The Most Popular Energy Drinks of 2026 (So Far): New Sales Data From Northern California

Red Bull’s classic 8 oz can was the most popular energy drink in Northern California workplaces from January 1 through September 24, 2026. It sold 68,083 units in PVS Refreshments vending machines over that period of just under nine months, about 75% more than the No. 2 product, the original Monster Energy.

That finding comes from our own sales records. We looked at every energy drink sold through the vending machines we operate at client workplaces across the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento region, then ranked the 16 best sellers. Together those 16 products moved 307,134 cans. Below you’ll find the full ranking, brand market share, how sugar-free options are performing, and what the numbers mean if you’re deciding what goes into a break room.

The 16 Most Popular Energy Drinks in Northern California (2026 So Far)

Here is the complete top 16, ranked by units sold in PVS vending machines between January 1 and September 24, 2026. Use the brand buttons to highlight a single brand’s products, or switch to share view to see each product’s slice of the total.

Best-selling energy drinks by units sold

Top 16 products, Northern California workplace vending, Jan. 1 to Sept. 24, 2026

Rank	Energy drink	Brand	Sugar	Units sold	Share of top 16
1	Red Bull 8 oz	Red Bull	Full sugar	68,083	22.2%
2	Monster Energy	Monster	Full sugar	38,894	12.7%
3	Monster Ultra White 16 oz	Monster	Zero sugar	32,212	10.5%
4	Red Bull Sugarfree 8 oz	Red Bull	Zero sugar	26,747	8.7%
5	Rockstar Energy (Black)	Rockstar	Full sugar	23,510	7.7%
6	Rockstar Fruit Punched	Rockstar	Full sugar	20,285	6.6%
7	Red Bull Edition 8 oz	Red Bull	Full sugar	17,653	5.7%
8	Ghost Energy 16 oz (various flavors)	Ghost	Zero sugar	14,006	4.6%
9	NOS Energy 16 oz	NOS	Full sugar	12,183	4.0%
10	Rockstar Diet Energy	Rockstar	Zero sugar	11,296	3.7%
11	Monster Energy Zero Sugar	Monster	Zero sugar	8,917	2.9%
12	Bang Blue Razz 16 oz	Bang	Zero sugar	8,413	2.7%
13	Bang Peach Mango 16 oz	Bang	Zero sugar	7,096	2.3%
14	Celsius Kiwi Guava 12 oz	Celsius	Zero sugar	6,005	2.0%
15	Celsius Sparkling Orange 12 oz	Celsius	Zero sugar	6,000	2.0%
16	Rockstar Lemonade	Rockstar	Full sugar	5,834	1.9%
	Top 16 total			307,134	100%

Red Bull 8 oz Is the Clear No. 1

The original Red Bull sold 68,083 cans in just under nine months. Spread across every day of the year so far, that’s roughly 255 cans a day, or one about every six minutes around the clock.

The size of its lead is what stands out. Red Bull 8 oz alone outsold Rockstar’s entire four-product lineup (60,925 units). It also outsold Ghost, Bang, NOS, and Celsius combined (53,703 units). And it did this in the smallest can on the list, while most of the products below it come in 12 oz or 16 oz cans.

We think a few things work in the small can’s favor in a workplace setting. An 8 oz can usually carries a lower price at the machine than a 16 oz can. It fits a quick afternoon break. And Red Bull’s name recognition means people know exactly what they’re getting before they tap to pay. Red Bull also placed three products in the top seven, so employees who like the brand have options without leaving it.

Energy Drink Market Share by Brand

Grouping the 16 products by brand shows how concentrated the category is. Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar hold a combined 82.5% of units. The other four brands split the remaining 17.5%.

Energy drink brand share

Units sold by brand across the top 16 products, Jan. 1 to Sept. 24, 2026

Brand	Products in top 16	Units sold	Share of top 16
Red Bull	3	112,483	36.6%
Monster	3	80,023	26.1%
Rockstar	4	60,925	19.8%
Bang	2	15,509	5.0%
Ghost	1	14,006	4.6%
NOS	1	12,183	4.0%
Celsius	2	12,005	3.9%

Rockstar is an interesting case. It placed four products in the top 16, more than any other brand, but those products averaged about 15,200 units each. Red Bull’s three products averaged about 37,500. Rockstar wins on breadth, while Red Bull wins on the strength of its core can.

By parent company, it’s much closer

Several of these brands share an owner. Monster Beverage Corporation also owns NOS and Bang. Count all three together and the Monster family reaches 107,715 units, or 35.1% of top-16 volume. That puts it within about 1.6 percentage points of Red Bull (36.6%). PepsiCo, which owns Rockstar, follows at 19.8%.

Energy drink units by parent company

Top 16 products grouped by owner, Jan. 1 to Sept. 24, 2026

Parent company	Brands in top 16	Units sold	Share of top 16
Red Bull GmbH	Red Bull	112,483	36.6%
Monster Beverage Corp.	Monster, Bang, NOS	107,715	35.1%
PepsiCo	Rockstar	60,925	19.8%
Keurig Dr Pepper	Ghost	14,006	4.6%
Celsius Holdings	Celsius	12,005	3.9%

Sugar-Free Energy Drinks Now Make Up 39% of Sales

Zero sugar and sugar-free energy drinks accounted for 120,692 of the 307,134 units sold, or 39.3%. Nine of the 16 best sellers are sugar-free. How much each brand leans on sugar-free products varies a lot, as the chart below shows.

