So you want to try Red Bull, but is unsure of what it would taste like? What if you buy it and don’t like it?
I’m here to help you with this dilemma, and to answer the question of “what does Red Bull taste like?” to the best of my ability.
Here’s a quick answer:
No one knows exactly what Red Bull is supposed to taste like, so it’s hard to describe. As far as I know, it tastes very similar to soda, but with cough syrup mixed in, and is both sweet and tangy.
Other people have described it in different ways, and I’ll touch upon that as well in this article.
In case you want to learn more about this great and iconic energy drink, I suggest that you read this article thoroughly to the end.
Let’s go…
Contents
Red Bull: Ingredients
Red Bull comes in 8.4-ounce cans and each can has the following ingredients in it:
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Glucose
- Carbonated water
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Taurine
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Magnesium Carbonate
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Colors
- Natural and artificial flavors
Apart from giving you a good pick me up and having a great taste, Red Bull also gives you essential vitamins and Taurine (which doesn’t come from bull sperm, by the way. That rumor was debunked years ago).
Red Bull: Nutrition Facts
So, is a Red Bull nutritious?
Take a look at this table to find out. Here are the nutrition facts of an 8.4-ounce Red Bull:
| Nutrients | Red Bull (8.4 oz) |
| Calories | 117 |
| Total Fat | 0.2g |
| Saturated fat | – |
| Cholesterol | – |
| Sodium | 98mg |
| Potassium | 7.7mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 28g |
| Of which sugars | 26g |
| Dietary fiber | 0g |
| Taurine | 1000mg |
| Protein | 0.6g |
| Vitamin B3 | 18mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 2mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2mcg |
| Caffeine | 80mg |
Red Bull may have 117 calories, but these calories come from sugar, and won’t add any nutrition to your diet.
How much caffeine is in Red Bull?
A single can of Red Bull contains the just-right amount of caffeine, which is 80mg.
While many energy drinks out there have stupendously high amounts of caffeine in them, Red Bull keeps its caffeine contents moderate, which makes it great even for caffeine-sensitive people.
Caffeine is a psychoactive drug that has been used by humans for millennia, and it just so happens to be the ingredient that gives an energy drink its “energy”.
Caffeine in moderate amounts, like in Red Bull can have great short-term as well as long term benefits, some of which are:
- It can make you more alert
- Helps you feel less fatigued than you are
- Improves concentration and focus
- Increases physical performance
- Helps you burn fat slightly faster, due to thermogenisis
The long-term benefits include:
- Reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes
- Reduced chances of getting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
- Might reduce chances of getting certain types of cancer
- Could reduce chances of stroke
But there is a limit to how much caffeine you can have in a day. The FDA has cited 400mg to be a safe limit for most people, and consuming more than that may have some side effects:
- Dehydration
- Headaches
- Insomia
- Dizziness
- Restlessness
- Diarrhea
- Irregular heartbeats
So it’s best if you keep your caffeine intake well below 400mg, especially if you’re someone who likes both energy drinks as well as coffee.
How many calories does Red Bull have?
A Red Bull offers you around 117 calories.
While 117 isn’t a big number by itself, it can quickly add up with the other calories you have in a day, especially since an energy drink is not a part of a normal diet, and is consumed as an additional item.
But this shouldn’t be a problem for people with active lives, as they can easily burn the extra calories off, and the calories from Red Bull might even give such people an added reservoir of energy.
But people with sedentary lives should be conscious of the calories they get from sources outside of their diet and try to cut down a little bit on their usual intake to make room for Red Bull.
Otherwise, the extra calories might end up remaining unused which will cause you to gain weight over time.
Also, it’s necessary to do light exercise daily so that you can maintain your caloric balance, which is the ratio between the calories you consume and the ones you burn. Consuming more than you burn will cause you to have a caloric surplus.
And since the calories in Red Bull are from carbohydrates and not protein, they won’t add any muscle to your build.
If you don’t want to worry about extra calories from an energy drink, try Red Bull Total Zero which doesn’t have any calories.
Does Red Bull have sugar?
Red Bull contains a whopping 26 grams of sugar.
Sugar in small amounts can have some benefits like giving you a rush of energy and lifting up your mood, it can be pretty bad for your health in high doses.
The AHA recommends that for healthy adults, the limit of sugar intake should be 36 grams for men, and 24 grams for women.
While drinking a Red Bull by itself wouldn’t put anyone significantly over the recommended amount, the problem is that many of us ingest sugar from other sources as well, and some of them are also quite sugary.
What I mean to imply is that, if you can limit your sugar intake significantly, then you can safely consume Red Bull. But if you eat a lot of sugar and want to drink a Red Bull on top of that, then you might consider the sugar-free version.
Overconsumption of sugar is a dangerous habit, and it could have some really negative consequences in the long run. For example:
- Obesity
- Teeth decay
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart problems
- Lack of energy due to frequent sugar crashes
- Increased skin ageing
- Fatty liver disease
What does Red Bull taste like?
