Sleep-deprived New Yorkers make switch to beef jerky to get caffeine fix 
 
 Rosier/News Gabriel Colinesco gives Perky Jerky smile of approval. 
 
 Put down that espresso. And forget about chugging another Red Bull. 
 
 Sleep-deprived New Yorkers have a new way to get their caffeine fix: beef jerky. 
 
 Tribeca inventor Matt Keiser, 38, came up with what he thinks is the world's first caffeinated beef jerky after spilling a can of Red Bull on the meaty snack while skiing in Utah four years ago. 
 
 Perky Jerky hit the Internet in August and will be sold in Sports Authority shops beginning next week. 
 
 "This is a great combination," said Keiser, who founded the company with his ski partner, Brian Levin, 37. 
 
 "It is like vodka and orange juice, or peanut butter and chocolate," Keiser said. 
 
 The odd treat sells for $2.99 for a 1 oz. bag and $4.99 for a 2 oz. bag. Each ounce contains 60 mg of caffeine - the same as slurping down a small cup of coffee or about one can of Red Bull. 
 
 The Daily News took the jerky to the streets, asking caffeine freaks to try the peppy - and peppery - snack. 
 
 Brave barista Keyon Revels, 24, walked away from working a Wall Street espresso machine to chomp on some Perky Jerky. "Ewww," Revels yelped. "It is disgusting. I like beef jerky. I like caffeine. But it is not a good combination." 
 
 Engineer and gym rat Sal Bouseliman, 41, said the jerky gave him an extra jolt while lifting weights at New York Sports Club. "I didn't crash after the workout like I do with Red Bull," he said. 
 
 simonew@nydailynews.com ||||| Because you can’t believe every cartoon that says drinking a can of energy drink will cause you to suddenly sprout wings and float into the sky, Red Bull has agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a lawsuit that was seeking class-action status to settle claims of false advertising. 
 
 According to BevNET, Red Bull could be handing over the first payment of $6.5 million in a matter of a week if the proposed settlement is approved by a court. 
 
 It’d cover millions of people who bought at least one can of Red Bull in the past 10 years, with members of the suit each getting a $10 cash reimbursement or two free Red Bull products. 
 
 While the plaintiffs didn’t actually believe they’d be growing wings and fluttering above everyone else, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit claimed that he’d been drinking Red Bull since 2002, and accused the company of misleading consumers about how superior it is with the slogan “Red Bull gives you wings.” 
 
 He alleges that Red Bull’s claims of increased performance, concentration and reaction speed are false, among others. That idea is repeated throughout Red Bull’s marketing campaigns in print, TV and the Internet, as well as athlete endorsements and its Red Bull Flugtag series, the suit claims. 
 
 “Such deceptive conduct and practices mean that [Red Bull’s] advertising and marketing is not just ‘puffery,’ but is instead deceptive and fraudulent and is therefore actionable,” the suit says. 
 
 But Red Bull gives that boost through caffeine alone, the plaintiffs claim, citing articles by the New York Times and others, and not with ingredients like guarana. 
 
 “Even though there is a lack of genuine scientific support for a claim that Red Bull branded energy drinks provide any more benefit to a consumer than a cup of coffee, the Red Bull defendants persistently and pervasively market their product as a superior source of ‘energy’ worthy of a premium price over a cup of coffee or other sources of caffeine,” the suit says. 
 
 In response to the settlement news, the brand said in a statement: 
 
 “Red Bull settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation. However, Red Bull maintains that its marketing and labeling have always been truthful and accurate, and denies any and all wrongdoing or liability.” 
 
 The company has agreed to withdraw and change its marketing claims as a result as well, despite denying any wrongdoing. 
 
 Red Bull to Pay $13 Million for False Advertising Settlement [BevNET]
– Next time you’re tired and hungry, don’t waste time pounding a Red Bull and a snack—get both fixes with some Perky Jerky. Available on the Internet and coming next week to Sports Authority outlets in New York, each ounce packs as much caffeine as one cup of coffee or a can of Red Bull. “This is a great combination,” a company founder tells the Daily News, “like vodka and orange juice, or peanut butter and chocolate.” Matt Keiser says the idea was born on a Utah ski slope 4 years ago, when he slopped Red Bull on some jerky. It got mixed person-on-the-street reviews, however. “It is disgusting,” one New Yorker says. “I like beef jerky. I like caffeine. But it is not a good combination.” But, says another, “I didn’t crash after the workout like I do with Red Bull.”