Red Bull
Red Bull is a carbonated energy drink with no alcohol, launched in Austria in April 1987. A 250ml can carries 80mg of caffeine and 27 grams of sugar, with taurine and B vitamins, and at 32mg of caffeine per 100ml it must carry the UK high-caffeine warning. Our Boston Trash Can turns a whole can upside down into the glass.
Quick Facts
Store unopened cans cool and out of direct sun. Chill before serving; once opened it will not hold its fizz, so use it straight away.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.
About Red Bull
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Sweet and sharply tart with a synthetic citrus edge and a dry caffeine bite: unmistakable, and loud enough to carry a drink on its own.
Caffeine, taurine and sugar in a 250ml can
Red Bull’s UK site names caffeine, taurine, B-group vitamins, sugars and water as the core ingredients, with 80mg of caffeine and 27 grams of sugar in a 250ml can. That is 32mg of caffeine per 100ml. Red Bull Sugarfree replaces the sugar with sucralose and acesulfame K and keeps the caffeine at 80mg a can.
The UK label calls it high in caffeine
Food law in Great Britain requires any drink with more than 150mg of caffeine a litre, other than tea or coffee, to say "High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women", with the figure per 100ml. Red Bull, at 320mg a litre, carries it, and so does every cocktail that uses a whole can.
Red Bull against two sweet mixers, per 100ml (producers’ UK sites, 10 October 2026)
Red Bull
- Alcohol
- None
- Caffeine
- 32mg
- Sugar
- 10.8g
- Job in a drink
- Length, sweetness and a stimulant
Coca-Cola Original Taste
- Alcohol
- None
- Caffeine
- Listed; amount not given
- Sugar
- 10.6g
- Job in a drink
- Length, sweetness and colour
Fever-Tree Premium Lemonade
- Alcohol
- None
- Caffeine
- None listed
- Sugar
- 7.6g
- Job in a drink
- Length and sweetness
| Mixer | Alcohol | Caffeine | Sugar | Job in a drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull | None | 32mg | 10.8g | Length, sweetness and a stimulant |
| Coca-Cola Original Taste | None | Listed; amount not given | 10.6g | Length, sweetness and colour |
| Fever-Tree Premium Lemonade | None | None listed | 7.6g | Length and sweetness |
Caffeine changes how drunk you feel, not how drunk you are
Drinkaware warns that the very high levels of caffeine in many energy drinks can mask the sedative effects of alcohol. The alcohol is all still there: the Boston Trash Can holds 90ml of spirits and liqueurs before the can goes in. Count the drinks rather than the alertness, and treat it as the strong drink it is.
The can is the measure
Our recipe opens the can and upends it into the drink at the very end, which is why the ice stops a third short of the rim. A part-used can goes flat quickly, so there is no keeping one; store cans somewhere cool and dark, and refrigerate them ahead of a party.
Using Red Bull
Usage
In our Boston Trash Can the can goes in whole, opened and upended into a glass of ice over six 15ml measures of spirits and liqueurs. Serve it cold and just opened, and count the alcohol rather than judging by how awake you feel.
Pro Tip
Open the can at the glass, not before. The upside-down pour in a Boston Trash Can only works with full fizz, and the drink is liveliest in its first minutes.
Top Tips
- Treat the can as the measure: our recipe uses all 250ml.
- Count the alcohol, not the alertness. Caffeine masks how drunk you feel.
- Serve it straight from the fridge; warm, it tastes sweeter and goes flat faster.
- Leave the syrup out. A can already carries 27 grams of sugar.
Possible Substitutions
- Lemon-Lime Soda: Length and sweetness without the caffeine
Production Method
Carbonated water with sugars (sweeteners in the sugar-free version), caffeine, taurine, B-group vitamins, acids and flavourings.
History & Context
Red Bull Energy Drink was launched in Austria in April 1987, according to the company, which Dietrich Mateschitz founded in the mid-1980s.
More to explore
Common Questions
How much caffeine is in Red Bull?
Is it safe to mix Red Bull with alcohol?
How much sugar is in Red Bull?
What cocktail uses Red Bull?
Can I use sugar-free Red Bull?
Can I swap Red Bull for another energy drink?
Is Red Bull suitable for children or in pregnancy?
Made with Red Bull
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 10 October 2026