Full sugar vs. sugar-free units by brand

Top 16 products grouped by brand, Jan. 1 to Sept. 24, 2026

Brand	Full sugar	Zero sugar	Zero sugar share
Red Bull	85,736	26,747	23.8%
Monster	38,894	41,129	51.4%
Rockstar	49,629	11,296	18.5%
Bang	0	15,509	100%
Ghost	0	14,006	100%
NOS	12,183	0	0%
Celsius	0	12,005	100%
All brands	186,442	120,692	39.3%

Monster is the standout. Ultra White ranks No. 3 overall, and together with Monster Zero Sugar it sold 41,129 units. That’s more than the 38,894 cans of original Monster Energy, which means just over half of Monster’s top-16 volume is sugar-free. Red Bull and Rockstar still sell mostly full sugar, at about three-quarters and four-fifths of their volume respectively.

The newer brands are built around sugar-free from the start. Every Bang, Ghost, and Celsius product on the list is zero sugar. NOS is the only brand in the top 16 without a sugar-free product on the list.

The 9 best-selling sugar-free energy drinks

1. Monster Ultra White 16 oz: 32,212 units
2. Red Bull Sugarfree 8 oz: 26,747 units
3. Ghost Energy 16 oz (various flavors): 14,006 units
4. Rockstar Diet Energy: 11,296 units
5. Monster Energy Zero Sugar: 8,917 units
6. Bang Blue Razz 16 oz: 8,413 units
7. Bang Peach Mango 16 oz: 7,096 units
8. Celsius Kiwi Guava 12 oz: 6,005 units
9. Celsius Sparkling Orange 12 oz: 6,000 units

Monster Ultra White alone accounts for about 27% of all sugar-free units in the top 16. If you only have room for one sugar-free energy drink, the data points to Ultra White, with Red Bull Sugarfree a close second.

Challenger Brands: Ghost, Bang, NOS, and Celsius

Outside the big three, four brands made the list, and they finished close together. Each holds between 3.9% and 5.0% of top-16 units.

• Ghost is the highest-ranked challenger product at No. 8 with 14,006 units. Its listing covers several Ghost flavors sold under one item code, so the total reflects the whole Ghost lineup rather than a single flavor.
• Bang edges out Ghost at the brand level with 15,509 units across two flavors, Blue Razz (No. 12) and Peach Mango (No. 13).
• NOS placed No. 9 with 12,183 units and is the only challenger selling a full sugar product.
• Celsius took Nos. 14 and 15 with two flavors that finished five units apart: Kiwi Guava sold 6,005 and Sparkling Orange sold 6,000.

Combined, Ghost, Bang, and Celsius hold 13.5% of top-16 volume. All three market themselves around fitness and zero sugar, and they give sugar-free drinkers more variety than the legacy brands’ diet versions.

What This Means for Your Break Room

If you manage a workplace and you’re deciding which energy drinks to offer, this data gives you a solid starting point. Here’s how we’d apply it.

• Anchor the lineup with the big three. Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar cover more than four out of five energy drink purchases in our machines.
• Give sugar-free real space. About 40% of energy drink sales were sugar-free, so a lineup with only one diet option probably leaves sales on the table and leaves some employees without a choice they want.
• Offer more than one can size. The 8 oz Red Bull leads the list, while 16 oz cans from Monster, Rockstar, NOS, Bang, and Ghost fill most of the rest. Some people want a quick lift and some want a can that lasts through a long shift.
• Save a slot to rotate. Ghost, Bang, and Celsius are close enough in volume that the right pick depends on your team. Rotating one of them lets your own sales data decide.

Every workplace drinks a little differently. A warehouse running overnight shifts buys differently than a software office in Palo Alto. When we manage your vending machines or micro market, we track what sells at your location and adjust the mix over time, including healthier and sugar-free options for employees who want them. You can see the full range of snacks and drinks we stock or talk with our team about your break room.

Methodology

• Source: Unit sales recorded by PVS Refreshments vending machines at client workplaces in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento region of Northern California.
• Time period: January 1, 2026 through September 24, 2026 (267 days).
• Scope: The 16 best-selling energy drink products by units sold. All percentages are shares of the 307,134 units sold by these 16 products, not of all energy drinks or all beverages sold. Micro market and office pantry sales are not included.
• Units: One unit equals one can sold. Figures are unit counts, not revenue.
• Product names: Names come from our vending system and were lightly edited for readability. “Monster Energy” refers to the original Monster Energy Drink. The Ghost item code combines several Ghost flavors.
• Sugar classification: Red Bull Sugarfree, Monster Ultra White, Monster Energy Zero Sugar, Rockstar Diet, and all Ghost, Bang, and Celsius products are counted as zero sugar. All others, including Red Bull Edition, are counted as full sugar because their item codes do not separate out sugar-free versions.
• Parent companies: Brand ownership reflects publicly reported ownership at the time of publication.
• Rounding: Percentages are rounded to one decimal place and may not add up to exactly 100%.

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