The company was founded in Thailand in 2002 by businessman Sathien Setthasit and Yuenyong Opakul, frontman of the legendary Thai rock band Carabao, taking its name from the carabao water buffalo, a Southeast Asian symbol of hard work and endurance. That emblem, a stylised buffalo head, anchors the front of every can in the range. Cherry Crush is the darkest can Carabao makes, a deep cherry red covering the full body with the branding picked out in white and silver, the metallic lettering catching light against the depth of the base colour. It is a more serious, premium look than the lighter fruit variants in the range, and closer to the dark palettes energy drinks traditionally use, though the fruit colour keeps it distinct from the black and neon of Monster and its imitators.

The flavour launched off the back of hard category data. Cherry is one of the fastest growing flavours in energy drinks, now worth £18.9 million at retail across the 250ml to 568ml formats, and Carabao developed Cherry Crush specifically to catch that surge. It is aimed squarely at students, commuters, gym goers and night workers, and backed by the same football visibility that has carried the brand since it entered the United Kingdom in 2016, including a full decade of Carabao Cup sponsorship alongside its work with the EFL.

Inside is a light, sparkling cherry energy drink at 41 calories per can, roughly half the sugar of a traditional energy drink, with taurine, 0.032% caffeine, inositol and B vitamins including niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. It is coloured naturally with black carrot concentrate, contains no aspartame, and is vegan, gluten free and compliant with United Kingdom non-HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) advertising rules, which is genuinely rare in this category.