Sparks

After Red Bull became popular, some people begin mixing it together with Vodka for a homemade stimulant/depressant combination.

Of course, before too long, some people decided that they should sell this combination to people directly. Those people were the Steel Brewery of Texas, who devised a beverage consisting of malt liquor mixed with caffeine, taurine and the usual suspects.

I had one the other night. I should probably not be the person to ask, since I don't have as much experience with alcohol as other people, but it was a pretty enjoyable experience. I felt relaxed, and energetic at the same time, instead of feeling drowsy and grouchy like alcohol usually makes me feel.

Although I have to admit my personal experience with Sparks was pleasant, I have reservations on the whole about the beverage. From the taste and appearance of the beverage, to the marketting campaign on the website, it seems more than likely that this drink is being marketed to people who might not be of legal drinking age. Especially with the taste (which resembles orange pop), it is likely that a young teenager could get very drunk on these without even realizing what they are doing. This seems to be another form of alcopop, with all the dangers that entails.

"Sparks" was also the nickname given to the radio operator aboard a ship, especially in the days of tube electronics. As the shipboard environment was always a little damp and salty, the equipment needed constant supervision to operate, and had a dedicated radio operator to maintain the system as well as communicate with other ships and the shore. Also, as messages in the day were almost exclusively in morse code (as the contact was so noisy and of such poor quality that only code pulses could make their way through with any clarity) a dedicated operator was required to send and recieve messages.

Due to the nature of electrical circuitry, especially those of an antique vintage, sparks and coronal discharges were common, and the unaccquainted would often shock themselves on the equipment when they made a pilgramage to the cubbyhole where "Sparks" and his gear resided.