Red Bull Has Wild Soda-Flavored Energy Drinks (But They’re Not in the U.S. Yet)

For many, many years, energy drinks were plagued by the same problem: They tasted very energy drink-y. For a lot of people, this wasn’t (and isn’t) really an issue – the sales of Red Bull and Monster are enough to prove that – but others started clamoring for something a bit lighter, a bit fresher, a bit more soda-esque. If we had to bet on it, this is what led to the success of Celsius and its myriad flavors, and of the recent move towards refreshers by virtually every fast food chain out there, which go lighter on the caffeine and heavier on the fruit notes.

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Now, though, OG energy drinks companies are starting to show even more diversity and a move towards soda flavors. The proof? Red Bull’s new soda-flavored energy drinks, which are sadly currently only available in Thailand. Let’s discuss.

Red Bull Soda Energy Drinks

As @suppwire reports, Red Bull Thailand has taken the step to bring out a range of new soda energy drinks, which are also available in several countries across Southeast Asia. These drinks go heavier on the fruitiness and freshness, and are energized with green tea, which brings the caffeine. They’re also sugar-free. 

As for the flavors currently available, as mentioned, they go heavy on the fruit, and berries and grapes make repeated appearances. There’s an Apple Muscat Grape flavor, a blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry flavor, another berry flavor (which seems to combine blueberries and dark berries), and a pineapple and grapefruit flavor. There also seems to be a coffee-infused variety. 

As yet, though, these drinks don’t show any signs of being released in Western markets, so you might have to head over to Thailand to try them out. 

Red Bull: A Thai Origin Story

It makes sense that Thailand is a site of innovation for Red Bull and its new flavors, given that the drink originated in the country. Red Bull is based on Krating Daeng, a non-carbonated energy drink that was founded by Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya in 1976. “Krating Daeng” translates to “red gaur,” with a gaur being a bison, and its logo, with two of them locking horns, was quickly mapped onto Red Bull’s Western products, too.

Six years after Krating Daeng was created, Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz tried a can of it, before reaching out to Yoovidhya to seek a partnership. A multinational drinks brand ensued, and now, we get loads of new flavors on the regular, including these. Now, if they wanna take them across the globe, that’d be just fantastic.