoppable. Coffee houses in the United States of America began to rise in popularity due to the birth of coffee shops in 1971. The beverage beloved by the global population was adapted to fit the palette of any and all consumers. Coffee began flying off store shelves and cafe counters tenfold.

The Modern Coffee Revolution

Mass consumption of coffee created a new coffee trade that swept entrepreneurs and coffee connoisseurs off their feet. As the 1980 transitioned to the 1990s,  coffee houses existed in almost every city in the United States and people began to care more about the beans they were consuming. Soon, store shelves and independent coffee shops would adopt their own versions of coffee roasts, their own source of beans, and new ways to brew coffee. The hot commodity only got hotter as people realized how much control they had over the flavor of the coffee bean. Artisanal roasts allowed for independent producers to hit store shelves and compete with the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. 

To some, the introduction of modern coffee was a revolution. The effects of this revolution are still being played out today as the world continues to see an increase in coffee brands and flavors. Monthly subscriptions for coffee beans exist. You can now brew coffee with the snap of a pod and the push of a button. Even instant coffee has managed to adapt with the changing coffee market.

Coffee’s Fallen Brother: The Energy Drink

At the same time as the modern coffee revolution came the introduction of energy drinks to the market. A new concept to many, energy drinks offered the same, jolting energy of caffeine, but offered a whole new range of flavors and effects. Carbonated beverages could now kickstart your day as well as a hot cup of coffee could. Additional ingredients like Taurine and B12 were added into the mix, offering customers something different from the age old beverage. 

Energy drink giants started sprouting up across the globe with Red Bull dominating the European market, and Monster Energy soon to break into the American Market in the early 2000s. Where coffee could allow for stand alone cafes, energy drinks could allow for stand alone athletes. Energy drinks targeted the active person, dumping millions of dollars into the world of extreme sports. With athletes and daredevils on their backs, energy drinks broke ground in the caffeine market. Now with dozens of brands to choose from, energy drinks are here to stay.

Two Giants, Same Weakness

 Coffee and energy drinks are the glue of the caffeine trade. They’ve established themselves as dominant products in the global beverage trade, and continue to rise in popularity. However, with their rise to stardom, weaknesses have kept both options from being the perfect product.

Coffee and caffeine have not solved the issues of the caffeine crash, or the jitters and anxiety that come along with massive caffeine consumption.

Until now! With the first caffeinated jitterless coffee, Quokka Brew.