How Much Caffeine Is In A Starbucks Grande Cold Brew?

The main reason most of us rely on coffee in the morning or throughout the day is for the dose of caffeine that gives us a boost of energy. For some coffee drinkers, iced coffee is the go-to order regardless of the weather, because it's easier to drink and more refreshing than a steaming cup of joe. To get more caffeine and a much stronger flavor, you might enjoy cold brew coffee which is steeped in cold water for up to 24 hours. The stronger alternative to plain iced coffee has become available at various chains in recent years including, of course, Starbucks.

If Starbucks is your preferred cafe, or it's the closest to where you are, your grande cold brew coffee will come with 205 milligrams of caffeine. In comparison, a grande regular iced coffee from Starbucks contains 165 milligrams of caffeine, about 40 milligrams less than the cold brew. The coffee giant has offered cold brew since its initial launch in select markets in 2014, and its baristas make small batches of the brew daily, each of which is steeped for 20 hours. A grande cold brew coffee has five calories and zero grams of sugar or fat.

Starbucks also offers cold brew in its other sizes if a grande is too much or too little. A tall cold brew has 155 milligrams of caffeine — not much less than the grande. A venti cold brew brings it up to 310 milligrams of caffeine, while a 30-ounce trenta contains a whopping 360 milligrams. (That should keep you awake for a while.) The coffee chain also offers different cold brew beverages if you want some flavor, like its newly-released Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew, and Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew.

Note that regular cold brew doesn't come sweetened with simple syrup like a regular iced coffee, so customize your order if you don't like unsweetened coffee. You can get a touch of sweetness with a couple pumps of simple syrup or add flavor with caramel, hazelnut, toffee nut, or vanilla syrups. For more caffeine, add an espresso shot to the cold brew. A single shot of Starbucks espresso will tack on an additional 150 milligrams of caffeine, giving a grande cold brew with a shot a total of 355 milligrams, which should give you plenty of energy to get you through the day — or at least until the next coffee break.