Just over a year ago, Pat Eckert began collecting energy drinks. Not a handful — but systematically: from supermarkets in Nepal, street vendors in Kenya, specialist shops in New Zealand, Chile, Japan and Germany. The result was the first global, independent, and fact-based comparative assessment of the category: the Six Continents Index – Energy Drinks 2026.
The project triggered an international media response that is without precedent in the beverage industry.
What the Six Continents Index Is — and What It Is Not
The Six Continents Index does not evaluate taste, branding, or popularity. It assessed only objective, traceable, and verifiable product characteristics: caffeine declaration, sugar type and transparency, vitamin content, preservation method, packaging, traceability, and label readability.
151 brands from all six continents were evaluated using a 36-point quality index. The ten highest-scoring products were then submitted to independent laboratory verification in Switzerland.
The Findings: Europe's Dominance and North America's Zero World
The ranking revealed a clear geographic logic: Europe leads — by a significant margin. The entire top 20 highest-scoring products came exclusively from Europe. The winner is HELL Energy from Hungary with 90 points, followed by 28 Black from Germany (86 points) and Take Off, also from Germany (85 points).
North America — the world's highest-revenue energy drink market — ranked last among the six continents. The reason lies in a fundamental difference in product philosophy: 80.8% of the North American sample consisted of zero-sugar products based on artificial sweeteners. In Europe, 85.7% of products were pasteurised; in North America, only 12%.
What the World's Press Said
The international coverage exceeded all expectations. The Associated Press distributed the findings across its global wire. Apple News, Yahoo Finance, Morningstar and Business Insider Markets picked up the story. USA Today ran it under the headline "What's Actually in an Energy Drink Depends on Where It Is Made."
MaltaToday described Pat Eckert as "the German beverage expert who built the world's first global energy drink ranking — and accidentally found something bigger." British trade publication Business Chief reported alongside GhanaWeb from Ghana, Kenya's Kenya Star, and outlets across Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
The coverage spanned more than 900 web placements in over 9 languages — across all six continents.
The Methodology: Not Hype, But Facts
What sets the Six Continents Index apart from other assessments is its strict separation of objective and subjective. No taste testing, no market share data, no influencer activity. Only what is stated on the packaging and verifiable in a laboratory.
This approach is the same one Fine Liquids has applied for years in curating its water portfolio: What is actually inside? Where does it come from? Can it be traced?
Why This Matters for Fine Liquids
The Six Continents Index is not a detour into an unrelated category. It is the logical extension of the analytical philosophy that underpins Fine Liquids: assessing beverages not by marketing promises, but by verifiable facts.
Looking ahead, a comparable project for the water category is a natural next step — applying the same methodological rigour, the same global scope, and the same independence.
All results, the full methodology, and press documentation are available at www.sixcontinentsindex.com.
