View source for Bawls

{{short description|Caffeinated soft drink}}
{{bots|deny=GreenC bot}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox drink
| name         = Bawls
| image        = BAWLSGuarana-BlueBG - high res logo.JPG
| image_alt    = 
| type         = [[Soft drink]]
| manufacturer = Solvi Acquisition
| origin       = United States
| introduced   = {{start date and age|1996|11|br=yes|p=yes}}
| flavor       = [[Citrus]] and [[cream soda]]
| ingredients  = [[Guarana]]
| variants     = {{hlist|Cherry|Cherry Cola{{break}}|Ginger|Orange{{break}}|Root Beer|Zero}}
| website      = {{URL|www.bawls.com}}
}}

'''Bawls''' (marketed as '''BAWLS Guarana''')<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" /> is a non-alcoholic, highly-[[caffeinated drink|caffeinated soft drink]].

Created in 1996, the [[citrus]]-and-[[cream soda]]-flavored beverage leans heavily on the [[caffeine]] and natural flavor of the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]ian [[guarana]] berry.  Packaged in unique [[cobalt blue|cobalt-blue]] bottles and cans, the drink was well received by [[gamer]]s, to whom the company quickly began extensively marketing (through both sponsorships and video games themselves).  The soda's name has an unclear provenance, and {{as of|2023|07|lc=yes}} is still sold alongside six other flavors.

==History==
In 1994, Hobart C. Buppert III (born {{birth based on age as of date|24|1998|03|02|noage=yes|slash=yes}}) was a student at the [[Cornell University School of Hotel Administration]].  While traveling through [[Vienna]], he found club dancers were paying {{US$|10|1994}} for cans of non-alcoholic, highly-[[caffeine|caffeinated]], "sludgy brew" derived from [[guarana]] beans.<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg" />  Himself unable to tolerate [[coffee]], Buppert saw potential in refining the drink he saw in Europe and received permission from Cornell to develop a [[business plan]] as an [[independent study]].<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />

Buppert graduated from Cornell in 1995 with a degree in finance.<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />  In 1996, he took out a loan for {{US$|200000|1996|long=no}} to launch Hobarama in [[Miami Beach, Florida]].  In [[South Beach]]<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" /> on November 14, 1996,<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" /> he launched his first product: Bawls Guarana, a [[soft drink]] with three times the caffeine of [[Coca-Cola Classic]].  Bawls capitalized upon trends of the mid-1990s by being highly caffeinated, derived from natural ingredients, and having a gimmicky premise.  By 1998, Bawls was not only popular in the [[nightclub]]s of [[New York City]], [[South Florida]], and [[Southern California]], but was spreading to [[grocery store]]s in the US and Europe.<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg" />  In its first year, Bawls brought in revenue of {{US$|400000|1998|long=no}}.<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN" />  In 2002, Hobarama moved into new Miami Beach offices at 311 Lincoln Road.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />

By November 2009, Hobarama was struggling, and creditors like [[Fifth Third Bank]] forced out [[chief executive officer]] (CEO) and founder, Buppert.  A [[restructuring]] plan was put into place, and the company was entertaining any [[buyout]] offers.<ref name="2010-01-12 BevNET" />  On stable footing by 2012, the company bought out competitors [[Crunk Energy Drink]] and [[Strut & Rut]].<ref name="2012-04-05 BevNET" />  Jon Gunnerson was the company's CEO in 2014, which had since moved its offices to [[Twinsburg, Ohio]].<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />

The marketing and higher caffeine content of [[Monster Energy]] delivered the first damage to Bawls' market share in 2002 by being more-widely appealing.  The company later lost even its gamer niche to brands including [[Game Fuel|Mtn Dew Game Fuel]], [[Rockstar (drink)|Rockstar]], and [[G Fuel]]&mdash;a brand with over 111 times more social-media followers.  In 2022, the drink was being produced by [[Solvi Acquisition]], and ''[[Bon Appétit]]'' reported on both Buppert's prediction that Bawls was in its twilight, and that the drink was "nearly impossible to find in stores".<ref name="2022-04-20 Bon Appétit" />

==Production==
===Composition===
Buppert and an Indianapolis flavor lab engineered the flavor of Bawls in a single day.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />  ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' described Bawls' taste as [[citrus]]-flavored [[cream soda]], and the [[soft drink]] gets its caffeine from the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]ian [[guarana]] berry.<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" />