Like I said earlier, it’s hard to pinpoint what Red Bull really tastes like. Everyone seems to have a different idea as to what its taste is reminiscent of.
There’s also the matter of Red Bull’s taste being an “acquired taste”, meaning that some may love it, but some may find it not to their liking.
You will have to drink it for yourself find out which side of the spectrum you lie on. Do remember that some people have said that initially they didn’t like the taste, but fell in love with it as they got more accustomed to it.
But I personally think that the description that it tastes like soda mixed with cough syrup doesn’t fit Red Bull really well, and I think that the taste is great. It’s sugary, tart, and it isn’t very overpowering, which I like. Also, most cough syrups taste really bad, but Red Bull clearly doesn’t.
I mean, it has to be great, otherwise Red Bull wouldn’t be selling millions of cans in a year.
Red Bull’s sugar-free version and the Total Zero version, which has no calories, also taste similar to the original, although with notably less sweetness and stronger aftertastes.
Flavors of Red Bull
Apart from the original, Red Bull has also released a large number of flavored versions of their drink. I’ll list them all below:
- Red Bull Pear Edition Sugarfree (is said to taste like freshly ripened pears, and is exclusively without sugar)
- Red Bull Red Editon (has the tarty taste of cranberry)
- Red Bull Peach Edition (white peach flavored, with a hint of nectar-like taste)
- Red Bull Coconut Edition (is said to taste like exotic coconut and blueberry)
- Red Bull Blue Edition (blueberry flavored Red Bull)
- Red Bull Green Edition (a mix of apple and kiwi)
- Red Bull Orange Edition (Orange flavored Red Bull)
- Red Bull Yellow Edition (tastes like a mix of exotic, tropical fruits)
So, even if you don’t find the original to your liking, which is unlikely, you still have this entire lineup to choose from, so I’m sure you will find a Red Bull that fits your taste perfectly.
Different takes on Red Bull’s taste
Remember how I said that different people have a different idea of how Red Bull tastes?
I went on Reddit and found some interesting takes on Red Bull’s taste. Well, how about I list some of them for you, just for the fun of it?
Battery Acid
One person said that Red Bull tastes like battery acid at first, but then it becomes delicious after you get used to it, and that it is actually supposed to be peachy in flavor.
I just can’t stop wondering how this person knows what battery acid tastes like. Is it peachy though?
Liquid Bubble Gum Candy
Another person said that it tastes like liquid bubble gum candy. Amazing how we went from battery acid to bubble gum candy.
Some comments said something similar, that Red Bull tastes like liquid cotton candy, or liquid sweet tarts.
Guarana
A person said that Red Bull’s taste strongly reminds them of the Guarana plant’s taste. Red Bull doesn’t even have Guarana in it.
Taurine And Sugar
An interesting take on Red Bull is that it tastes like a mixture of Taurine and sugar. I mean, does Taurine have a taste?
Anyways, the point of showing you these statements was to emphasize that no one knows what they’re talking about when it comes to Red Bull’s taste. All I can say is, that it tastes like Red Bull. There’s nothing else quite like it.
Some love it, some don’t. You’ll just have to drink it to find out how it tastes to you.
Here’s a quick review of Red Bull’s different flavors:
Is it safe to consume Red Bull daily?
It is safe to consume Red Bull regularly, but only if you significantly limit your sugar intake from other sources.
Because too much sugar is bad for your health in the long run, as we’ve established. But some side effects of sugar overdose can show themselves pretty fast, in the form of sugar crash.
Even if you get a strong rush of energy from drinking a Red Bull, you might experience a crash if your sugar levels get too high. Here are some signs that your body is going through a sugar crash:
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Fatigue or sleepiness
- A feeling of shakiness or dizziness
- Hunger due to sudden drop in energy levels
- Bloating
So, I would like you to take my advice and refrain from drinking Red Bull every day, because it’s not optimal to rely on external sources of energy on a regular basis.
If you are intent on drinking it every day, then you can either drink the Sugar-free or the Zero version of Red Bull.
Where to buy Red Bull?
It is fairly easy to find a Red Bull almost anywhere in the world. Its distribution system is spread throughout almost 170 countries, from Asian countries to European ones.
If you don’t want to buy it from the store, then you can get it in online stores like Amazon or Ebay.
Does Red Bull give you wings?
Literally speaking, it doesn’t. Figuratively, yes. It gives you a really potent energy boost that lifts you up from the slump and allows you to work past your limits.
Red Bull Alternatives
Red Bull isn’t the one for you? No worries, because here are some alternatives that you could check out:
- Monster Zero Ultra
- Guru Organic Energy
- Krating Daeng (Original Red Bull from Thailand)
- 28 Black
- Reign Total Body Fuel
- Celsius On-The-Go (Energy drink mix)
Final Thoughts
In conclusion to everything that I have said in this article, I have one thing to say:
Red Bull has a completely unique taste, and this could also lead to it tasting differently to different people. But the thing is, no one can accurately describe the particular taste, and the only way to find out if you like it, is to drink it.
So, go ahead and get those delicious wings.