The energy drink became a sensation after it was launched by social media influencers KSI and Logan Paul

Customers queued outside stores before dawn, jostled other shoppers and even dived headfirst into display units on Thursday as sales of the sought-after YouTuber-promoted Prime Hydration energy drink kicked off with a fizz at Aldi supermarkets.

Shoppers raced to UK Aldi stores early in the morning to snap up bottles of the £1.99 beverage, which became an internet sensation after it was launched by social media influencers KSI and Logan Paul.

The craze has been fuelled by the drink’s limited availability in Britain – before Christmas it was previously available only on its own website or at Asda, where it sold for £2 a bottle – leading to supplies selling out and bottles being offered for sale online for up to £10,000.

Videos shared on social media showed shoppers waiting outside stores in the dark, and others crowding around the bottles inside Aldi stores from Bolton to London and Plymouth, as shoppers made a bid to pick up the drink before it sold out.

In one video, filmed by a customer at an Aldi in Chelmsford, Essex, shoppers grappled to grab bottles, and several children dived into the display unit to reach the drink.

@KSI @prime_tracker @PrimeHydrate Wtffffffff ? Aldi Chelmsford on a mad one ???? pic.twitter.com/eFdURa8vbD

The energy drink – sold in 500ml bottles and available in six flavours, including Blue Raspberry and Ice Pop – is the result of a business venture between former boxing rivals Paul and KSI, the alias of 29-year-old Olajide Olatunji from Watford. The pair both found fame on YouTube and have hordes of mostly teenage fans.

The Prime Hydration website says the drink contains 10% coconut water, zero added sugar and electrolytes, and up to 25 calories a bottle. It is classed as a sports drink and does not contain any caffeine, so there are no restrictions on selling it to under-16s.

In several videos, Aldi staff could be seen trying to control crowds of customers after the stores opened.

The discount supermarket chain tweeted on Wednesday to notify customers that Prime was arriving in all of its UK stores, but said stock was limited, and customers would be able to buy only one bottle of each of the three available flavours.

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THIS IS NOT A DRILL ? @PrimeHydrate will be in stores from tomorrow! You'll be able to grab one of each flavour while stocks last! @KSI meet you there? pic.twitter.com/rRZWvTVlVO

Aldi said: “We’re sorry that some customers were unable to get their hands on this product. However, demand has been extremely high … we limited purchases to one of each variant per customer so that as many customers as possible had a chance to buy it.”

The Twitter feed @prime_tracker – which was set up to help fans find available bottles of the drink – reported just after 9am on Thursday morning that Prime had sold out.

Prime Hydration – several bottles of which are still listed for sale on eBay for as much as £10,000 – was originally shipped from the US after being launched in the UK in the summer.

The beverage is now made in the UK by Refresco, which makes fizzy drinks, juices and energy drinks, and works with brands such as Old Jamaica and Calypso.