80% of Drivers Mistake Alcoholic Drinks for Energy Drinks or Flavored Water

WINE TALK
1

What a time to be alive

“Survey reveals that up to 80% of drivers mistake alcoholic beverages for energy drinks and flavored water

A driver in North Carolina admitted to downing a White Claw on his way to work every day thinking it was an e-drink.

Source: MotorBiscuit
By Sarah Kennedy
September 3, 2025

At first glance, the cans look harmless. Fruit splashes across the label. Words like “Sun Sips,” “Antioxidant,” and “Cream Pop” lean more toward a juice bar than a liquor shelf. But a new study shows those same cans are causing real confusion for drivers who assume they’re grabbing something non-alcoholic.

A new survey asked 2,000 U.S. drivers to identify 14 drinks based only on their packaging

The results exposed how little faith people can put in what a can looks like.

Only 57% of participants could correctly spot drinks such as White Claw or Twisted Tea as alcoholic.

Vizzy, a 5% hard seltzer, proved the most misleading. 8 in 10 drivers believed it was something else entirely, most often a soda or flavored water. With flavors like Pineapple Mango and packaging that leans on bold fruit illustrations, it consistently fooled consumers.

Other brands were nearly as deceptive.

Four Loko, with up to 14% alcohol by volume, confused 66% of participants despite years of press coverage about its strength

Truly and High Noon Sun Sips each misled more than 60% of drivers, while BuzzBallz tricked 53%. Some thought the “buzz” meant caffeine, not liquor.

The findings reversed for non-alcholic bevvies.

A quarter of drivers believed Liquid Death, a canned water brand, contained alcohol

Another 39% mistook Drip mineral water for an energy drink.

The survey suggests that bold graphics and youth-oriented branding blur the line between what’s safe behind the wheel and what isn’t.

The consequences are not abstract

The survey pointed to cases like a man in North Carolina who routinely drank White Claw on his commute, convinced it was an energy drink. A school bus driver lost a job after making the same mistake with the same brand, believing it was flavored water.

The research comes from Wheelsaway, a junk car price comparison service that launched this year, which partnered with Censuswide.

Wheelsaway’s spokesperson urged drivers to slow down and check labels before buying. The variety of drinks now sold in convenience stores makes it easy to grab the wrong can, and in some cases, that choice can lead directly to impaired driving.”

2 Likes
2

Not sure if this is a North Carolina joke setup or did the poll touch other states as well?

3

I think there may be a missing word in that headline. Perhaps it should be “80% of Drunk Drivers Mistake Alcoholic Drinks for Energy Drinks or Flavored Water”.

1 Like
4

Sounds like an issue with shelf location and labelling. Wouldn’t alcoholic beverages be in a specific section of the store?

5

100%, they are not with everything else, this is an intelligence issue

6

Hey, it’s not all their fault.

High Noon Announces Recall of its Vodka Seltzer Beach Pack (12 Pack) Due to Inclusion of CELSIUS® ASTRO VIBE ™ Energy Drink Cans that were Inadvertently Filled with Vodka Seltzer

Also, I want to see what packaging was included in this survey, since the underlying survey is infuriatingly not cited.

7

Hah, with the High Noon it was Celsius cans in the High Noon variety packs, not Celsius cans filled with High Noon in Celsius cases.

The source was also MotorBiscuit whose website looks more like a blog.

8

The research comes from Wheelsaway, a junk car price comparison service that launched this year, which partnered with Censuswide.

1 Like
9

One does suspect…

10

Labeling yes. It’s touting other things and inclusion of alcohol is lost in the mix. That should be changed in my opinion

Shelf location was cited to be an issue in convenience stores. Small footprint and beverage cases placed close together. Not so much of an issue in larger format stores where placement is generally with the alcoholic beverages. In NJ, we don’t sell anything containing alcohol in an unlicensed store. So for the most part only available at liquor stores/wine shops

11

Yeah we (Obtario) only have wine or beer in convenience stores etc, everything else in the LCBO.

12

I’ve thought that Topo Chico was way too cemented as a mineral water brand to launch an alcoholic beverage line, but that’s more about branding than product labeling.

I thought I had survied the Zima era but it has all come charging back with a popular vengeance in the last decade.

fred

1 Like
13

Lightstrike looks like Gatorade on the shelf

14

I like the tagline: “LIGHTSTRIKE Hard Refresher | An Excellent Source of 5% Alcohol”

1 Like
15

Delete

16

This

Kids know what the deal is. Most parents that are engaged (younger to middle age) know this as their kids are the target of such brands. Older, I’d love to see the age distribution and frequency among other attributes.

A deeper dive will likely find what you suggested. And your being polite.

17

IMO, there are a couple of odd things with this article and survey-

  1. the survey respondents are referred to as drivers, as if they’re drinking these drinks while driving.
  2. I can’t tell for sure because it’s not noted anywhere, but I suspect the survey was on-line and consisted of showing pictures of the drink cans with all descriptive wording removed, showing only the graphic arts (colors and designs) and possibly the brand name. I’m going out on a limb and guessing, but suspect the only way respondents would have known the cans contained alcohol would be if they recognized the design and possibly the brand name (if it was included).

Hence the click-bait title that such a large percentage mistook an alcoholic Bev for an energy drink.

1 Like
18

Dubious at best. The register will tell the cashier if they need to card. I get carded for NA beer. Unless they are buying these at Billy Bob’s backwoods grocer.

19

They mistake alcohol for energy drinks?

What are they, high?

1 Like