The Starbucks Drink With The Most Caffeine

It's no secret that Starbucks is full of caffeinated drinks — after all, is there any beverage more associated with caffeine than coffee? In addition to the vast array of coffee drinks at Starbucks, you'll also find caffeine in many of the chain's teas and other drinks. But which Starbucks drink actually has the most caffeine?  The answer might surprise you. The most caffeinated Starbucks drink is the blonde roast brewed coffee, which contains 360 milligrams of caffeine in a 16 fluid-ounce drink (a Starbucks grande). 

If you've ever wondered how much of a difference there is between a blonde roast and a dark roast, in comparison, a grande dark roast has just 260 milligrams of caffeine. Sitting right in the middle of the two, a grande medium roast — like Pike Place — has 310 milligrams of caffeine. And, for those of you who prefer cold coffee, a grande Starbucks Iced Coffee has a bit less caffeine, with just 165 milligrams. However, a Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee — not to be confused with a typical Iced Coffee — boasts 205 milligrams of caffeine. 

These coffee drinks all contain vastly more caffeine than any of the Starbucks teas on the menu — both the Iced Green Tea and the Iced Black Tea have just 25 milligrams of caffeine, while a Chai Tea has 40 milligrams and a Matcha Tea Latte has 80 milligrams. Meanwhile, the Starbucks Refreshers — which are made from green coffee beans — range from 45 to 50 milligrams of caffeine in a grande, depending on the flavor.

If you're more of an espresso drinker — whether that means straight espresso or espresso-based drinks like lattes — then you're probably wondering how the caffeine content in espresso compares to that of the brewed coffee and teas we've already covered. To start with, an Iced Doppio Espresso (2 shots of espresso) comes in at 150 milligrams of caffeine. 

It's worth noting here that an Iced Shaken Espresso (which contains milk and simple syrup along with the espresso) has a slightly higher caffeine level, with 225 milligrams, because it includes 3 shots in a grande size instead of 2 in a smaller cup. Most of Starbucks' grande espresso-based drinks — lattes, cappuccinos, etc. — contain 2 shots of espresso, which means that they all contain about 150 milligrams of caffeine, just like the Iced Shaken Espresso. 

The exception is the Americano — a grande size has 3 shots of espresso and, thus, includes 225 milligrams of caffeine. To put all of this information into perspective, the Mayo Clinic asserts that about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is totally safe. So, that means that you don't need to worry if you want a second Vanilla Latte, but you may not want to have a second cup of the Starbucks blonde roast.