Seeing Red

Occasionally, The Beer Revolution will drift off the topic of beer and into social and political areas of drinking in Ireland (but not too often - it's not much fun!).

Having previously lambasted the much loved pint, what is my target this time as the cause of 'binge drinking' and the alcohol fuelled breakdown of society? It is the monster that is Red Bull mixed with alcohol.

All joking aside, I do have serious misgivings with the common misuse of alcohol and energy drinks (primarily Red Bull). I'm not going to get into a food and drug discussion on taurine, caffeine or glucuronolactone (all active ingredients in Red Bull) but rather talk about my own observations and experiences regarding Red Bull and alcohol.

Now, I'm no fan of prohibition. Red Bull, drunk in moderation, is probably no more malign than coffee. In fact, Red Bull suggest a comparison to coffee as a usage guideline (one can of RB contains about the same caffeine as a cup of coffee) and a RB spokesperson has been quoted as saying "We have always recommended drinking one to two cans of Red Bull to have the optimum effect on performance in times of need." But despite the fact that in Canada and Sweden, it is expressly recommended that Red Bull is not mixed with alcohol, we, in Ireland, happily sell it by the case load from branded fridges in pubs.

What harm? You might say. Have you ever seen somebody after several double vodka and Red Bulls? I have and it's not a pretty sight. Alcohol is a depressant. If you drink too much of it, you will, eventually, fall asleep. Add a stimulant drink into the equation and the sleep part doesn't come into play. More and more alcohol can be consumed without the sleepy side effects. The result is an extremely inebriated, wound up ball of energy who either wants to fight you or be your friend (sometimes at the same time!). Both very unpleasant options. I know this from experience.

From one, ok two, first hand, long past, experiences, I know what the combination of Red Bull and alcohol is like. I know that it tasted horrible, cost a small fortune and left me with parts of my night missing on both occasions. As a younger man, I probably did indulge in alcohol more than was good for me, on occasion, but to loose my memory was a very, very rare thing. The only two times I mixed Red Bull with alcohol, memory loss was a factor. Not nice.

It is my personal theory that much of the violence on our streets which is blamed on cocaine use, is, in fact, the result of the abuse of alcohol and Red Bull type drinks. Please note that I use the term 'abuse'. Red Bull isn't in its own right a problem. The excessive consumption of it with alcohol is the problem.

Obviously, as a beer enthusiast, I'm not in favour of "sweety shots" and "alcopops" and feel that they don't give younger people a respect for alcoholic beverages but my problems with RB and alcohol are more fundamental.

To put it bluntly, I think Red Bull and similar stimulant drinks should be banned from sale where alcohol is sold. If, a few years down the line, the kids are getting completely out of control on espresso and vodka, we'll review that then!

Interestingly, Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay, Denmark, and Iceland while Switzerland and Finland have lifted previous bans. Personally, it wouldn't affect me if it were to be banned here entirely but The Beer Revolution is all about choice and personal responsibility, therefore I only suggest that it is not sold with alcohol as that particular mix tends to diminish one's ability to be personally responsible.

I hope you like the picture of a red bull at the top.

Here's an interesting thread on the subject

My last drink was; Weihenstephaner Hefeweiss, 5.4%abv, 50cl