Ever wonder which is the strongest coffee at Starbucks? Coffee plays an essential part in our everyday lives. For a lot of us, Starbucks is the go-to place to get that daily caffeine fix that serves as our daily fuel. This is no surprise because aside from the fact that their stores are everywhere, the heavily caffeinated drinks there are majestic!
Starbucks has around 87,000 different drink combinations—too many for a sleepy brain to choose from. How can we possibly make up our minds? Well, we did the research for you. Check out this list of the most potent drinks at Starbucks.
1. BLONDE ROAST DRIP COFFEE – HOT / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content: 475 mg
Calories: 5
How wrong were we to think that darker roasted coffees contain more caffeine? The Starbucks Blonde Roast brewed coffee beats its brunette sisters even with its lighter and milder flavor profile. It’s the clear winner of the strongest coffee at Starbucks.
This cup offers subtle nuttiness, soft cocoa notes, and a brighter acidity intended for not-so-big fans of the usual bitter taste. You can add milk or sugar, or you could just have it plain black.
But mind you that the recommended daily caffeine intake is only 400 mg. So, if you don’t want to end up being overly jittery about everything, just order a smaller size.
2. CLOVER BREWED COFFEE – HOT OR COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content: up to 470 mg
Calories: 5
Unlike most drip methods, you can customize a coffee’s flavors by tinkering with the water temperature and brewing time on a Clover machine. Coffee experts just love the depth of flavor and exquisite balance produced by this advanced brewing technique.
In addition, the flavor profile of a Clover-brewed coffee also depends heavily on what type of beans you use. The Starbucks Espresso Roast Clover gives you this intense, sweet caramel taste with 470 mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, opting to have Starbucks Reserve beans for this type of brewing technique could only give you a maximum of 195 mg of caffeine.
3. PIKE PLACE ROAST DRIP COFFEE – HOT / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content: 410 mg
Calories: 5
When you order at a Starbucks store and ask for their coffee of the day, you will automatically get a cup with 410 mg of caffeine if you order the largest size. Pike Place Roast is a medium-roasted coffee with a smooth body and rich flavors reminiscent of chocolate and walnuts.
Being the signature coffee of Starbucks, Pike Place Roast is served fresh every day for people who want to know what the brand tastes like if it were a cup of coffee.
4. COLD BREW – COLD / TRENTA (30OZ.)
Caffeine content: up to 360 mg
Calories: 5 – 210
The whole cold brew coffee extravaganza in the last several years has caught up a lot of attention. You know that each order of cold brew coffee contains up to 360 mg of caffeine. And that’s not the only thing that makes it so unique.
This ultra-famous summertime beverage is brewed using cold or room-temperature water instead of the traditional, off-the-boil water. So, unlike our other regular coffee drinks, cold brew has never been exposed to heat. Instead, it utilizes time to extract all the flavors and caffeine.
Cold-brew boasts a much sweeter taste and smoother mouthfeel than iced coffee. In addition, it also possesses a more delicate body and a softer acidity.
Starbucks offers Cold Brew in all different kinds and flavors. If you’re on a diet but are craving caffeine, order a Venti-sized black with only five calories. Meanwhile, the Honey Almond Milk Cold Brew has about 100 calories. And our personal favorite, Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, is up to 210 calories.
5. ICED CHOCOLATE ALMOND MILK SHAKEN ESPRESSO – COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content: 340 mg
Calories: 150
If you’re slightly sweet-toothed but love coffee at the same time, this drink is for you! The Starbucks Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso is a newly released espresso drink.
The Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso offers the same straightforward espresso flavor of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso, muted by the chocolate malt’s sweet taste and dry texture. The splash of almond milk is the perfect touch to add a little body to the drink.
It feels a little luxurious seeing the Starbucks barista prepare this drink with a cocktail shaker. Don’t be fooled, though! Its milkshake-like flavor will make you feel like a kid again.
6. ESPRESSO – HOT / QUAD (3 OZ.)
Caffeine content 300 mg
Calories 20
Real coffee addicts go for straight shots of espresso in demitasse cups. And each shot contains around 75 mg of caffeine!
When you add at least 9 atmospheres of pressure to coffee grounds with extra hot water to extract flavors and caffeine, the finished product would obviously be robust. Starbucks uses espresso beans from Latin America that are masterfully blended to give us that rich, naturally sweet taste.
So, if you really want that giant caffeine kick, you can have espresso in its simplest form. No water. No milk or sugar. Just the dark mahogany-brown liquid topped with a golden foam called the crema. And you could order by the number of shots you want—solo, doppio, triple, or quad.
Espresso Macchiato and Espresso Con Panna also contain the same amount of caffeine. Although, the macchiato has 25 calories as the espresso is finished with a dollop of milk, and the con Panna has 45 calories because you get your espresso with whipped cream on top.
7. NITRO COLD BREW – COLD / GRANDE (16 OZ.)
Caffeine content up to 290 mg
Calories 5 – 230
Starbucks offers your favorite cold brew beverages in creamier, thicker, and much colder versions. Infused with nitrogen, this drink is best served with no ice, just like beer.
The Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew has a more velvety texture and a more evident body than your regular cold brew. The smooth, luxurious texture of the foam and sweet, dark-colored flavor of the coffee will surely leave a mark on your lips, literally.
