Caffeinated Sparkling Water Joins The Low-Calorie Beverage Battle

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For all you sparkling water lovers out there: this one's for you. Have you ever looked at La Croix or Bubly with tired eyes and wondered, "Would this be better with caffeine?" Well, there's a new trendy drink on the market called "Phocus" that was created to give customers what other seltzers lack — an energy boost.

The beverage — produced by Clear/Cut in Louisville, Kentucky — is naturally boosted with caffeine from green tea leaves. The formula also incorporates electrolytes and L-theanine, an amino acid (also found in green tea leaves) that allows a steady release of energy that prohibits sudden jitters.

Phocus, which has the same amount of caffeine as an 8-ounce cup of coffee, is kosher, vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free. Unlike other low-calorie caffeinated beverages including Diet Coke and Fresca, the new sparkling water does not contain preservatives, sweeteners, or sodium.

"As active, health-conscious individuals, we found ourselves, like so many others, wanting to shift away from high sugar, artificially sweetened and otherwise unhealthy coffee and energy drinks, but still wanted a quality beverage that could deliver an energy boost," Clear/Cut Phocus CEO Tom O'Grady said in a release. "When nothing seemed to fit the bill, we set out to create Phocus, a great tasting energizing sparkling water without any of the 'bad stuff' that you'd find in most energy drinks and sodas."

Consumers can purchase Phocus in 11.5-ounce cans at select retailers in Louisville for $1.99 each or on Amazon for $19.99 per 12-pack. Varieties include unflavored, grapefruit, cucumber, blood orange, yuzu (a Japanese citrus), and lime. If you hate sparkling water, there's always coffee. But if you're one of those you can also get your energy kick from one of these 20 foods and drinks you didn't know had caffeine.