Red Bull, the leaders in the Energy Drink Beverage category, are trying hard to stave off their competitors in bars across the country, as bartenders substitute their drink for less expensive brands when making cocktails.
A nightclub in Chicago was forced to fork over more than $500,000 after undercover Red Bull Operatives ordered a "Red bull and vodka" and received a different brand.  This nightclub makes the fourth in a string of successful lawsuits Red Bull has made to bars in its undercover energy drink operation.

"Red Bull is going after high-profile bars and trying to make examples out of them. Their approach is to vigorously defend their brand," said Brian Morgan, a senior research analyst at Euromonitor International.

The drink has caught on so much that many bars can simply not keep up the inventory space - as the cans take up so much room.  Bar owners complain that they take up a lot of inventory space and produce a lot of waste.  Instead, Red Bull found that bartenders had been finding Red Bull tastealike syrup and had been using them in smaller and easier to store soda guns.

The problem is that Red Bull owns so much of the lions share, the word Red Bull is taking on the same meaning as Band Aid or Kleenex, in that the brand describes the product.   "They seem to be trying to make an example out of me," said Brett Sawyer, the owner of the Sports Column - a bar in Iowa that got hit with the suit.  “It’s not about me damaging them. It’s about them using their money, ‘Red Bully,’ to scare other bars to carry their product.”  Watkins said Red Bull refused to settle the case out of court.  “Red Bully. Because that’s what they are. They just want to use money. It’s lawsuit abuse. They just want to use money to beat me up,” Watkins said.   As  Red Bull seeks to protect its market and label - expect more of these suits to happen across the country. 
 
source:http://www.adpulp.com/archives/2006/05/vodka_and_fake.php
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu-red-bullmay01,0,5083163.story
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070814_tnt_redbulllawsuit.34990379.html