What’s the best Red Bull flavor? As recently as 2012, that would have been a really wild question to ask, because it wasn’t until 2013 that the iconic energy drink brand expanded beyond its original flavor (which, in my opinion, is best described as medicinal liquid candy—yum). Nowadays, there are a lot of Red Bull flavors and colors to choose from—but which is the best tasting Red Bull?
Despite coming of age in the late 1990s, when the Jägerbombs flowed like water and you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing one of those quirky animated commercials where someone sprouts wings, I never really became a Red Bull fan. In fact, it had pretty much entirely escaped my attention that the energy drink brand that launched a million human-powered flying machines had branched out into wild flavors that go beyond the vaguely medicinal original flavor.
In our initial Red Bull taste test, we tried every flavor of Red Bull we could get our hands on. And then we did it again recently in yet another Red Bull taste test—because there were more Red Bull flavors to be had. We tried all the latest color-themed “editions” and their sugar free counterparts, too. If you’re a big Red Bull fan, you might take issue with some of these decisions, but according to three professional taste testers, these are the best Red Bull flavors the next time you need a boost.
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- Red Bull Amber Edition Sugar Free
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Red Bull added more sugar free flavors to its lineup since the last time we did a full Red Bull taste test, and now there are way better options than Red Bull Zero and Red Bull Sugar Free. Red Bull Amber Edition, which is strawberry-apricot flavored, has a sweet, peachy profile that lends itself nicely to its sugar replacements (sucralose and acesulfame potassium). I took a sip and was like, wow, I don’t think I would even know this was sugar free—but then the aftertaste sort of settles on your tongue and you’re reminded that this is, in fact, a sugar free drink. It’s not the best sugar free Red Bull, but it’s pretty good.
Credit: Liv Averett / DoorDash
- Red Bull Red Edition Sugar Free
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We’ll get to it in a minute, but, spoiler, Red Bull Red Edition is one of the best Red Bull flavors in my book. It’s watermelon flavored and it tastes exactly like a sour watermelon candy that was dissolved in bubbly water. The sugar free version has a little less tang than the sugar-sweetened version, but it’s still good—like sweet watermelon candy instead of sour watermelon candy.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Red Bull Coconut Edition
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I really liked this coconut-berry Red Bull flavor in our previous taste test, but I’ll admit that it’s way more intensely coconutty than I remember it being. Have you ever had a Tiger’s Blood snow cone or shave ice? That’s what this Red Bull flavor reminds me of. It’s aggressive, but I like it—but I also recognize it isn’t for everyone.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Red Bull Yellow Edition
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Red Bull Yellow Edition is “tropical” flavored, and this definitely tastes tropical. It’s a very mango-forward flavor. If you like fake mango flavor—like Mango White Claw, for instance—you’ll probably really like this. It’s not the best Red Bull flavor for me personally, but if you’re in the mood for a classically tropical boost of energy, it’s the one to grab.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Red Bull Red Edition
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If I’d put together this ranking without my lovely colleagues’ input, this would be the best Red Bull flavor on the list. The fake watermelon flavor is on point. I happen to live in a household with a person who hates actual watermelon but loves fake watermelon flavor, and this would definitely hit the spot for him. Sure, sometimes really natural watermelon flavor is lovely—but in a can of Red Bull, I’m fine with the tangy, overly saccharine faux stuff.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Red Bull
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I’m one of those people who simply never got used to the taste of Red Bull. Will I order a Vodka Red Bull at a bar if I have a long night ahead of me and my energy is flagging? Sure, but it would never be my first pick. But I get it—there’s something to be said for the totally unique if slightly medicinal flavor of original Red Bull. It’s the Red Bull that started it all, and we’re putting some respect on its name, dammit. To me, it tastes like cough medicine and liquid cotton candy, but to my colleague Justine Sterling, it tastes like an intensely sweet, highly nuanced tonic water. It may not be the best Red Bull flavor, but it deserves a spot in the top three.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Red Bull Amber Edition
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Red Bull Amber Edition was released in 2022, and the flavor profile is supposedly strawberry and apricot with a touch of peach. I’ll be honest: To me, this tastes like straight-up peach soda with a little bit of strawberry tang. Is that a bad thing? Nope. In fact, this almost took the top spot.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Red Bull Green Edition
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Red Bull Green Edition has to be the weirdest Red Bull flavor—but it’s also the best Red Bull flavor. How ‘bout that? The flavor profile is curuba-elderflower—isn’t that wild? If you’re not familiar, curuba is a South American fruit that’s also known as a banana passion fruit. Does this Red Bull flavor taste like curuba? I certainly could not tell you. In fact, I’m not even familiar enough with the flavor of elderflower to tell you if they got that right. All the same, this tastes like delicious, tangy, tart tropical fruit punch and we all loved it. If you’ve been sleeping on this one because it’s simply too strange, give it a shot.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
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Other Red Bull flavors we tried: Blue Edition Sugar Free, Sea Blue, Pink Edition, Pink Edition Sugar Free, Sea Blue, Sugar Free, Zero Sugar