Once you decide to try this beverage, your barista will most likely offer you to have it in their for-here glass. The cascading effect of the bubbles will let you appreciate the coffee more.
Lastly, it’s always fun to see your beverage poured out of a tapped keg. Get ready to get drunk with coffee!
8. ICED COFFEE – COLD / TRENTA (30 OZ.)
Caffeine content 280 mg
Calories 160
If you’re up for a quick caffeine fix, order a freshly brewed Starbucks Trenta Iced Coffee. It’s your average cup of joe, but with a refreshing twist that’s lighter and has more acidity than the hot brewed version.
Usually, getting it plain black is a little too stimulating. Try adding some pumps of simple syrup and a splash of breve milk if you’re feeling a little adventurous. It’s just the perfect companion if you are trying to pull an all-nighter.
9. STARBUCKS RESERVE DARK CHOCOLATE MOCHA – HOT OR COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content 265 mg
Calories 380 / 400
Starbucks is obsessed with experimenting with its coffee. In fact, new flavors are featured almost every three months. And somehow, it feels a little disappointing to get a particular beverage only in a specific season.
In 2016, Starbucks offered the Dark Chocolate Mocha in select stores. This drink is made with Starbucks Reserve Espresso shots, luscious dark cocoa, and chocolate powder finished with milk on top. With popular demand, it has now become a regular part of their menu.
If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, Starbucks Reserve Dark Chocolate Mocha is the drink for you. It’s bittersweet and creamy, delicious over hot or iced, plus it has a higher caffeine content than most of our chocolate-based beverages.
10. ICED CAFFÉ MOCHA – COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content 265 mg
Calories 450
The classic mocha makes it to the list with 265 mg of caffeine!
We’re talking about the iced version, which contains three espresso shots with about 265 mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, its steaming hot counterpart only has two shots and doesn’t make it to this list.
The Iced Caffé Mocha tastes like your favorite chocolate drink with coffee in it. The chocolate sauce tones down the strong espresso flavor so it’s not too overpowering, proving that chocolate and coffee make for the best duo!
11. ICED CARAMEL MACCHIATO – COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content 225 mg
Calories 350
The Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato is probably one of the most popular coffee drinks Starbucks has ever offered.
Macchiato in Italian means “stained” or “spotted.” With this drink, espresso is poured in last and leaves a mark on top of the milk. In addition to that, a macchiato drink tends to have an espresso forward flavor because you get to sip more of the espresso first.
In the case of the Starbucks Iced Caramel Macchiato, it’s made with vanilla-flavored milk, so it’s definitely a sweeter experience. And the three espresso shots floating on top of your drink are toned down with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
12. ICED WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA – COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content 225 mg
Calories 560
The Iced White Chocolate Mocha is similar to our Caffé Mocha with less caffeine and made with white chocolate instead. The iced version also has three shots of espresso, whereas the hot version only gets two.
This coffee is what baristas usually suggest if you’re in dire need of caffeine but aren’t much of a fan of that bitter espresso taste. The white chocolate is extremely sweet and makes the drink very creamy. It’s also really good with whipped cream on top.
This is your halfway house if you want to transform yourself into a full-fledged coffee drinker.
13. ICED CAFFÉ LATTE – COLD / VENTI (24 OZ.)
Caffeine content 225mg
Calories 180
Last but not least, we have the Iced Caffé Latte. Its hot version doesn’t make it to the list for the same reasons the Mocha and White Mocha drinks don’t.
A latte is composed of just espresso and milk—it’s that simple. The dense body of milk offsets the bitter-tasting components coffee possesses. Although, you still get that kick from the espresso’s flavor.
Since the drink is very basic, you might want to add a little sugar or syrup to your Iced Caffé Latte. There are so many flavors available, but the hazelnut and Irish crème are our choices!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
What is the recommended daily caffeine intake?
For adults, the FDA recommends about 400 mg of caffeine a day. However, there’s a wide variation to how sensitive one’s body can be to the effects of caffeine.
Does the pink drink have caffeine?
Yes, the famous pink drink is slightly caffeinated. The beverage is composed of the same green coffee extract present in the Very Berry Hibiscus Tea Refresher. A grande-sized (16 oz.) pink drink has about 45 mg of caffeine.
How much caffeine does Starbucks Double Shot Energy have?
One 15 oz can of Starbucks Double Shot Energy has about 135 mg of caffeine. Surprisingly, it’s not the strongest coffee at Starbucks.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We’ve gotten some misconceptions out of the way today. It’s not true that the more bitter the drink is, the more caffeine it has. And size truly doesn’t matter. Going up a cup size doesn’t automatically mean you get more caffeine. With that, it can get a bit tricky when deciding what drink to order in Starbucks to get through a night of studying or a demanding day of work.
Requesting for an extra shot of espresso in whatever drink you want to have just sometimes doesn’t work out in flavor. Now, you’ll be strutting in the cafe with the information in this article. Equipped with your favorite among the list, you’re not gonna be the reason for the long line at the counter.
Suppose you’re not really into coffee drinks. Then, Starbucks offers Frappuccinos, refreshers, and tea-based beverages with a considerable amount of caffeine to fuel up your day. It won’t give you the same kind of kick as the ones we have on the list above, but they’ll do. The strongest amount of caffeine a body can handle differs from one to another.
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