By now you all know that I’ll drink pretty much anything in the name of alcohol research. Joose, Jungle Joose, Steel Reserve and my personal I-was-too-drunk-to-give-a-crap-favorite, The Poor Man’s Black And Tan. I’ve sampled all of the aforementioned beverages because of my passion for finding and drinking beer and malt liquor with high-as-giraffe-balls alcohol content.
Up until now the champion in the high ABV race has been Jungle Joose with 9.9% ABV. I had heard of another beer called Four Loco, which is touted as supposedly having an alcohol content of 11%. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find it so it has remained unconfirmed. However, this past Saturday my cousin who works for Anheuser-Busch informed me they were going to start distributing my white whale in a few weeks right here in North Florida. I was giddy.
By last night I was thinking about everything BUT finding the Four Loco when my wife sent me on another one of her prego-craving runs to the BP station down the road. This particular BP has a Dairy Queen in it, so I placed my order and decided to roam around the store to see if anything caught my eye.
I did my usual scan of the coolers not expecting to see anything of any consequence when I came upon a 240z can I had never seen before. It read: Max Vibe – 12% ALC/VOL. I heard angels sing.
I quickly picked up the can and studied it. According to the label, it sports all the same ingredients as Joose and Jungle Joose. Caffeine, Ginseng, Taurine, and artificial colors. I was fixed on the label when the scraggly voice of the woman making my wife’s Heath Bar Blizzard broke my gaze. She stood there holding it upside down with a spoon in it to show me how thick it was. “Blizzards ready,” she said. I grabbed the Blizzard, paid for my new treasure and headed home.
It was late, and I didn’t want to drink the Max Vibe in case having Caffeine listed as the first ingredient meant there was a shit-load of it in this 24oz can. So I waited until tonight. I figured I would write the review while I drank it.
I decided to do a little research on Max Vibe and the Max beverage Co. On the back of the can there was a web address: www.drinkmax.com. Unfortunately, there was no site. Just one of those sites that says “this domain has been parked.” That should have been a red flag. Then I Googled every combination for Max Vibe and its brewer I could. Not one single article or image came up.
The only thing I DID find was a document form the state of Ohio’s liquor approval board stating that Max Vibe had been approved for sale under in May, 2009. The approval was given to the United Brands Co. The same company that owns/distributes Joose?
Anyway. Enough of the investigative reporting crap. I came to get bent. You can research the Max Vibe / Joose conspiray on your own. On with the review.
Now because the pure existence of this beverage is so sketchy and I couldn’t find a photo of it, you’ll have to be satisfied with my description and pics from my iPhone.
The can has a very modern feel to it. If Max Vibe and Jungle Joose were cars, Jungle joose would be an orange ’63 Impala with hand-laid pinstripes and max Vibe would be a 2010 Scion. Any model Scion. You get the idea.
The real difference between Jungle Joose and Max Vibe is in the can. Not on it. Where Jungle Joose looks like green radiator fluid and pretty much tastes like it, Max Vibe is hot pink. Yes. Hot pink. And it pretty much tastes like a wine cooler or Boone’s Farm’s Strawberry Fields on steroids. I could actually see girls mixing this with vodka or Bacardi Limon at night clubs across the country. It might be pretty good.
As I write this I’m almost done with the whole can and I have to say I feel pretty good. I’m buzzed and wide-ass awake. The taste is so tolerable that I would probably drink another one if I had it.
The Verdict:
If you can find this stuff, drink it. The first few sips are a little harsh, but after that, it’s on like Donkey Kong. I think this will do especially well with the female crowd since it’s pink and tastes all fruity. Hmm. I wonder if that’s who they’re targeting? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Miraculous! I’d been just writing an article on the same issue last night. Then this early morning, I came across your post which is much more desirable of information than I wrote.
FOUR LOKO IS 12% ALCOHOL NOT 11
I am a big man and i love MAX LIVE and VIBE both. on weekends i will get 3-4 of them and a liter of Mcormicks rum. Drink at least 2 of the Max and use the the rest as a mix. Good stuff. Mind you i will still have a half bottle of rum left over the next night. 3 Max’s on some week days and go to bed with a happy face. I tried the Joose and it has a good flavor to it. Perfect for the Cold nights in Nome Alaska.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN……….this shit is tha truth, I seen these things in my local store two weeks ago, an been drinking them since. Matter of fact I am drinking one right now! I think Lil Wayne took the shit out of his cup and put in a can!
I had one and it was the worst malt beverage i ever had! Never buying this again.
dude fourlokos ftw! try the grape and watermelon four lokos, one four loko is the perfect drunk for me, max is nasty and joose is weak to me, but joose came out with a 12% watermelon, so i need to try that!
