After slightly modifying the original formula of Krating Daeng to better suit Westerners’ tastes, Red Bull was born. In 1984, Mateschitz and Yoovidhya came together to create the private company Red Bull GmbH to mass-produce the energy drink.

Red Bull dominates the world energy drink market… Once its reach became truly global, Red Bull began launching new releases and flavors to better appease Western tastes. It first began popping up on American supermarket shelves in 1997, and it finally reached the Middle East in 2000. For the first six years of its existence, the energy drink lived only in Austria before reaching the U.K. Slowly, Red Bull made its way across the globe.Įven though it debuted in 1987, it took Red Bull some time to gain traction across the world. In English, the name Krating Daeng translates to “red bison.” After trying the drink on a business trip to Thailand, Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired to create and market a similar beverage to European countries - even using the same name as the aforementioned brand. The name “Red Bull” is based completely on the Thai energy drink Krating Daeng, a brand originally founded by Chaleo Yoovidhya in 1976. For Red Bull, Imitation Was the Sincerest Form of Flattery.

Amped to learn more? Here are 11 more things to know about Red Bull.

Red bull 1980