Kicking it up a notch

Fruit smoothies with caffeine? Great idea! But does the caffeine concept make Jamba Juice jittery?

Jamba has introduced a new line of beverages that have one thing in common: natural caffeine. But for some reason the company has decided to label it Jamba Energy, a curious name since all fruit drinks provide energy. For that wacky high caffeine provides, you’d expect a more zany, in-your-face name to attract caffeine lovers and steer away those poor souls leery of its addictive qualities. You’d also expect a customer-friendly chain like Jamba Juice to mention the caffeine on the stores’ menu boards or posters, but currently it doesn’t. It’s stated in the pamphlets, but customers shouldn’t have to read pamphlets, should they?

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Jamba Energy

Taste

****

The drinks are very good, from the tasty Turbo Tropic (tropical fruit, sherbet and caffeine from guarana) to the yummy Matcha Green Tea Blast (green tea, yogurt and sorbet) to the potent Matcha Green Tea Shot (green tea with soymilk or O.J.). The Acai Supercharger has juice from the acai, a Brazilian “superfruit” -- which may be an acquired taste.

Diet Watch

***

A 24-ounce Matcha Green Tea Blast has 480 calories and half a gram of fat. These numbers are lower than those in a similar-sized Coffee Bean Ice Blended, and it has vitamins, antioxidants and fiber to boot. The Blast also has 75 milligrams of caffeine, which is slightly more than what’s in a 12-ounce bottle of Jolt Cola.

Portability

***

The Matcha Green Tea Shot is best enjoyed immediately, but the others travel easily in traditional cup-lid fashion. This is typical of caffeinated beverages purchased anywhere, true, but unlike coffee, there’s no fear of scalding.

Hype-o-meter

*

If you want to compete with the coffeehouses for our caffeine fix, be more upfront about it. Perhaps use something more appropriate like Kick or Zing or Extreme. (Maybe I’m making too much of this, but after sampling all of these, I’m wired.)

*

* Ratings are on a scale of one (lowest) to four (best).