Barcode Drink Review: The Unique Performance Beverage 

Price: $48.00 per 12 pack

The Watermelon Barcode drink is definitely a one of a kind performance drink. This drink is made with clean ingredients, such as purified water and coconut water. There is also the added benefit of adaptogens and added vitamins and minerals to help boost performance and recovery, as well as overall rehydration. The fact that there is also no added sugar just helps set this drink apart from the rest.

The idea for Barcode naturally derived from a relationship forged between former New York Knicks training director, Mubarak Malik, and Los Angeles Lakers player, Kyle Kuzma. Malik knew inherently about 10 years ago that the major sports drinks on the market weren’t actually being consumed by the majority of professional sports players. There were many reasons for that, so he decided that he needed to learn more about the actual nutrition required for a performance and recovery drink to make a better option.

I am always interested in trying to boost my health in the cleanest ways possible. And as someone who works out fairly regularly, staying properly hydrated has been an issue. I heard about Barcode drinks and thought they checked all of my boxes, so I figured they were worth a shot.

When I first checked their website it seemed that they only sold their products online. But now it looks like they are in some limited retail locations in southern California also. Either way, I think I prefer to order them in bulk online. Albeit, with the exception of the fact that it requires a place to store them, which can be hard. I ended up ordering the two flavors that were available at the time to give them both a shot.

Source: Instagram

I had heard a lot about the Watermelon flavor tasting like a jolly rancher, which honestly worried me. My concern was that it would be too sweet and not appealing after a workout. However, while it does taste like a jolly rancher in a good way, it is not as sweet or strong tasting as one. So I was able to enjoy the watermelon, but not feel overwhelmed with the taste of sweetness.

The Lemon Lime flavor tastes similar to a lemon lime Gatorade, but not as strong or sweet. It has a similar after taste as the Watermelon one. Which was a nice surprise on both fronts.

I wish they had the Pinot Noir flavor available at the time that I tested these out. I’m a big fan of Pinot Noir and what they are using for the flavor profile of this particular one is grapes. However, this flavor is much higher in sugar (7g) than the other two flavors. So this might be a deterrent for some consumers.

The consistency of both flavors I tried was more water-like than I imagined. It goes down really easily, which is probably due to the filtered water and coconut water ingredients being the bulk of the drinks. This was a pleasant surprise since I always had to water down Gatorade because it was too thick with too much sugar. Both of those factors made it difficult for my body to process the performance drink during the middle of a workout or game. So I was really happy to see that wasn’t the case with Barcode.

Since the initial testing, I regularly find myself grabbing for one of these during the middle of the day as a snack. But I also use them for the hydration and energy boost they give me. As a side note, I’ve also used them after a night of drinking and feeling slightly hungover. I realize this isn’t the main reason they were created, but since they are so great at rehydrating they work well for this also. Overall, these are my new standard go-to when it comes to rehydrating and performance drinks.

When it comes to performance drinks, the quality of most tends to be less than I would expect of a drink that is supposed to rehydrate and boost performance. However, the ingredients list in the Barcode drinks far supersede those of any other performance drink I’ve run across to date.

The first two ingredients are ultra-purified water and coconut water concentrate. Coconut water is naturally full of electrolytes, so it’s already one of my go-to’s for rehydration. There is no added sugar in any of their drinks, only the natural fruit juice and monk fruit are used as sweeteners.

I like that they have added mushrooms for their adaptogenic functions because these are naturally fantastic at helping the body recover and reduce stress. On top of these great qualities, the company has also added each of the following into their performance drinks:

• B Vitamins - helps boost cellular health, brain function, endurance, and energy levels
• Magnesium - helps regulate metabolism, mood, neurological function, and overall body regulation
• Vitamin C - helps boost immunity and cellular health
• Vitamin D - helps muscle strength and recovery, as well as reduces inflammation

Overall, the ingredients list is exceptionally clean, gluten free, vegan, soy free, nut free, and pretty much allergen free. My only cause for pause with these drinks is that they don’t list anywhere where they source their raw ingredients (are they organic, non-GMO, etc) or where the drinks are made. My hope is that as this company progresses, they will become more transparent about these important details so that consumers can make a more educated decision about their products.

Honestly speaking, Barcode drinks are priced on the higher end of the performance drinks out there. These drinks come in at $4 per bottle, unless you choose to subscribe for a monthly subscription.

In which case, they come in at $3.40 per bottle instead. Either way, these are pretty darn pricey to drink every day. These drinks are really meant to help rehydrate and boost performance. While they can be partaken when you are just lounging around, it’s a fairly expensive way to get your regular vitamins and minerals. Although the brand says you can certainly do that also, if so desired.

When it comes to a performance drink, this price does seem to be fairly within range due to the ingredient list. These drinks don’t have any artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners in them. And they incorporate adaptogens for added benefits that you won’t normally run across. Therefore, when I do need a performance drink, this is probably the only one I would consider because of their clean ingredients list. Even if they are a bit more expensive, these ingredients are worth it for me.

Barcode offers an initial discount of 10% just by signing up for their email list. Sometimes they offer other discounts as well. Such as the current 20% off for ordering at least 2 cases of any flavor to try special they are running. By joining their email list though, you are sure to get all of the discounts and specials sent directly to your inbox ahead of time. So this is the best way to stay on top of their deals.

Overall, if you have been thinking about trying a performance beverage, Barcode may be a good company to consider. When it comes to finding a performance beverage that is actually clean, gluten free, vegan, and has no added sugar there is pretty much no other option. Which is sad to think of in the age we live in with so much information about nutrition and performance recovery out there.

Therefore, if you are anything like me and want to do what’s best for your body so that you can always be at peak performance, this is a performance drink I would recommend giving a try. The taste and performance may just surprise you for such clean ingredients.