In 2002, a {{convert|12|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottle had {{convert|80|mg}} of caffeine, and cost about {{US$|1.00|2002|long=no}}.<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />  In 2004, a {{convert|10|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottle had as much caffeine as 1.5 cups of coffee, and cost between {{US$|1&ndash;1.50|long=no}} (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|1.00|2004|r=2}}&ndash;{{inflation|US|1.50|2004|r=2}} in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />

In 2015, the {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} can of original Bawls had {{convert|95|cal}}, and both the composition and guarana suppliers were yet unchanged from 1996.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />

===Packaging===
{{multiple image
 | direction         = horizontal
 | total_width       = <!--230-->450
 | image1            = Bawls bottle (2009, cropped).jpg
 | width1            = 1573
 | height1           = 3689
 | alt1              =
 | image2            = Bawls can (February 2007, cropped).jpg
 | width2            = 1007
 | height2           = 1871
 | alt2              =
 | footer            = A Bawls bottle (2009) and can (2007)
}}
In 2003, Bawls sourced its [[cobalt blue|cobalt-blue]] bottles from Germany, and the [[bottle cap]]s from Ecuador.  They came together in [[Hillside, New Jersey]] where Bawls was bottled with guarana from Brazil.<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN" />  Circa 2005, Buppert described the drink's [[brand identity]] as based on the unique bottles, where the raised bumps "convey the idea of 'bouncing balls inside the bottle punching their way out.{{'"}}<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest" />

In 2006,<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" /> Hobarama developed a canned variant of Bawls both for shipping to overseas fans serving with the [[United States Armed Forces]],<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" /> and distribution at events prohibiting glass containers (e.g. [[paintball]] tournaments).  The company partnered with [[Crown Holdings|Crown Beverage Packaging]] to develop a can that would evoke the uniqueness of the textured bottles: the {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} aluminum cans are the first to feature [[foaming ink]], a new and then-unused technology that applies a low-gloss print that swells when heated, giving the cans a surface akin to the bottles.  In [[Montreal]], Crown's manufacturing of these new cans took 18.6&ndash;30 percent longer than traditional can-printing processes.<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest" />  Early versions of the can also featured color-changing ink that reflected whether or not it was chilled.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />  The can was one of ''Brand Packaging''{{'s}} selections for "best new consumer package goods packages of 2006."<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />

==Marketing==
By 2002, Bawls was focusing its marketing on [[gamer]]s, who amounted to 50 percent of the drink's consumers, and were "typically males between 18 and 34."  Eschewing the health-benefits claims of other [[energy drink]]s of the time, Bawls instead focused on just being a soft drink with lots of caffeine, earning "an almost cult-like following among computer addicts looking for a source of energy to keep them awake for gaming binges lasting 15 to 24 hours straight."  That year, the company sponsored 2500 [[LAN party|LAN parties]].<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />

To capitalize on the connection, the national chain [[CompUSA]] began selling the soda in its stores<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" /> "to court the hard-core gamer market" (those who played [[PC game]]s for more than 40 hours per week).<ref name="2002-09-24 WAPO" />  From 2004 through at least 2008, Bawls was featured at the [[Penny Arcade Expo]], which brought the drink "a huge amount of attention".  Bawls partnered with [[GameFly]] in 2008 to [[cross-promotion|cross-promote]] each other through mutual discounts.<ref name="2008-07-08 Ars" />  In 2014, Bawls was still marketed to gamers, including sponsoring [[QuakeCon 2014]] where {{convert|4799.9|USgal}} were drunk.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />

In the mid-2000s, while Bawls had difficulty securing distribution in regular grocery stores (like [[Meijer]]) due to its name, the unique packaging worked in its favor.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />

===Name===
In a 1998 interview with [[CNNfn]], Buppert said of the name, "[it] represents a state of mind. Bawls is a very common slang term—to be bold and daring—and that's how we see the product.  […]  I think it's very difficult for a consumer to forget a product called Bawls Guarana."<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN" />

In 2002, ''[[The Mercury News]]'' reported that BAWLS was an abbreviation for Brazilian American Wildlife Society, "intended to promote sustainable uses for the rain forest".<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />  Buppert repeated that story to [[CNN]] in 2003.<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN" />

