# What's the deal with Red Bull? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 31, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644 "2003-10-31T14:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![UWmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UWmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UWmite)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/41 "2003-11-01T16:29:15Z")
It tastes like liquid smarties. I choke it down when I’m on long car trips and don’t want to risk gas station coffee. ---
**Author:** ![cherry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/42 "2003-11-01T19:48:33Z")
Redbull in the US is awesome to me it tastes like blue freezees, with vodka it’s pretty good too. In Canada, the Redbull flavour is called Blueox (I dont know why), what they package as Redbull here is disgusting it has a different flavour. ---
**Author:** ![going\_to\_california](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f14d63/32.png) [@going\_to\_california](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/going_to_california)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/43 "2003-11-02T06:15:23Z")
Weird, around here when you order a Bulldozer, they give you a Red Bull with a shot of Jagermeister… but I agree, it does taste like smarties. ---
**Author:** ![n2o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e4f/32.png) [@n2o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/n2o)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/44 "2003-11-02T13:08:17Z")
Drop Jagermeister shot in a glass full of Redbull is called a Jager Bomb where i’m from. Good stuff, plus you can drink till morning. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/45 "2003-11-02T13:17:21Z")
At my bar we call that a Bull Blaster. Weird how drink names evolve, isn’t it… I hate that shot, btw, even as much as I love Red Bull. Can’t do the Jager…which sucks, b/c my neighborhood bar has $3 Bull Blasters on Mondays, and I just. can’t. do. it. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Barty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@Barty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/46 "2003-11-02T14:28:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elbows \* > \*\*It did originate in Thailand, where it was called LIPO (pronounced Lee Po). \*\* Lipo is the generic brand name for the pick me up drinks in Thailand. There are a number of manufactures of these drinks and Red Bull is just one of them. Here Red Bull is called Kratingdaeng, which translates into Red Bull (Krating = Bull\*, Daeng = Red). I understand that the formula for Kratingdaeng in Thailand is different to the rest of the world. Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian gentleman acquired the rights from Chaleo Yoovidhya to manufacture, market, distribute and sell the Red Bull brand name worldwide excluding Thailand and the Red Bull that they distibute is slightly different to allow for the stricter European health regulations. - My dictionary says that Krating should translate to Bison rather than Bull ---
**Author:** ![glamour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/51bf81/32.png) [@glamour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glamour)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/47 "2003-11-02T17:11:23Z")
It supposedly boosts you particularly for games, which is rather odd considering caffiene lowers your athletic ability by 10%. ---
**Author:** ![Oy\_Vey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dbc845/32.png) [@Oy\_Vey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy_Vey)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/48 "2003-11-03T00:57:54Z")
Four words: Chocolate covered coffee beans ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/49 "2003-11-03T02:28:07Z")
You can buy the Thai (I presume, I’m no expert on identifying written languages) version in a local Asian grocery in my town. Curiously, the major difference between it and the version everyone’s familiar with is that the Thai version is _uncarbonated_. It comes in small, medicinal-looking glass bottles with screw-caps, and the lack of carbonation makes the syrupy-sweetness even more prominent. The packaging seems intended to market the product as more of a “health tonic” than a soda-type beverage – perhaps an echo of the early marketing of soft-drinks in the US? Oh yeah, and a package of 6 or so costs you a dollar or two – unlike the $2.00-per-can that seems to be universal for the US version. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/50 "2003-11-03T02:48:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peritrochoid \* > \*\*I actually like Red Bull. I first tried it in Europe about 3 years ago, and was thrilled that they decided to bring it to the American market. > > I’ve also found that it’s an excellent hangover cure. \*\* I believe that’s because caffeine constricts blood vessels, so they aren’t pressing on nerve endings. That’s why caffeine helps my migraines. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/51 "2003-11-03T03:08:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by glamour \* > \*\*It supposedly boosts you particularly for games, which is rather odd considering caffiene lowers your athletic ability by 10%. \*\* Got a cite for that? Several sports governing bodies regulate caffeine as a stimulant. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/52 "2003-11-03T15:08:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elbows \* > \*\*The worst stories are always from people who had the wisdom to give it a miss, when sober, only to be persuaded, when hammered. > > Eventually they all end up drunker than they’ve ever been with no hope of passing out. > \*\* HA! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/53 "2003-11-03T20:12:00Z")
Red Bull and vodka makes me want to fight. Everybody. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/54 "2003-11-03T21:26:43Z")
Ahh Red Bull! Got me through school on more then one occasion after about 2 hours sleep. I went through a I-like-you-and-you-like-me-but-I-won’t-go-out-with-you phase with my now boyfriend. It lead to many discussions that went on till 5am. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644/55 "2003-11-04T00:18:26Z")
Hah. If you need to wake up, drink a frappucino. Yummyyummyyummy. If you need a true “I’ve got a history paper due in twelve hours and haven’t even begun the research” boost (I’m amazed at how often that happens to me, take a caffiene pill or two and break into the emergency cache of Jolt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-red-bull/210644.md?page=2)