Soup-and-sandwich chain Panera Bread announced on Tuesday that it will be discontinuing its “Charged Sips” drinks following at least three lawsuits over adverse—or even fatal—health complications linked to the beverages. The super-caffeinated drinks, which came to be known as Panera’s “death lemonade” among internet users, have been accused of causing lethal cardiac arrest in two customers and leaving a third with permanent heart damage.

Panera Bread is discontinuing its “Charged Sips” drinks—aka "Death Lemonade"—following three lawsuits over adverse health complications linked to the beverages.
(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

First introduced by Panera in April 2022, Charged Sips were intended to help the franchise break into the booming energy drink market. When the beverages launched, the three flavors—strawberry lemon mint, mango yuzu citrus, and blood orange splash—each contained roughly 260 milligrams of caffeine in a regular-sized cup and as much as 400 milligrams in a large.

That’s roughly equivalent to four cups of coffee, and it also hits the Food and Drug Administration’s recommended daily limit for caffeine consumption.

Charged Sips were advertised as the flagship beverage for Panera’s “Unlimited Sip Club” subscription service, which gave members free refills on “any size drip hot coffee, hot tea, iced coffee, iced tea, Charged Sips, lemonade, or fountain beverage every two hours during regular bakery-café hours” for just $14.99 per month. Given that drinks in most Panera locations were self-service at the time, it was possible for customers to pour themselves multiple cups of Charged Lemonade at a time.

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In October 2023, Panera was hit with a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of 21-year-old Sarah Katz, a University of Pennsylvania student with a preexisting heart condition who died just after consuming a Charged Lemonade. Then, in December 2023, a similar suit was filed by the family of 46-year-old Florida resident Dennis Brown, who had suffered cardiac arrest in October after drinking seven Charged Sips over a two-week period. Brown had high blood pressure and did not consume energy drinks, but he assumed that Panera’s drinks were safe as they were not advertised as energy drinks.

Following these incidents, Panera moved Charged drink stations behind the counter, requiring employees to provide refills. It also reduced the caffeine content in the drinks and its online description includes the disclaimer: “Consume in moderation. Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.”

Another lawsuit was filed against Panera in January by Lauren Skerritt, an occupational therapist and competitive athlete from Rhode Island. Skerritt alleged that she was hospitalized with cardiac issues after drinking two-and-a-half cups of the lemonade, leaving her with permanent atrial fibrillation.

On Tuesday, Panera announced via a company email that Charged Sips will now be phased out of the franchise’s menu in the coming weeks. It did not provide a timeline for when exactly the drinks will become unavailable.

Panera stands by the safety of its food products and claims that the lawsuits are “without merit,” but has indicated that it will replace the caffeine-dense drinks with “low-sugar and low-caffeine options” including a blueberry lavender lemonade, a pomegranate hibiscus tea, a citrus punch and a tropical green smoothie.


Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”

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