GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO

Posted on November 9, 2025 | Last updated December 25, 2025

This is a review of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO, which was released early at Walmart on January 31, 2025, and rolled out nationwide across the United States starting March 1.

GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO is a renewed product based on "GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO MARGARITA," which was originally released in 2022.

Following the acquisition of GHOST ENERGY by beverage giant Dr Pepper, it was likely considered undesirable from a brand image perspective to include a product name that evokes an alcoholic beverage.

As a result, the cocktail name "MARGARITA" was removed, and the renewed product introduced was GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO, which I will be reviewing this time. Let’s dive in and see how it tastes.

GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO

Manufacturer	GHOST
Country of Origin	USA
Price	3.49 USD
Flavor	Strawberry, Mango
Total rating	★★★☆☆

Author information Author: Energy Drink-kun

In 2001, while living in the United States, I encountered energy drinks through the dance scene and was deeply impressed. After returning to Japan, I found that energy drinks were considered novelty beverages, so I established a comprehensive website in 2013 to share the true appeal of energy drinks. As an energy drink enthusiast, I began drinking them seriously again, collecting over 8,000 varieties of energy drinks from various countries. I am also active as a critic and expert, receiving media interviews.

Flavor of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO

Upon opening the can, a tangy strawberry aroma bursts out, gradually shifting into a citrusy scent reminiscent of lemon. It is described as a strawberry and mango mixed flavor, but based on the aroma alone, it feels more like strawberry lemon. Let’s take a sip.
Flavor of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO
As soon as it hits the palate, a strongly tart, lightly sweet lemon-like flavor spreads across the mouth.

The impression of a strawberry and mango mixed flavor is quite faint, and only a subtle sour strawberry note in the aftertaste comes close to matching the product name. Calling it a "strawberry & mango flavor" feels a bit forced.

If I try to be generous, I could understand it slightly if the mango flavor were meant to represent a tart, unripe mango rather than a ripe one. Even so, taken as a whole, the reproduction of a strawberry mango flavor is not particularly convincing.

Looking at the official GHOST ENERGY website, it does indeed state "sweet-and-sour mango with citrus notes." With that in mind, rather than a "strawberry & mango flavor" as the name suggests, it seems more accurate to describe it as having a sour lemon and sour mango-like taste, just as noted in this review.

Energy Ingredients of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO

Energy Ingredients of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO
It contains 200 mg of caffeine, 1,000 mg of Carnipure L-carnitine as a fat-burning ingredient, 1,000 mg of taurine, 150 mg of Alpha-GPC as a choline precursor for cognitive support, 100 mg of NeuroFactor extracted from coffee, and 25 mg of AstraGin, which combines Astragalus and Panax notoginseng to enhance amino acid absorption.

Design of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO

Design of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO
It features a beautiful gradient inspired by the combination of strawberry and mango.

Design of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO
This GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO comes in a film-wrapped can produced before the brand was acquired by Dr Pepper. Because of this, the can features embossed details and a smooth, matte finish that feels great in hand.

Design of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO
The illustrated flavor name is also finished with glossy embossing, and this subtle detail adds a sense of richness to the overall texture.

Design of GHOST ENERGY STRAWBANGO
On the back, the main energy ingredients are neatly presented alongside stylish icons.

After the acquisition by Dr Pepper, the packaging switched from film wrap to direct printing on the can, resulting in the loss of the matte finish and embossed texture. The overall design was also refreshed, and the red-to-orange gradient disappeared.

While film-wrapped cans in the U.S. often give a rough and low-quality impression due to sloppy application, the film wrap used for the GHOST ENERGY series stood out with its beautiful surface treatment and excellent tactile feel, clearly setting it apart from other brands in terms of product presentation.

Although the flavor profiles and brand concept continue to maintain the same level of quality as before, it is not uncommon for brands to lose some of their original appeal after being acquired. The loss of the film wrap’s surface finish is therefore a bit disappointing.