A 2004 article by ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' said Buppert was brainstorming to emulate the strong names of existing brands (Flying Tiger, [[Red Bull]]), when "Bawls" instead came from a friend's joke of "Why don’t you just call it Balls?"<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />  Buppert affirmed this origin in a 2020s interview.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />

When Gunnerson was asked about the name in 2015, he said, "Bounce like a ball. It gives you enough energy and fuel. That was really the inspiration of it from my understanding. […] Bounce with BAWLS was really our one key tagline for quite some time."<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas" />

===Product placement===
Hobarama and [[Vivendi Universal Games]] made a deal in 2002 for cross-promotion.<ref name="2002-09-17 NYT" />  Bawls received [[product placement]] as a game mechanic in the 2002 video game, [[Run Like Hell (video game)|''Run Like Hell'']]: protagonist Nick Conner drinks Bawls from vending machines to boost his [[health (game terminology)|health]].<ref name="2003-04-29 Village Voice" />  In exchange, cases of Bawls bore advertisements for the game.<ref name="2002-09-17 NYT" />

In the 2004 video game, ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]'', a shakeup in the management of [[Interplay Entertainment]] led to the replacement of the [[Fallout (franchise)|''Fallout'' franchise]]'s iconic [[Nuka-Cola]] with the real-world Bawls for the franchise's first outing on [[video game console|consoles]].  The swap was not well-received by fans.<ref name="2018-11-11 Eurogamer" />

Bawls has also been featured in TV shows and films, including ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', ''[[The Hangover]]'', [[Silicon Valley (TV series)|''Silicon Valley'']],<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas" /> and ''[[Reno 911!]]''.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />

===Sponsorships===
In 2002, the soda was the official soft drink of the [[Cyberathlete Professional League]].<ref name="2002-08-16 CNET" />  Bawls has also been the official energy drink for the [[National Professional Paintball League]] (in 2004 & 2006),<ref name="2006-07 Beverage Spectrum" /> [[Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week]] (2008),<ref name="2008-09-16 Convenience Store News" /> and [[Olympus Fashion Week]].<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />

==Reception==
In 1998, after Bawls was positively reviewed by [[Stephen Heaslip]] of [[Blue's News (website)|''Blue's News'']], the company's own [[web traffic|site traffic]] increased by 2700&ndash;11320 percent.<ref name="2002-09-24 WAPO" />  In 2003, ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' called the drink "a smooth and tasty sip."<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" />  In 2005, Hobarama shipped 20 million bottles of Bawls.<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" />  ''[[Ars Technica]]'' wrote of Bawls in 2008, "the huge amounts of caffeine within each bottle—along with the fact that it tastes far better than [[Red Bull]]—have made it a favorite beverage at many a LAN party and game tournament since [2004]."<ref name="2008-07-08 Ars" />

==Variants==
The [[diet drink|sugar-free]] Bawls Guaranexx was the first variant of Bawls, released in 2003.<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />  In 2006, Hobarama partnered with [[7-Eleven]] to produce a Bawls-based [[Slurpee]] (Sno Bawls) in the [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]].<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" />  By 2008, additional Bawls variants were available, including Bawls Cherry and Bawls Exxtra.<ref name="2008-09-16 Convenience Store News" />  Bawls' [[root beer]] variant&mdash;G33k Beer&mdash;premiered at a 2008 [[Halo (franchise)|''Halo'']] tournament in [[South Miami, Florida]];<ref name="2008-05-22 Miami New Times" /> that year it was named [[BevNET]]'s Energy Drink of the Year.<ref name="2009-06-08 Ad Age" />

{{as of|2025|08}}, there were eleven combinations of Bawls flavors and packaging listed on the official website.  In {{convert|10|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottles were Original Soda, Zero, Orange, Ginger, [[cherry cola|Cherry Cola]], Cherry, and Root Beer.  The {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} cans were sold with Original, Zero, Cherry, and Root Beer.<ref name="Bawls flavors" />

