Red Bull Sugar Free

Red Bull, a caffeine and taurine-based 'energy drink', was first invented by an Austrian, Dietrich Mateschitz, who took his original inspiration from a drink he'd encountered in the Far East. Red Bull was launched in Austria in the late 1980's and spread throughout the world fairly quickly thereafter.

I started drinking it in the nineties, along with another, less readily available product that came in a garish green can. I drank Red Bull as though it were going out of fashion, and looking back, maybe it was. I drank it thoughtlessly, carelessly, incessantly, whether in a glass with ice, or gulped directly from the can, mixed with vodka or all on it's own. It insinuated itself into my routine, in a wicked, seductive way, always perking me up and keeping me going. In short, I was a Red Bull junkie. I secretly suspected that it probably wasn't all that good for me, but carried on drinking it all the same.

THE LOOK: Red Bull stood out from the outset, packaged as it is in a rather stylish fashion, in a sleek, narrow (and slightly unusual) 250ml can. Beneath the logo, two red & raging bulls charge at each other in front of an enormous yellow sun. When the brand reached its zenith, in the late 1990's, those bulls were everywhere, and I recall counterfeit Red Bull t-shirts doing a roaring trade in the back street markets of Koh Samui one long-ago summer…

The Sugar-Free version was introduced to the UK market in 2003, almost as an after-thought. I can't picture 'Sugar-Free' t-shirts ever being quite so popular, somehow, and the packaging of this version is slightly more insipid. It is identifiable by its pale, apologetic blue tinge. The claims, however, remain the same. Red Bull Sugar-Free, it seems, 'Vitalizes Body and Mind'.

SUGAR-FREE this Red Bull may be, but in an age of synthetic sweeteners, the fact that a product is sugar-free needn't mean that it isn't sweet… In this case, however, despite being sweetened artificially (and pretty comprehensively too, I might add) this isn't a particularly sweet drink. If anything, it's actually rather sour.

THE CAN opens with a discreet little click and fizz, and the aroma is so strong that it escapes almost immediately. Pouring the drink into the glass, this smell becomes stronger, a sweet and artificial aroma that hangs in the air. It is a little reminiscent of a sweet and sickly infant's cough syrup, or of those synthetic sugar & spice scents applied to Hello Kitty erasers, or Scratch & Sniff stickers. Whatever this aroma is, it is clearly, deeply unnatural, redolent of the laboratory rather than any organic source. Unsurprisingly, a cursory glance at the ingredients confirms this suspicion beyond all doubt. (Acesulfame, anyone? How about a drop of Phenylalanine in your favourite tipple?) Red Bull Sugar-free is the same light yellow colour as its full-sugar equivalent, a little like the colour of weak beer or apple juice. The drink is carbonated, but only 'lightly'. It fizzes and bubbles up if poured over ice, for example, but this recedes fairly quickly and the carbonation doesn't last long if left. I rather suspect that this light carbonation is intended to enable it to be drunk quickly.

THE TASTE is sharp and acidic, almost metallic, with (once again) a decidedly chemical aftertaste. As mentioned, it actually isn't all that sweet, certainly not as sweet as the original Red Bull. There is a faint citrus twinge, but this is barely discernable. If pressed, I think the flavour might be best described as a Tonic-water & cough-syrup-cocktail. Sugar Free Red Bull is certainly tarter in flavour than the original, and the difference between the two is quite a bit more pronounced than it generally is with 'Diet' or 'sugar free' versions of other drinks. Although certainly refreshing if served very cold, you probably wouldn't drink it 'Just for the Taste of it'. And whilst I do like Red Bull, I don't really like this. Furthermore, I'm rather tempted to wonder how many people actually do?

In some respects, of course, the taste of Red Bull Sugar-free is frankly immaterial. It is largely drunk for what it is, and what it does (or is claimed to do) rather than what it tastes like. It is a high-octane drink, a drink in a hurry, designed to be slammed down fast and forgotten about, not lingered over or sipped politely.

THE BIG SELLING POINT with Red Bull is that it 'Vitalizes Body & Mind'. A further statement on the can announces that Red Bull Sugar-free is 'especially developed for periods of increased mental and physical exertion'. It is furthermore claimed to 'improve performance, increase concentration and reaction speed, improve vigilance and stimulate metabolism'. So does it? Well the short answer is probably yes. In my experience Red Bull Sugar-free does do what it says on the tin, both proverbially and literally. It refreshes, it enlivens and it invigorates, and this can't all be down to the caffeine, as there's no more of that in a can of Red Bull Sugar-free than there is in an average cup of coffee. Normal Red Bull is loaded with sugar, so could reasonably be expected to produce an energy rush on that basis alone, but of course this doesn't apply to the Sugar-free version. So what's its secret?

THE INGREDIENTS: You'd probably need a degree in Chemistry to make head or tail of the table of contents, a rather alarming little list which includes Glucuronolactone, Taurine, Asesulfame K, Caffeine, Inositol, Niacin, Panthogenic Acid, Vitamins B6 (100% RDA) & B12 (200% RDA), Xanthan gum and Phenylalanine. Red Bull Sugar-free contains no fat, no sugar, no carbohydrates, no protein and just 14 kj (or 3 calories) per 100ml.

Glucuronolactone is a 'naturally occurring' chemical compound produced by the metabolization of glucose in the human liver. It is a popular ingredient in body-building supplements, and is reputed to 'accelerate the elimination of harmful substances, and to have a detoxifying effect. There have been (unsubstantiated) links between this substance and brain tumours, which have been adressed and largely debunked.

Taurine (from 'Taur' as in 'Ox' as it was first discovered in Ox bile) is otherwise known as 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid. It is a 'conditional' amino acid which has been used with varying degrees of success in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions, including liver and cardiovascular diseases. It is believed to enhance the effects of caffeine, and thereby stimulating the nervous system, hence its popularity in a variety of energy supplements and drinks, such as Red Bull.

Phenylalanine is one of the essential amino acids found in proteins, and occurs naturally in many foods. It is found in many artificial sweeteners. Although harmless in small quantities, Phenylalanine has a rather nasty reputation, because when taken in very large doses it can become a neurotoxin.

Red Bull Sugar-free is certainly a refreshing and 'Vitalizing' drink, but not one to be trifled with. It is essentially a recreational drink, and certainly not suitable for children, or anyone with sensitivities to caffeine or any of its other ingredients. Personally, I prefer the original version anyway. It tastes better, and has far fewer nasties, which more than compensates for those few extra calories. Neither drink, however, should ever be taken in excessive quantities.

Red Bull Sugar-Free generally retails at around 90p a can at supermarkets, and a little more at smaller retailers.

http://www.redbull.co.uk/