TRY THIS RECIPE!!!!
Mix half a can of Max Live with half a can of Steel Reserve 211….. Tastes just like grape soda
I kid you not, this shit is delicious
I have tried joose it recently came to my area in wisconsin, where we know our drinks. Any four will out do it in flavor. Joose makes me feel like puking. Also fours get me wired.
I have been drinking MAX VIBE for months now and loving every second.
My local 7-11 bro told me that Max Vibe is on the way out….sniff sniff so you better buy up when you can…! MAX VIBE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I’ve tried all the jooses , a four loko , and a max. Max have 12% alcohol and get you pretty fucked up. The watermelon MAX is very smooth and doesn’t taste bad at all. I tasted the tangerine FOUR LOKO and it tasted like sprite with alcohol.If you’re looking to get fucked up a MAX or A FOUR LOKO is what I recommend.SCREW joose.
ME AN MY PEEPZ WANT DRINK ANYTHING BUT MAX AN WE JUST FOND GREEN APPLE MAX ALL I NEED IS 2 AN LIKE IM FUCKIN DOING JUMPING JACKS LOL
Max Vibe, Max Live, and Max Fury will get you goin for real! I go for the cheapest best effect possible! Hey, i’m not gonna pay a lot for that muffler! GOOD SH*T!!!
Have to say, the max live (grape) tastes godawful. I have an affinity for the Dragon JOOSE, and the more potent Four Loco, but the max, I will not drink again. It costs the same as the other two, has no more alcohol in it than the Four Loco, and it tastes like absolute shit. Maybe the other flavors are better, but if it’s made by the people who make JOOSE, they know what a grape beverage should taste like (Dragon JOOSE def. tastes like ‘tussin & vodka, or maybe a strong red wine) and the Max Live tastes like cheap shit. Granted, these are the same people who make Jungle JOOSE, which tastes more like cheap Gin with a splash of Mountain Dew, they could fall off the mark sometimes. Mind you I’ll happily drink 100 proof rum mixed 50/50 with coke (I’m not averse to the taste of alcohol), and I hate Jungle JOOSE.
Long story short: avoid Max anything, go with the Four, or the JOOSE alternatives, taste much better, and in the case of the Four Loko beverages, offer exactly the same amount of alcohol.
Why do they leave such horrible hangovers? Has anyone wondered if this crap causes long term effects on health? I drank about 5 shots of vodka a joose and a max last night. And I feel like hell. I had fun though! Max is cheap and doesn’t taste good at all.. but I don’t expect something with a 12% alcohol content to taste that great.
I am drinking this shit right now. My heart hurts. Ow. Please buy Hotel Rwanda on blu-ray. Ow…
Four Loko is actually at 12.0% as well (certain flavors like grape and punch, anyway). I prefer Loko to Max Vibe (thought it was aimed more at African-Americans than girls). Always drink it ice-cold.
I like the dragon joose when i want to get down . but i am a spark drinker . Today i tried the purple max and it taste like dragon joose just thicker aand the buzz is cool for what it is it good i will try all otherflavors if i can find them in hollywood i heard that sparks came out with a red label and that is what i was searching for when i found the max vibe so if you know where it at let me know
BAD HANGOVER… feels great while you’re drinking them. two of these gave me a bad hangover and left a bad acid taste in my mouth. I’m used to drinking several cups of vodka or 4/5 Steel Reserve 211s so I can hold my liquor and dont get hangovers.. but these Max things fucked my world up
I just wanna say that I distribute both Max and Joose and here bud just started carrying the four and I will say to make all these drinks taste better try tilting the cans to the side and back up several times it really helps the flavor cause the alcohol weighs less than the drink itself so this actually mixes it better. I have told several regular drinkers about it and they all like them way better after doing this
Well, I looked this site up when I started drinking my first one, now as I get to the end of the comments, I have to say this is awesome. WV just allowed anything over 6%, so I’m used to my strongest beer to be steel reserve or such, but this is a whole other level. 20 minutes, one of these, and it’s like I drunk a whole 6 pack. As my norm, yuengling, is 4.2%, technically I did drink a 6 pack, minus a few sips, but in the time it takes to drink 2. Drinker beware, this shit will sneak up worse than liquor. Keep in mind, chugging one can is technically binge drinking. Going to have to get 5 friends, get 6 of these, chug em, and see who acts dumber.
