Bawls

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Bawls
Type	Soft drink
Manufacturer	Hobarama LLC
Country of Origin	USA
Introduced	1997
Variants	SnoBawls, Bawls Guaranexx, Bawls mints
Related products	Coca-Cola, Jolt

Bawls Guarana is a soft drink containing a relatively large amount of caffeine (approximately 80 mg per 12 oz and 67 mg per 10 oz bottle). It contains caffeine and natural guarana flavor among other ingredients. It is popular at LAN parties, technical support offices, and among paintballers.

Bawls Guaranexx is the sugar-free variant. SnoBawls is normal Bawls in Slurpee form. In addition to the three beverages, Bawls mints are also available.

Contents 1 Ingredients 2 Taste 3 Bawls mints 4 SnoBAWLS 5 Packaging 6 Availability 7 History 8 Culture 9 See also 10 External links

[edit] Ingredients

As per manufacturer's labelling for Bawls Guarana, as shown on the back of their bottles:

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Guarana Extract, Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative), Caffeine, Artificial Flavors and Caramel Color. Warning: This product contains high levels of Caffeine. Nutrition Facts: Serving size: 1 bottle; Calories 120; Total fat 0g; Sodium 35mg; Total carbohydrate 32g; sugars 32g; Protein 0g

[edit] Taste

Bawls' taste is based on cream soda though others find the taste akin to a mix between Mountain Dew and Sprite. Consumers of the popular Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru also find similarities between the two. A 10oz bottle of Bawls contains about 67mg of caffeine [1]. The manufacturer claims that their caffeine is 2.5 times stronger than other caffeine, which is probably based on the higher concentration of caffeine in the guaraná berry, and/or the high concentration of caffeine in their beverage, not on any greater "potency" attributed to their drink. It could also be that given the uniform nature of caffeine molecules, that they are simply referring to the concentration of caffeine in their drink, which has been shown on comparison tables to indicate that it is 2.5 times greater in Bawls than in Coca-Cola.

[edit] Bawls mints

Bawls mints consist of the same content as the regular Bawls drinks, only in mint form. They are small blue tablets, and are carbonated, giving an effect similar to that of Pop Rocks (though much milder). Each mint contains about 1 or 5 milligram(s) of caffeine via Guarana & pure caffeine (per manufacturer's information). Despite their name, they are not mint-flavored, but sweet and tart, similar to the drink. These mints can be put into a bottle of Bawls to rapidly release the carbonation of the drink and mint to produce a large head of foam which often overflows. This is called a 'Fizzing Blue Bawls"

[edit] SnoBAWLS

The newest Bawls product, SnoBAWLS, is a frozen version of the caffeinated drink. It offers the same taste and caffeine as the original. SnoBAWLS contains 120mg of caffeine per serving. Currently, SnoBAWLS is only available for consumption in select cities.

[edit] Packaging

Regular Bawls is packaged in a dark blue glass bottle, while Bawls Guaranexx comes in a clear bottle. Both containers are covered in approximately 127 bumps to increase the traction of the container in an individual's hands. The bumps also add to the distinctive look of the Bawls bottle. In early fall, 2006, the bottle design underwent a small change that increased the size of the words Bawls and guarana. An alternate bottle sold at paintball fields has multi-colored "paintball splatters" and is commonly referred to as "PaintBawls". Bawls is sold in individual bottles at convenience stores, grocery stores, LAN gatherings, traditional arcades, rock gyms, and dance halls. It is also available in 12 and 24-pack cases when purchased from convenience stores, computer stores, grocery stores, or purchased online. Aside from being available in glass bottles, it can also be packaged for shipping overseas to U.S. military APO's/FPO's. The "Military Gift Pack" consists of 12 aluminum cans rather than glass bottles in order to save money on shipping and reduce the risk of spoilage. In early 2007, Target stores began selling Bawls in 4 packs of 16 ounce cans. The cans feature slightly raised bumps, but they are not as pronounced as those on the bottles.

[edit] Availability

Due to the lack of sufficient market exposure, Bawls may be hard to find in certain locations. It can always be bought online and can usually be found in the US at such convenience stores as 7-Eleven or at numerous cyber cafes and specialty beverage shops. Some computer stores such as CompUSA also sell Bawls along with other caffeinated drinks due to the high consumption of such drinks among their clientele, who vary from gamers to IT professionals. Recently, Bawls Guarana and Guaranexx have been picked up by Target Corporation to be sold nationwide at all Super Targets, thus making it easier to acquire [2]. In Ontario, and some parts of British Columbia, most Mac's Convenience Stores carry a supply of Bawls. It is very easy to find in Costa Rica, though it is mainly consumed by the youth who attend dance parties. SnoBawls, the Slurpee derivative, is currently available only in certain markets. Its distribution is most widespread in St Louis, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri; Detroit, Michigan; and Chicago, Illinois, where all local 7-Eleven convenience stores carry the drink, but it can also be found in select convenience and specialty stores around the country [3]. It is most likely an ongoing trial period to assess its potential for national release.

External link: Search the Bawls store locator.

[edit] History

Bawls was developed by Hobart "Hoby" Buppert III during his final semester at Cornell University. According to Buppert, he developed the high-caffeine soft drink as an alternative to coffee, making the original batch in the Hotel school kitchen. Buppert is a 1995 graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Bawls is manufactured in Miami, where Buppert lives with his wife Christina Staalstrom Buppert, also a graduate of Cornell University.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Culture

Popular among online gamers and programmers, this beverage is commonly seen at LAN party events, where players will bring Bawls cases like one would take beer to sporting events. Bawls has gained the nickname of "Geek Beer" for this reason. Bawls Guarana sponsors gaming centers, LAN parties, and, more recently, paintball. The company regularly provides Bawls-labeled hats, bags, stickers, and free drinks to pre-selected, sponsored LAN parties to be awarded as prizes for winning tournaments and/or raffles.[4]. Many Bawls drinkers also save their bottles, amassing them in collections as a status symbol.

As of March 1, 2005, Bawls has been named the official drink of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL). Bawls is now sold at all of the events in all of its forms. It also appears on one of the inflatable bunkers on the main professional playing field, and there is an entire field made up of Bawls Bunkers in the lower divisions.

Bawls was also featured in the Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball video games for the Xbox. It included several Bawls-themed fields, and was an official sponsor for the game. Bawls also had a relatively large presence in the game Run Like Hell, including vending machines placed throughout the game. It also appeared in various forms in the Console Hack N' Slash Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, replacing the venerable Nuka Cola.

[edit] See also

• Jolt
• Josta
• MDX
• Vault

[edit] External links

• Company website
• Bawls Gaming
• Bawls Paintball
• Bawls nutritional information
• Bawls Guaranexx nutritional information
• Official Bawls Mints page