What the heck is blue raspberry?

We’re going to take you back in time, to give you the lowdown on how the red raspberry turned blue (not literally). In the 1960’s, a new law came out (the Color Additive Amendment of 1960) which set new, higher standards when it came to the safety of food colourings. 

The artificial colouring FD&C Red No.2 (which was often used to enhance red berry flavoured products) was super popular back in the day; however, once the new 1960 amendment came in, opinion turned against it. Although a 1957 report (funded by the food dye industry, surprise surprise) concluded that Red No.2 food colouring dye was safe, there were certainly still a lot of doubts. 

At the time, a lot of controversy was happening over harmful food additives, including food colourings, within the government but also among public consumers. With feelings towards red colourings turning negative, brands needed to come up with something new to keep their products selling. 

Gold Medal (a seller of cotton candy, Sno-Kones and popcorn machines) was allegedly the first to start using blue raspberry. However, the concept truly took off with ICEE at the beginning of the 1970’s. Knowing that children loved raspberry flavours, but without wanting to use FD&C Red No.2 to enhance the colouring, they opted for FD&C Blue No.1. And so, blue raspberry was born.

Clever huh? What better visual differentiator to use than a colour at the opposite end of the colour wheel? Part of what helped it to catch on was the fact that blue stood out from most of the artificial colours associated with other fruit-flavoured treats at the time.

Let’s clear up the confusion. Blue raspberry is one of those flavours that makes you scratch your head, saying “wait… when did raspberries turn blue?”. Simple answer, they didn’t. 

Just to be clear, blue raspberry is a flavour that was dreamed up in a lab. The legendary flavour that blends the sweet and tangy taste of raspberries with an eye-catching blue hue is the product of scientists and food colouring experts. 

So yes, sadly, blue raspberries aren’t a thing. You won’t be able to go out and about in some magical Willy Wonka-style orchard to pick yourself some. We’re sorry to crush those dreams. However, you can hop onto the Sneak website and grab your own tub of blue raspberry and feel like a scientist by mixing up your own concoction.

So, how does blue raspberry taste different from the classic red raspberry? The colour may be the obvious difference but blue raspberry has subtle taste differences that make it one-of-a-kind. 

At Sneak, our blue raspberry flavour gives all the satisfaction of a juicy, sweet raspberry but with an extra zing of tartness that gives you a slightly tangy aftershock, leaving you wanting more. It’s like the lovechild of raspberry and something citrusy. A stone cold classic, blue raspberry is all about boldness, and every sip is like a flavour party in your mouth. 

That’s why our blue raspberry is one of the OGs and a fan favourite.

To make it crystal clear: blue raspberries do not exist in nature. The whole concept is a marketing marvel - a beautiful blend of tangy, fruity flavours and a blue colour to knock your socks off. 

The synthetic blue raspberry flavour we know and love, some say is modelled after raspberries - but not the ones we see in the fruit aisle at our local supermarket. Inspired by rubus leucodermis, also called the whitebark raspberry and native to the western United States, these raspberries are actually a deep purple colour - closer to a blackberry than a raspberry. However, to avoid confusion with grape flavoured products (which must be purple…. we don’t make the rules), the flavour gets boosted by Blue No.1 food colouring instead. 

So, to settle the question ‘do blue raspberries exist’ - no, they do not. But, if you want to go hunting for ones that are more on the purple side, you better book a trip to the West Coast. Although don’t expect them to taste like our delicious blue raspberry flavoured goodies, you’ll have to come to us for that.

Here’s the thing: blue raspberry isn’t just a flavour, it’s an experience. It’s the taste of nostalgia mixed with the excitement of something new. Whenever you want to add a little zing to your day, blue raspberry has your back. Combined with the extra kick of nootropics, our blue raspberry energy drinks will give you the focus-boosting buzz you need to do the things you love. The unmistakable combo of tangy, sweet and sour - blue raspberry is god tier stuff. Don’t take our word for it, give it a whirl yourself.

If you want to discover more flavours, grab a starter pack of our bestsellers and discover all you need to know about Sneak. Trust us, you’ll be wondering where we’ve been all your life. Every flavour is next level, that is why we have 99% taste satisfaction from our customers.

We’re not like others, and neither are you. Our range of zero-sugar, natural energy drinks put the big names to shame. There’s no junk and no crash, and 15+ great-tasting natural flavours to choose from. So, what are you waiting for? Find your favourite and enjoy a powerful, sustained energy boost when you need it most.