What's Next – Rocket Fuel?

I've been a gamer for a long time. When I was growing up, the beverage of choice to indicate a hyperkinetic over-caffeinated state of being was any variety of mountainous sodas. (I generally got the "generic" stuff from the grocery store, with names like "Mojave Mist," "Sierra Rain," or "Bornhardt Precipitation.")

Then, a couple decades later, the caffeinated zeitgeist seemed to shift more toward coffee drinks. This allowed for myriad possibilities: iced or hot, tall or tiny espresso-like shots, black or enough sugar to make rock candy on a stirring spoon.

In recent years, the gaming tables I frequent always seem to have someone who's drinking an energy drink . . . which makes sense mathematically, because that "someone" at least includes me. Not only do these seem to be even more caffeinated than what I'd enjoyed previously, but there is a greater possibility of danger because it's much easier to accidentally chug a can or two absentmindedly than if the beverage in question is a coffee that's 523° or has enough ice to immediately trigger an ice cream migraine.

Still, I can't help but wonder: Where do caffeine aficionados go from here? Am I going to write a post in another 10 years about how all the cool kids are drinking coffee made with distilled energy drink? Or, at least, will such a post be scribed posthumously by whoever finds where my heart landed two states over?

-- Steven Marsh