I had lots of fun making this video.
Perhaps it was just simply being able to chuck the drinks out in the snow to cool them? Snow makes everything magical I guess. 😂
It was a cold, snowy wet week, and being able to use the cold for something useful was a bonus.
To my friends reading this who aren't from Malaysia or Japan where 100 Plus and Pocari Sweat are from, have you tried these 2 drinks?
What do you think?
How do they compare to Gatorade in the USA or to Lucozade in the UK?
What other sports drinks are famous where you are from?
100 Plus is almost like a National drink in Malaysia where no matter what you do, it is suitable for the occasion, EVEN AT WEDDINGS! I believe Pocari Sweat is also similarly popular in Japan.
In terms of timeline, Pocari Sweat came first from Otsuka Pharmaceutical in 1980 whereas 100 Plus was introduced in Malaysia and Singapore in 1983 by Fraser and Neave (F&N). F&N has a very large foothold in the soft drinks market in Malaysia with plenty of options for everyone to choose from in terms of their offering.
I personally have not had both 100 Plus and Pocari Sweat for years so this taste test was very exciting for me indeed. Both these drinks are synonymous with badminton as they sponsor plenty of players and tournaments all around the world so you will have come across their advertising at some point.
As part of my samples today, the 100 Plus is carbonated whereas the Pocari Sweat isn't carbonated and flat. I know 100 Plus does have a version that isn't carbonated called 100 Plus Aktiv but I'm struggling to source this at my local Asian supermarket. And randomly, the Pocari Sweat I have in front of me here is the Korean version but I'm sure it'll taste fine!
Testing time:
Color-wise, both are extremely similar with a white cloudy look with the 100 Plus being slightly cloudier of the 2. In terms of smell, Pocari Sweat smells very sweet immediately once the bottle is opened whereas 100 Plus smells extremely fragrant and pretty intense (in a nice way).
The carbonation of 100 Plus actually isn't as strong as Cola-Cola or a diet Lemonade. I would say the carbonation is half or less in terms of intensity compare to Cola-Cola so pretty mild.
Onto tasting and immediately, I couldn't really tell which I preferred more! It was also quite funny that I felt I was getting reacquainted with both drinks on a deeper level! I felt 100 Plus was 'tastier' but that could have just been the carbonation doing its job in trying to convince me it was the more exciting drink. After a few more sips of both, I settled down to the conclusion that 100 Plus was more fragrant and tasted sweeter to Pocari Sweat, which felt more watery and tepid although it smelled sweeter!
Both carried pretty similar flavour profiles with hints of lime, lemon and grapefruit zests in their particular combination with 100 Plus being the stronger of the two.
In conclusion, I would go with 100 Plus but not because I'm biased 😉, it was just more exciting and tastier to drink! However, I also believed it wasn't a fair fight in this situation as carbonation was the deciding factor in this taste test. If I could get hold of the non-carbonated version of 100 Plus, the 100 Plus Aktiv, I would certainly compare Pocari Sweat with it again!
You can purchase them here:
Pocari Sweat Powder: https://geni.us/pocarisweat
Pocari Sweat Cans: https://geni.us/Qmku9
Pocari Sweat Bottles: https://geni.us/gWrq6A
If you want me to check out more badminton-related drinks and compare them? leave them down in the comments section below!
Have a good weekend ahead and see you in the next one! 👍