# Monster Energy drink

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/monster/

6 people recommended Monster Energy drink in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 9 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 12 months, in 7 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** More people criticize it than recommend it. Caffeinated energy drink some find tasty and less bitter than coffee; many dislike the US version, and critics cite a long ingredient list.

Summary written by Claude from the comments below.

## What people warn about

- US version tastes like chemicals (2 comments in the sample): "the flavoring in the UK is very nice but, in the USA, it's absolutely putrid" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49128950)) "the one in the USA tastes like chemicals" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49156278))
- Long ingredient list, many additives (2 comments in the sample): "The real list is ten time longer than the ingredients list of a cup of black filter coffee." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49134462)) "doesn't contain a lot of the other shit that stuff like Monsters contain" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46053263))

## Why people recommend it

- Tastes good, less bitter than coffee (2 comments in the sample): "most flavors of monster actually do to me. and they're less bitter than coffee and carbonated, which is nice." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49125997)) "i enjoy a can of original green monster occasionally because i find it tastes good" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49125548))

## What people recommend instead

- [Red Bull energy drink](https://hackerapproved.com/p/red-bull/): 10 recommend, 2 mixed, 13 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Monster Energy drink", https://hackerapproved.com/p/monster/ (6 recommend, 3 mixed, 9 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.