Alani Nu Witch's Brew diehards have been enjoying the seasonal offering for several years now. And one TikToker, Alaina Kinney (@akinneyy), was intent on ensuring she didn't miss out on her chance to drink some this season. So intent, she says that she was willing to be late to work to get some.
After driving an hour to a Sam's Club location that said it had the Alani Nu flavor in stock, Kinney saw that it wasn't for sale on the floor. It wasn't until she looked up on the store's shelves that she spotted the product's packaging.
Determined to get her hands on the stuff, she decided to enlist the help of employees to get it taken down from shelves. However, she was initially met with some resistance. She posted about her experience in a viral TikTok that's accrued over 60,000 views on the popular application.
Kinney records her video from the interior of a Sam's Club. "OK, I'm in Sam's right now, and the witch's brew, [it] says that they have it in stock," she explains. "And I look at like all the energy drinks and I can't find it. Well, I look up," she says, turning her camera's orientation around to reveal a pallet of the energy drink high up on a shelf.
Undeterred by the beverage's placement inside of the store, Kinney asked for an employee's help in retrieving it.
"It's literally right there," Kinney says. "So I go ask an associate and she's like, 'We can't get that down.' I'm like, 'Well, you're gonna have to find out how to get it down. 'Cause I drove an hour to get here 'cause it was in stock.'"
The employee's reaction to the TikToker's request didn't exactly indicate they were enthusiastic about getting the Alani. "'Well I'm gonna have to go get somebody to do it,'" Kinney recalls the worker telling her. "OK, well, go get them because I really want these."
It's at this point in the video where Kinney highlights just how important it is for her to get the seasonal-flavored energy drink. "And there's a lot everywhere else and you only have one pallet. Meaning like, this is all you're gonna get. So I don't really have time to drive an hour back to get it," she says into the camera.
The employee didn't appear to rush to assist Kinney with her request, however. "So now, it's been like 30 minutes. I'm still waiting, and I'm not giving up," she says. "I'll be late to work before I miss out on the opportunity to get like seven boxes of witch's brew."
It seems like Kinney's waiting ultimately paid off, however as her video transitions to beeping of a forklift. Down a long aisle of the popular bulk-retailer, an employee can be seen rolling up in the lift in the direction of the Witch's Brew beverage.
They grab the pallet and the new shot of her video shows her cart filled with four cases of the stuff.
The drink seems to be popular with fans of the energy drink. As of this writing, the beverage is currently sold out on its website. The 15 calories per can drink contains 200mg of caffeine and has a caramel apple flavor. There are tons of positive reviews for the flavor online, too.
This Redditor glowingly recommends it. And a Cheapism blog exclaimed that the team did "dial in" the flavor to create a nuanced, not too-sweet energy drink. It's also highly rated on the beverage company's own website raking in 4.9 stars with over 10,600 reviews.
One Witch's brew lover said that their Target store keeps the beverage in stock throughout the year. It could be, however, that they just don't sell that well in their area. "My target literally has witches brew year round," they wrote.
Someone else suggested that she could've simply ordered the beverage to be picked up at Sam's Club so it would've been ready when she arrived. "Next time order it online and set it up for pickup. That way they'll have it ready when you get there," the user said.
Other folks understood Kinney's dedication in getting her witch's brew. One penned, "I use to have to do this at another store and only some ppl are allowed to use the machines during working hrs because mostly employees who have the certification for them work overnights."
Another wrote, "Girl I would have done the same thing. Witches brew is the best flavor!!"
Someone else said they don't rely on Sam's Club employees to get pallets and prefer to call management right away. "I don’t even bother with us anymore. I just called the store and asked to speak to a manager and let them know that I’m waiting in front of the unit I want. It gets taken care of so much faster," they wrote.
@akinneyy ahahahaa I didn’t want to be rude but like I NEEDED IT ???????? #alauninu #witchesbrew ♬ original sound - Alaina Kinney
As for the 2024 Witch's Brew flavor, there are some people who were taken aback by the formula. "But why does it taste like they changed the flavor?" one said.
Kinney seemed satisfied, however. As she penned, "I feel like it’s less potent, which I like bc sometimes this flavor is overwhelming."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sam's Club and Alani via email and Kinney via TikTok comment for further information.
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The post ‘I drove an hour to get here’: Shopper says Sam’s Club worker refused to get Alani Nu Witch’s Brew for her appeared first on The Daily Dot.