==References==
{{reflist |refs=

<!-- dated sources sorted chronologically -->

<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg">{{cite news |last1=Furchgott |first1=Roy |date=1998-03-02 |title=Trend Spotting: Anyone Can Play |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-03-01/trend-spotting-anyone-can-play |url-status=live |language=en |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711091724/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-03-01/trend-spotting-anyone-can-play |archive-date=2021-07-11 |access-date=2022-08-04 |url-access=subscription |quote=And sussing out the latest craze may point you toward a profitable future}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN">{{cite news |last1=Schuch |first1=Beverly |date=1998-07-17 |title=It takes Bawls to compete |url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/17/busunu/bawls_intv/ |url-status=live |language=en |location=New York |publisher=[[CNNfn]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821151759/https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/17/busunu/bawls_intv/ |archive-date=2007-08-21 |access-date=2022-08-05 |quote=25-year-old soda entrepreneur faces the bottling giants with guts and moxie}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News">{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Elaine |date=2002-08-11 |title=Drink gives gamers jolt of energy |url=http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/3842507.htm |url-status=dead |work=[[The Mercury News]] |language=en |issn=0747-2099 |oclc=145122249 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031208195330/http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/3842507.htm |archive-date=2003-12-08 |access-date=2022-08-04 |quote=Bawls Has More Caffeine than Coke}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2002-08-16 CNET">{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/gamers-fight-for-right-to-lan-party/ |title=Gamers fight for right to LAN party |last=Becker |first=David |date=2002-08-16 |publisher=[[CNET]] |location=[[San Jose, California]] |language=en |access-date=2022-08-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805164049/https://www.cnet.com/culture/gamers-fight-for-right-to-lan-party/ |archive-date=2022-08-05 |quote=Kegs and co-eds are so uncool. Hip parties revolve around a couple of mid-range servers, caffeine-loaded drinks and a half a mile or so of Category 5 cable.}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2002-09-17 NYT">{{cite news |last1=Richtel |first1=Matt |date=2002-09-17 |title=Product Placements Go Interactive in Video Games |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/business/product-placements-go-interactive-in-video-games.html |url-status=live |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en |page=C1 |issn=0362-4331 |oclc=1645522 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410170156/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/business/product-placements-go-interactive-in-video-games.html |archive-date=2021-04-10 |access-date=2022-08-05}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2002-09-24 WAPO">{{cite news |last1=ElBoghdady |first1=Dina |date=2002-09-24 |title=CompUSA's New Buzz |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2002/09/24/compusas-new-buzz/68dc9c7f-c97e-40ed-afbb-d66b2dcfb533/ |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=2269358 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805155343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2002/09/24/compusas-new-buzz/68dc9c7f-c97e-40ed-afbb-d66b2dcfb533/ |archive-date=2022-08-05 |access-date=2022-08-05}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun">{{cite news |last1=Engram |first1=Sara |date=2003-01-07 |title=A drink with kick and citrusy taste |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-01-08-0301070275-story.html |url-status=live |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |language=en |issn=1930-8965 |oclc=244481759 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620223018/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-01-08-0301070275-story.html |archive-date=2021-06-20 |access-date=2022-08-05}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2003-04-29 Village Voice">{{cite news |last1=Catucci |first1=Nick |date=2003-04-29 |title=Sell Like Hell |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2003/04/29/sell-like-hell/ |url-status=live |work=[[The Village Voice]] |language=en |issn=0042-6180 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915194040/https://www.villagevoice.com/2003/04/29/sell-like-hell/ |archive-date=2018-09-15 |access-date=2022-08-05}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN">{{cite news |date=2003-12-25 |title=Great Inventions, Recreation, Entertainment and Food |url=http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0312/25/asb.00.html |url-status=live |work=[[NewsNight with Aaron Brown]] |language=en |publisher=[[CNN]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040828120612/http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0312/25/asb.00.html |archive-date=2004-08-28 |access-date=2022-08-05}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun">{{cite news |last1=Bishop |first1=Katy |date=2004-02-03 |title=It Takes BAWLS |url=https://cornellsun.com/2004/02/03/it-takes-bawls/ |url-status=live |work=[[The Cornell Daily Sun]] |language=en |issn=1095-8169 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025020328/https://cornellsun.com/2004/02/03/it-takes-bawls/ |archive-date=2020-10-25 |access-date=2022-08-04}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post">{{cite news |date=2006-02-19 |title=Drinks tap troops' staying-awake power |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2006/02/19/drinks-tap-troops-staying-awake-power/ |url-status=live |work=[[The Denver Post]] |agency=[[Knight Ridder]] |language=en |location=[[Miami]] |issn=1930-2193 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806153540/https://www.denverpost.com/2006/02/19/drinks-tap-troops-staying-awake-power/ |archive-date=2022-08-06 |access-date=2022-08-06}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2006-07 Beverage Spectrum">{{cite magazine |date=July–August 2006 |editor1-last=Klineman |editor1-first=Jeffrey |title=PaintBawls |url=https://issuu.com/bevnet/docs/july_august06 |url-status=live |magazine=Beverage Spectrum |language=en |location=[[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] |publisher=[[BevNET]] |volume=4 |issue=6 |page=42 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806152455/https://s3.amazonaws.com/document.issuu.com/110426183454-a6fcc21ed5a846198a91c9da23cf0809/original.file?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIATDDRE5J7VRSYGKOZ&Signature=Cq7NIbne%2Fi0PqNPiLrl4%2FppLzbE%3D&x-amz-security-token=FwoGZXIvYXdzEJH%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaDGi76XNrD5Blo%2FvW7iLmAnsC2emdP2Be3uQ18eZkkdeVW0%2BMosnMbY5jfn%2F6vlscRfYviUS9Ekb1VPA4PewJ6CrCbnWd7KPlbMi9ZCer1UzyzlxnHC3YAD7RslL7shIsv572ZDtj2IXSaL7qJdRcTBiYeZx0cxTTBfx3c0jV03E8Runyl1Rfv3k7VuUwqMhVufRiBSxTHCrLv0qubW7ziNkLV0SG%2FGHf5Aj%2F9DBi1Qvp%2Bs255rTK3UCCa%2FgpqF1UZdXMLBz3pDL8sIQUy6UBM5kv3lrpjncKL0NMArOdgWLypRlVjqZg%2Fo7tUFYMIo3mjQuj%2FZ3X%2Fwb4ztvZsGRvyslALwkvQDAJwxUVnV1U8eNx%2BzI8RBRDr5p%2Bh7QKlgJ2SpT2nHbSb7LqJz%2FXvpkRmSJOQySZmEt5Ny5LiAUUZ6My3GHHs81bLMniJTYYvY95SZj1jaDF9Z5WWtXCB8ocjbQDjaZlkzh6ZepaHpXU9IJWvTEunr8oqo26lwYyKTbzjOOdIRuVTHnone0BKgsB1Ku41BzKTMLSOn5Xlur0EQeY9%2B8z5sHV&Expires=1659803053 |archive-date=2022-08-06 |access-date=2022-08-06}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry">{{citation |last1=Fuhrman |first1=Elizabeth |title=Hobarama LLC: 10 Years and Counting |date=2006-11-01 |work=[[Beverage Industry]] |url=https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/84288-hobarama-llc-10-years-and-counting |url-status=live |language=en |access-date=2022-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728140050/https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/84288-hobarama-llc-10-years-and-counting |archive-date=2021-07-28}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2008-05-22 Miami New Times">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Isaiah |date=2008-05-22 |title=It's Raining Energy Drinks |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/its-raining-energy-drinks-6363148 |url-status=live |work=[[Miami New Times]] |language=en |issn=1072-3331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101043758/https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/its-raining-energy-drinks-6363148 |archive-date=2016-11-01 |access-date=2022-08-06}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2008-07-08 Ars">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/07/bawls-and-gamefly-forming-unholy-alliance/ |title=Bawls and GameFly forming (un)holy alliance |last=Thompson |first=Michael |date=2008-07-08 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |language=en |access-date=2022-08-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202015546/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/07/bawls-and-gamefly-forming-unholy-alliance/ |archive-date=2012-12-02}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2008-09-16 Convenience Store News">{{cite magazine |last1=Belanger |first1=Mehgan |last2=Mastroberte |first2=Tammy |date=2008-09-16 |title=BAWLS-y Couture |url=https://csnews.com/bawls-y-couture |url-status=live |magazine=Convenience Store News |language=en |location=New York |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806155245/https://csnews.com/bawls-y-couture |archive-date=2022-08-06 |access-date=2022-08-06}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2009-06-08 Ad Age">{{cite magazine |last1=Zmuda |first1=Natalie |date=2009-06-08 |title=Give Brands Bucking the Downtrend in Beverages |url=https://adage.com/article/news/marketing-brands-bucking-downtrend-beverages/137125 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Ad Age]] |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028134922/https://adage.com/article/news/marketing-brands-bucking-downtrend-beverages/137125 |archive-date=2017-10-28 |access-date=2022-08-06 |quote=Upstarts Have Snagged Distribution Deals With Likes of Pepsi, Nestle}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2010-01-12 BevNET">{{cite web |last1=Casey |first1=Matt |last2=Klineman |first2=Jeffrey |url=https://www.bevnet.com/news/2010/1-12-2010-restructuring_sale_hobaram_bawls |title=Restructuring, Potential Sale in Process at Hobarama |date=2010-01-12 |publisher=[[BevNET]] |language=en |access-date=2022-08-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617045500/https://www.bevnet.com/news/2010/1-12-2010-restructuring_sale_hobaram_bawls |archive-date=2021-06-17}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2012-04-05 BevNET">{{cite web |last1=Klineman |first1=Jeffrey |url=https://www.bevnet.com/news/2012/bawls-buys-crunk-and-strut-rut/ |url-access=subscription |title=Bawls Buys CRUNK!!! And Strut & Rut!!! |date=2012-04-05 |publisher=[[BevNET]] |language=en |access-date=2022-08-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806223243/https://www.bevnet.com/news/2012/bawls-buys-crunk-and-strut-rut/ |archive-date=2022-08-06}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business">{{cite magazine |last1=Kaplan |first1=Andrew |date=2014-11-01 |title=Energy drinks grow up |url=https://www.winsightgrocerybusiness.com/energy-drinks-grow |url-status=live |magazine=Winsight Grocery Business |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805161353/https://www.winsightgrocerybusiness.com/energy-drinks-grow |archive-date=2022-08-05 |access-date=2022-08-05 |quote=Energy drink consumers are getting older, and manufacturers are not forgetting about them.}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest">{{citation |last1=Mohan |first1=Anne Marie |date=2015-03-11 |title=Foaming ink has BAWLS bouncing into new markets |work=[[Packaging Digest]] |issn=0030-9117 |url=https://www.packagingdigest.com/automation/foaming-ink-has-bawls-bouncing-new-markets |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612175241/https://www.packagingdigest.com/automation/foaming-ink-has-bawls-bouncing-new-markets |archive-date=2021-06-12 |access-date=2022-08-06}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas">{{cite interview |last=Gunnerson |first=Jon |interviewer-last=Morquecho |interviewer-first=Javier |title=Finding Focus with Jon Gunnerson, CEO at BAWLS Acquisition |date=2015 |publisher=Specialty Sodas |url=https://www.specialtysodas.com/blogs/podcast/finding-focus-with-jon-gunnerson-ceo-at-bawls-acquisition |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022164451/https://www.specialtysodas.com/blogs/podcast/finding-focus-with-jon-gunnerson-ceo-at-bawls-acquisition |archive-date=2021-10-22 |access-date=2022-08-15}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2018-11-11 Eurogamer">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-fallout-game-that-time-forgot |title=The Fallout game that time forgot |last=Mason |first=Graeme |date=2018-11-11 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |language=en |access-date=2022-08-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805204028/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-fallout-game-that-time-forgot |archive-date=2022-08-05}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2022-04-20 Bon Appétit">{{cite magazine |last1=Erol |first1=Esra |date=2022-04-20 |title=Before Monster and Rockstar, There Was Bawls |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-bawls |url-status=live |magazine=[[Bon Appétit]] |language=en |issn=0006-6990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807000956/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-bawls |archive-date=2022-08-07 |access-date=2022-08-15 |quote=The soft drink with a kick was all the rage at LAN parties in the early 2000s—and then it fizzled out.}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed">{{citation |mode=cs1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ofyyQOW_jc |url-status=live |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828183421/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ofyyQOW_jc |archive-date=2025-08-28 |access-date=2025-08-28 |title=Staying Up: The BAWLS Guarana Story {{pipe}} Documentary |author=GrizzlyRed |date=2025-08-26 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><!-- reliable portions are exhausted -->

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<ref name="Bawls flavors">{{cite web |url=https://www.bawls.com/flavors |title=Flavors {{!}} BAWLS Guarana |publisher=Bawls |language=en |access-date=2025-08-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828165756/https://www.bawls.com/flavors |archive-date=2025-08-28}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->

}}

==External links==
<!-- per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
* {{official website|https://www.bawls.com}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{energy drinks}}

[[Category:American soft drinks]]
[[Category:drink brands]]
[[Category:energy drinks]]
[[Category:food and drink introduced in 1996]]
[[Category:guarana sodas]]
[[Category:products introduced in 1996]]