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Red Bull and Vodka Do Mix, Say Scientists

MONDAY MARCH 27 2006 2:32 PM

Submitted by mat8drb. Edited By WilWheaton.

While Red Bull continues to get their fingers in every single sport ever (including the controversial takeover of the New York Metrostars), it is refreshing to be reminded that they are an energy drinks company. And one that does mix very well with alcohol, a proper study (not just a night out with mates) has shown.

A Sao Paulo university team plied 26 male volunteers* with booze, Red Bull or a mixture of both, and demonstrated what deranged clubbers already knew: mixing energy drinks with alcohol provokes "an increased sensation of pleasure and a reduction in sleepiness". Or, as team leader professor Maria Lucia Souza-Formigoni told the BBC: "The person is drunk but does not feel as drunk as he really is."

Souza-Formigoni explained: "In Brazil, as in other countries, people believe that Red Bull and other energy drinks avoid the sleepiness caused by alcoholic beverages and increase their capacity to dance all night." Her subjects fuelled with the Red Bull and alcohol mix did indeed report "less perception of headache, weakness, dry mouth and impairment of motor coordination".

And the danger? Thinking you're less legless than you really are and then taking the car for a spin. Souza-Formigoni's fellow researcher professor Roseli Boergnen de Lacerda, of the Federal University of Parana, duly warned: "The implications of these findings are that this association of alcohol and energy drinks is harmful rather than beneficial as believed by consumers."

Red Bull originates from an original Thai drink (Krating Daeng) that was used to keep the rickshaw drivers going throughout the day: with some medicinal purposes. It is prohibited for sale as a soft drink in France, Denmark and Norway. The Candadian version carries a warning label. The drinks' success is down to the feel that Dietrich Mateschitz has created by guessing that "some clubbers wanted to dance all night without taking illegal drugs, such as ecstasy, and skiers and snow-boarders would enjoy enhanced performance, while hot bars would become even hotter when drinkers woke up to Red Bull as a vodka mixer"

The company generally tends to distance themselves from alcohol: it was widely expected that one of their Formula One teams would use a Vodka sponsorship but was denied by Red Bull prior to their 2005 debut season and the new "b" team hasn't picked up any alcohol sponsorship either. However, Red Bull America have sued when customers being served cocktails were given an alternative but similar energy drink: like asking for Coke and getting Pepsi. In this case, they promote responsible drinking:

A Red Bull spokeswoman declared: "Red Bull strongly advocates the responsible use of alcohol at all times. The position of Red Bull, in line with responsible adults and driving organisations worldwide, is that it is absolutely wrong to drink alcohol and drive at any time, regardless of whether alcohol has been mixed or not."

And the case for Red Bull? The spokeswoman added: "Driving organisations, including the RAC, have endorsed the sole consumption of Red Bull or other caffeine-based drinks whilst driving to improve concentration and reaction time, and therefore safety."

Simple then: Red Bull and car good: Red Bull and alcohol and car bad. I'm pretty sure that all those double vodkas and Red Bulls I had for a pound in Leeds in my student days probably weren't Red Bull either. Hell, at that price, they probably weren't even vodka.

35 Comments

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MrStitches

Sag Harbor, NY

November 2003

MAR 27, 2006 05:41 PM

You know what's even better to mix with vodka? Anything really. Do people actually like the taste of red bull, or are they all faking it? Because I think it tastes like old ball sweat smells.

ortho7117

Charlotte, NC

April 2004

MAR 27, 2006 05:44 PM

Yuriel said:

... milk tea actually repairs liver damage.

go figure.
..o..O..o..

Do you mean milk thistle? It's an herb. It has nothing in common with either milk or tea leaves, but it does have liver-protecting properties.

I've seen it sold in capsule form, but never as a prepartion for brewing (though it probably is somewhere). I doubt this brew would taste very good, and of course it doesn't contain caffeine or any other stimulant.

Someguysteve

USA

September 2005

MAR 27, 2006 06:19 PM

Bo0m said:

Anyone tried that new Irn-Bru energy drink with alcohol. You guys in the states heard of Irn-Bru?

Never with alcohol, and only because I went to Scotland. Good stuff though, maybe the scotland shop has imported some.

ChrisSick

Long Beach, CA

March 2008

MAR 27, 2006 08:10 PM

As a professional alcoholic I strongly resent people using anything short of high quality cocaine to stave off the idiocy, motor skills loss and drowsiness that comes with a good drunk.

And, seriously, is anyone actually saying that it's a good idea to give idiots who almost certainely can't handle their drink anyway liquified speed, and then let them loss on an unsuspecting populace. I've seen these people, I know these poeple in my bones. Trust me, you want them to know exactly how drunk they are, and you don't want them to be able to form complete sentences since, god knows, drunk or not they can't form complete thoughts. Drinks like double vodka and red bull are why god make bouncers...

stephanie13

Winchester, VA

October 2005

MAR 28, 2006 02:35 AM

Screw that. Red Bull and a large bottle of Southern Comfort landed me in the ER with a B.A.C of over 5 times the legal limit. I nearly died from the overdose...
but had it not been for that trip to the ER redbull and SoCo tasted great

Somnia

Victoria, BC

October 2005

MAR 28, 2006 08:10 PM

Bo0m said:Anyone tried that new Irn-Bru energy drink with alcohol. You guys in the states heard of Irn-Bru?

My history teacher spent about 25 minutes telling us about irn-bru once!

He was Scottish.