If you’re searching for something satisfying to slake your thirst, we here in America have plenty of options for you. But first, we’ll need you to answer a few brief questions to narrow down your choices to a manageable 60 or so.

In general, how are you feeling today? Energized and raring to go? Terrific. Let us escort you to the sports-drink aisle where we’ve got enough electrolyte-charged, vitamin-fortified throat-moisteners to turn even the droopiest desk jockey into a decathlete.

Having a hard time getting into gear? Well, you’re in luck, my friend. Energy drinks—a category that was barely a blip on the radar a decade ago—made up a billion-dollar business in 2005. All you have to do now is decide whether you’re more of a Red Bull or a Rock Star, a Full Throttle-type or an Adrenaline Rush sort. And if java’s more your speed when you’re seeking a caffeine boost, Starbucks and a host of other smaller competitors have been selling various types of canned coffee and espresso drinks for some time now.

On the other hand, maybe all that Bullish energy and concentrated caffeinate is starting to make your teeth chatter, your eyelids twitch, and your limbs tremble. If so, consider a drink that calms you down without the potentially numbing effects of, say, a double martini or a pint of pale ale. Now on the market is SodaLixir Green Dragon, a brewed ginger soda with herbal extracts intended to promote stress relief.

Concerned about your health? Not sure you’re getting enough nutrients, antioxidants, calcium, riboflavin, or niacin? Again, the sky’s the limit. Between pre-packaged smoothies, exotic fruit juices, tea beverages, flavored milks, natural and fortified sodas, and other wellness-driven, functional choices, we can now stave off mortality indefinitely while washing down that last bite of burger.

And, of course, if all of these categories and options prove confounding and frustrating, you can always just reach for water. Although it should be noted that even there, you’ll have some decisions to make: Still or sparkling? Plain or fruit-flavored? Vitamin-enhanced or vitamin-free?

With this frenzy of beverage activity swirling all around us, younger consumers are among the most receptive and adventurous when it comes to new things to drink. Sales of traditional carbonated soft drinks are headed steadily downward. It’s impossible to imagine quick-serves ever doing away with classic colas, orange sodas, Dr. Peppers, Mountain Dews, and so on. But with bottled-water sales exceeding $10 billion each year, wellness and functional drinks making up a $55 billion segment, and innumerable sports drinks ringing up billions more in annual sales, it’s no longer realistic to imagine the quick-serve soda dispenser as a static, stand-alone entity.

Here are a few ideas for how quick-serves might incorporate emerging and established trends into their beverage palette: