Red Bull can “give you wings”, while Vodka can you make sleepy. What is the solution? It is, of course, the famous Red Bull and Vodka mix, which makes it easy to enjoy alcohol without a fear of passing out – - or does it?

The Red Bull and Vodka mix is also known as a “study aid”, because some people seem to believe that it allows staying in a good “mood” while pulling an all-nighter before an exam.

I did not actually believe this was happening, until I accidentally overheard a couple of students talking about mixing Red Bull and Vodka to stay more “alert” while studying for an important test.

So is it a good idea to mix alcohol with energy drinks? Apparently, some European countries (Denmark and France) did not think so. To prevent people from making RBV (Red Bull and Vodka) concoction, Red Bull was banned in said countries.

In other countries, including U.S., it remains a very popular drink. The thinking goes that the caffeine in Red Bull can counteract the intoxicating effects of alcohol, which sounds like a nice theory.

However, according to Brazilian researchers, mixing Red Bull and Vodka can make you feel less drunk, but this perception could be dangerous, because it masks symptoms of intoxication.

In this study, the straight-vodka drinkers did not feel as alert and coordinated as Red Bull + Vodka drinkers, but the latter group scored just as badly on their motor, coordination and reaction times tests.

While we are on the subject of mixing vodka with other drinks, Australian researchers found that combining vodka with an artificially sweetened mixer makes you drunker, versus a drink made with real sugar.

According to the study, the “diet” mix spikes blood alcohol levels much higher, because it passes through the stomach faster.