Cheaper, better energy gel:
60% maple syrup. 25% honey. 15% molasses. Add some salt and fill up a $2.50 Hammer flask. This is all natural and relatively easy to digest (if you dose it out properly). It has a good mix of sucrose and fructose. The molasses adds potassium, the salt sodium (duh). There's also a fair amount of iron in this mix. It will keep you going all day (trust me) for pennies.
I don't like drink mixes in my bottles because you end up spilling that sticky crap all over the bike. You also taint the taste of the bottle forever after.