I love it, but I can see why it doesn't appeal to some (most?) people. It's definitely an acquired taste and I don't think it would be as popular if it weren't

I love it, but I can see why it doesn't appeal to some (most?) people. It's definitely an acquired taste and I don't think it would be as popular if it weren't for the high caffeine content and its popularity with the Chaos Computer Club in Germany. At this point in Germany it is actually mostly associated with university students rather than hackers in particular. It's certainly no longer as "underground" as it was a few years ago, even if it's still more popular with hackers than with any other subculture. Maybe I should point out that I don't like coffee and don't smoke. Even though I like Club Mate myself I generally don't expect people who've never drank it before to find it even remotely pleasant.