This New Drink Is The Perfect Afternoon Pick-Me-Up

You’ve probably experienced it: that afternoon slump where you can barely keep your eyes open. As you nod off at your desk, you wonder how you’re going to make it through the rest of the workday, much less to your dinner plans with friends. Will you rally in time for appetizers? Will you even have fun?

When you’re this sluggish at 3 p.m., a cup of coffee sounds amazing — but it also feels like overkill. So does an energy drink. At the same time, you want something more than a seltzer. And that’s where Esspo comes in. This new drink, available now online and via TikTok shop, sips like soda and caffeinates like cold brew, so you can wake up and tackle your to-do list.

Made with 120 milligrams of caffeine and 240 milligrams of soothing L-theanine (an amino acid found in green tea), this beverage won’t make you jittery or ruin your sleep like a late-in-the-day latte. Instead, it provides a calm alertness that allows you to thrive past your peak morning hours. It’s why the brand’s tagline is “The Day Is Young.” The idea is for coffee to evolve beyond the morning mug.

Esspo co-founder Philippe von Borries says the product reinvents your favorites. “It’s sort of the coming together of coffee, soda, and energy into this new thing,” he tells Bustle. “It really is your second wind before going out. If you know that you’re going to have a big night or you’re doing something, this drink is the thing that will get you there.”

Esspo also allows you to enjoy coffee in a brand new way. According to von Borries, who previously co-founded Refinery29, it doesn’t have to be milky or sweet. It can also be refreshing, light, lush, and bubbly. If you love probiotic sodas and spritzy seltzer waters, Esspo feels like their cool new cousin. It also seems right for the espresso martini set.

With the launch, Esspo will offer three options: Sweet Lemon, Classic Vanilla, and Cherry Vanilla. Unlike a typical canned coffee, each one has a complex mix of flavors. Imagine a creamy cold brew with a fruity twist, plus lots of bubbles.

The lemon is bright and tastes like something you would have on vacation. And the vanillas are sweet, but not too sweet. My favorite is the Cherry Vanilla, which mixes the creaminess of coffee, the tang of a cherry, and the warmth of vanilla. A 12-pack retails for $43.99.

I almost always crave a nap once my 10 a.m. coffee wears off, and I’m notorious for canceling plans. If I feel low-energy in the afternoon, I’ll wonder why I thought it was a good idea to book an evening workout. And before I know it, I’m fishing for excuses to back out.

When I cracked open my first-ever can of Esspo on a recent afternoon, I was a little afraid of the caffeine. At 2 p.m., it felt like it was too late in the day to have caffeine, but I didn’t end up feeling jittery — just refreshed. Instead of lying low that evening, I actually made it to my 7 p.m. dance cardio class.

Take it from a certified Tired Person: Esspo works.