Purple Cotton Candy Alani Nu Energy Isn’t 100% New: A Flavor Timeline

It’s been a while, but there’s a brand-new Alani Nu flavor on shelves now… or is there? While we’ve never had this exact formula before, the newest Alani Nu Energy flavor actually has roots older than children who speak in complete sentences. Let’s go through Alani Nu’s long history with this flavor concept, taking us all the way back to before the pandemic.

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2019: Alani Nu Releases Carnival Candy Grape Energy

While Alani Nu has definitely blown up in the last few years, I remember the early days when the brand still looked like every other clinical supplement company. It’s hard to believe such a simple-looking energy drink would evolve into one of the most visually engaging in the industry.

Carnival Candy Grape was among the earliest energy drink flavors released by Alani Nu, alongside long-lost flavors like Sour Peach Rings, Tropsicle, and Mimosa. (For the especially curious, the existing Cosmic Stardust and Hawaiian Shaved Ice energy drinks from Alani Nu have actually stuck around since those earliest days, even if both flavors have gotten a facelift and formula update.)

Unfortunately, I can’t speak to the original flavor’s accuracy or experience; 2019 was a full two years before I began shoving every new energy drink I could find into my face in the pursuit of journalism. I’ll let a true day-one Alani Nu superfan tell me how the new version stacks up against this OG.

2022: Alani Nu Releases Cotton Candy Sparkling Water

Believe it or not, Alani Nu used to sell sparkling water. Per my research, four flavors were sold before this spinoff product line bit the dust: Cotton Candy, Lemon Creme, Peach, Orange, and Pina Colada. I get a shocking number of “please release a caffeine-free version!” comments on my Alani Nu posts; it might be worth revisiting this concept.

2025: Alani Nu Releases Cotton Candy Energy

Last year, Alani Nu released Cotton Candy Energy as part of their frenzied “every two months” 2025 release plan. The flavor won over a huge chunk of the Alani Nu audience, selling so well that we now regularly see it in big-box variety packs. While it didn’t win a perfect score from yours truly, I’ll transparently chalk that up to my own cotton candy trauma rather than the drink itself.

2026: Alani Nu Releases Purple Cotton Candy Energy

That initial Cotton Candy Energy flavor now joins Sprite Chill in the hallowed halls of “flavor variant that became an entire subline” drink history. After seven long years, Alani Nu has returned to the cotton candy grape concept. Starting today, Alani Nu Purple Cotton Candy is on shelves everywhere while supplies last. This drink is said to taste like a mix of grape candy and cotton candy–not exactly the same as cotton candy grape, but it’s within spitting distance. Stay tuned for your dutiful energy drink reviewer’s take coming as quickly as samples hit my doorstep.