The product is the latest in a series of brand extensions by the Austrian drinks company, following the introduction of Red Bull Cola last year and could herald a new era of innovation in the soft-drinks sector.
In the US the 'shot' is available in the same variants as Red Bull's other energy drinks, including sugar-free, and positioned as 'the only shot that gives you wings'.
David Goudge, managing director at innovation firm Brand Development, believes such activity in the energy-drinks market in the UK is timely. 'It is a way of giving consumers a wake-up in a discreet way, without them having to drink large volumes of liquid. If brands get it right, it will be quite fashionable,' he says.
Chasing the competition
Red Bull's Energy Shot is not the first entrant to the shots category in the UK, however.
Viva Beverages launched Quick Energy in the UK in March. A range of orange-flavoured, sugar-free vitamin energy shots, is has been available in the US since 2004.
This year it plans to spend about £2m on marketing the product, having already rolled out a TV campaign and sampling programme, both of which target 18- to 35-year-old men. Red Bull will therefore have to move quickly if it is to prevent Quick Energy's lead becoming unassailable.
A spokeswoman for the British Soft Drinks Association said: 'The UK food and drink market is active and fluid so there is always room for new products if they can appeal to consumers, but only the most successful products will survive.'
Goudge adds: 'I would imagine that a retailer won't carry many of these, so the first big mover will have the advantage.'
The 'shots' category is seen as a viable alternative to larger-format energy drinks as they provide energy loads in small doses. Shots are also seen as healthier as they can avoid the use of sugar, although Red Bull's Energy Shot in the US does contain sucrose, glucose and sugar substitutes.
Pepsi, under its energy brand Amp, also has a citrus-flavoured energy shot brand in the US. However, a Pepsi spokeswoman said she was unaware of any plans to launch the product in the UK. Coca-Cola launched its Relentless energy drink in 2006 in the UK, posting sales of £40m in the 52 weeks to 17 January 2009, according to AC Nielsen. The company refused to comment on whether it had any plans to enter the energy shot market.
Red Bull's decision to do so in the UK is a clear indication of the potential growth within a relatively nascent area of soft-drink innovation. The UK's sports and energy drinks market grew 15% in 2008; with the introduction of shots, that strong growth could continue.
A spokesman from Red Bull said there were 'no immediate plans' to launch the shot in the UK.