Just drank two of these last night. Normally I’m a Dragon Joose fan but ran across this at my local 711 and had to try two of them. I got the purple one and red one because I didn’t trust orange thinking it may taste like Joose and I hate the orange Joose. Well to my surprise the purple one taste like shit, and it gave a an okay buzz to finish them both. The red one is meh but I wish I got the orange one now. I’m going back to my Dragon Joose. Tastes better and gave a better buzz.
I DRANK 6 OF THESE FUCKING THINGS LAST NIGHT AND OMG I HURT TODAY WORST IDEA EVER……
I usually enjoy Sparks and sway from the rocket fuel. But have tried Joose which resembles a rusty nail soaked in cough syrup.
SO, Max Vibe actually tastes decent? Giving it a test-run asap!
Hahah funny people. Just discovered this tonight, will try this weekend with friends. I’m a light weight, 1 JOOSE gets me fucked so I know I’ll be right after this.
dude!! I found almost the same thing your describing but its called max fury its 12%alc/vol andis brite clear orange in color and taste citrusy i found this at a sunoco station on rt.209 in kerhonkson NY. it also had drinkmax .com on the can and it led me to a dead link. but …. bottom line this gotme fucked up and tastes good so if you can find MAX FURY in youre town buy it and get fucked up too !!!!!!
MAX is the shit! Drink 3 through a straw and see where you wind up! FUCKS YOU UP! Love the stuff!
Max Vibe is just as good as Joose or Four Loko, It does not taste like battery acid or piss or whatever. Tastes like a 12% malt beverage, It is the same thing as drinking Night Train or MD 20/20, but it claims to have caffeine and energy drink junk. It is much better in terms of flavor than Night Train and every MD 20/20 flavor except Hard Lemon Ice. Drink it, Drink Joose, Drink Four, Drink Max (as long as it is 12%); Until I see content comparisons in terms of additives (caffeine) they are all the same or flavor based. Drink them if you can spare Moolah. They are all at least 1.7 times the cost of real pissing beer, but they get you drunk faster and contain stimulants. My two cents takes forever.
I love Max Vibe! I cant drink a whole can. Have to split it with my gf or I’ll get real stupid…=)
Holly
Yeah up here in alaska my friends are really getting into the Max theres two kinds up here Max Vibe and Max Live the Max live is the purple kind but my friends and I prefer the Max Vibe L8r.
Drink four of these bitches and you’ll see girls naked on…on..um…grgrll…umhmmm…drink…vmiopbwe MAxpkaMaxm… :O
this is the drink!!been on this for two months i drink the purple one ..2 of those and im felling good…the females def. like it…..BEWARE!!!MIGHT GET U LAID
Been an on going Joose drinker for 4 years. But as of last month MAX has came to my neighboring surroundings and i love it. Red and Purple arent my favorite. However, the orange max fury does the trick. Anticipating the website and the distribution of MAX apparel! wooo!
In the past I drank Joose, and out of the different types Dragon Joose was my favorite. Then I came across Four Loko and I enjoy it. I like to say that to me Four Loko taste like Fruit punch soda on steriods. With Max Vibe it does have a more intense flavor which isn’t too bad. Tonight is the first night that I will drink Max Vibe. At 12% alc/vol it is only 1% more alc/vol than Four Loko. Personally I prefer drinking these beverages than the “Sweet Girly” drinks, plus the price is decent.
I made a trip to the 7-11 and picked up a can of this. As I type I’m sitting on the balcony of my Virginia Beach hotel drinking this. I’ve never tasted donkey piss, but i’m willing to lay down cash that this is damn close in flavor. But since it’s a pregame before i doll out $$$ @ an ocean front pub, it will do.
Cheers,
Jason
My son accually died drinking this stuff. Me and my nephew was able to give him cpr and bring him back. Two days later another nephew drank it and lost his mind. Dont drink it it is deadly!
I personally have been drinking Dragon Joose for the past couple of weeks and have grown tired of it. I just bought the exact same Max Vibe and can’t wait to drink it tonight. Hope the 12% fucks me up.
hell yeah, i got fucked up on one and a half of these, blacked out, drove.
went to jail.
this shit will fuck you up.
I’m about to drink it. Hopefully I’ll get drunk
I was a big fan of Four Loko when I lived in Clearwater, FL. That area is the only place I could ever find it. Its 11% in alcohol content and tastes about 100 times better then Joose. http://www.drinkfour.com is their website. Def with try this Max vibe stuff tho.
You must of drank a diffrent red Max Vibe than I did, because the one I drank was by far the most horrible thing ever.
I would compare the taste to battery acid and dexcool antifreeze mixed together.
You drink donkey piss?:-o
I personally think it tastes like donkey piss. Mixed with battery acid.
try Maximator AMSTERDAM beer i think it is 10%
correction it is 11,6%