The Strongest Coffee at Starbucks + 13 Most Caffeinated Drinks

Updated on: April 28, 2023
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The Strongest Coffee at Starbucks + 13 Most Caffeinated Drinks

You're probably feeling like the walking dead and you're looking to order the strongest coffee at Starbucks to wake you the eff up!

We got you because we know exactly how you feel...

The strongest and most caffeinated drink at Starbucks is the Venti Blonde Roast Dead Eye!

And we think it's called that because it revives the walking dead... Do you see where we are going here?!

We also put together a list of other strong coffees at Starbucks with a lot of caffeine, to help you power through your day, but also to give you some variety too! So you don't have to have the same drink every day.

You're welcome! So, let’s get into it.

The Strongest Coffee at Starbucks Based on Caffeine Content

Here are the most caffeinated drinks at Starbucks:

  1. Dead Eye
  2. Black Eye
  3. Red Eye
  4. Clover® Brewed Coffee
  5. Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee
  6. Nitro Cold Brew
  7. Plain Brewed Coffee
  8. Caffè Americano
  9. Iced Shaken Espresso
  10. Iced Caffe Mocha
  11. Macchiato
  12. Latte
  13. Flat White

1. Dead Eye

So here we are, with the most caffeinated drink at Starbucks - the Dead Eye! What is it?

First of all, this drink is not on the menu, so it's kind of a secret. Probably because they don't want to promote so much caffeine intake from just one drink.

The dead eye, also known as the green eye, is a regular brewed coffee with three (3) shots of espresso in it.

Dead Eye Coffee

You might be thinking how is this legal, right?! Well, not a lot of people know about it and we certainly do not recommend having it. Especially since the FDA recommends no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day!

Basically, consume this at your own risk, because the caffeine levels are outrageous. And each espresso shot contains approximately 75 mg of caffeine:

Blonde Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 405 mg
  • Tall: 495 mg
  • Grande: 585 mg
  • Venti: 700 mg

Pike Place Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 380 mg
  • Tall: 460 mg
  • Grande: 535 mg
  • Venti: 635 mg

Dark Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 355 mg
  • Tall: 420 mg
  • Grande: 485 mg 
  • Venti: 565 mg

2. Black Eye

Next on our list is the Black Eye, which is the same idea as the Dead Eye, but with two (2) shots of espresso! Or "doppio espresso" if you're feeling your oats...

This drink is not as intense as the Dead Eye, but it still packs a punch and we recommend that you proceed with caution!

You will not find the Black Eye on the Starbucks Menu for that exact reason.

So without further ado, here is the caffeine content in this drink:

Blonde Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 330 mg
  • Tall: 420 mg
  • Grande: 510 mg
  • Venti: 625 mg

Pike Place Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 305 mg
  • Tall: 385 mg
  • Grande: 460 mg
  • Venti: 560 mg

Dark Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 280 mg
  • Tall: 345 mg
  • Grande: 410 mg 
  • Venti: 490 mg

3. Red Eye

Yes, you guessed it, the Red Eye coffee must be the same idea but with one (1) shot of espresso... Genius I say!

This drink is still quite high in caffeine content, but more reasonable and certainly much more popular than its previous two cousins, the Dead and Black Eye coffees.

I say that from my experience working at Starbucks! This drink would get ordered about 2 to 3 times per week on average, which I think is quite often for such a strong drink...

Here are the caffeine levels:

Blonde Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 255 mg
  • Tall: 345 mg
  • Grande: 435 mg
  • Venti: 550 mg

Pike Place Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 230 mg
  • Tall: 310 mg
  • Grande: 385 mg
  • Venti: 485 mg

Dark Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 205 mg
  • Tall: 270 mg
  • Grande: 335 mg 
  • Venti: 415 mg

4. Clover® Brewed Coffee

Clover® Brewed Coffee may not be available at your local Starbucks, unfortunately. If you do have access to it, it's certainly worth trying, because it is quite delicious.

The Starbucks Clover® brewing system brews a single cup of coffee at a time: the coffee grounds and the hot water flow into the chamber and steep for several seconds before the piston rises with the used coffee grounds.

Clover Brewed Coffee - Caffeine Content
Source: Wikipedia

Because of the immersion and vacuum brewing methods in the Clover® brewing system, more caffeine reaches the cup, which makes it stronger than regular brewed coffee and one of the strongest coffees at Starbucks!

Clover® Coffee Dark Roast

  • Short: 190 mg
  • Tall: 280 mg
  • Grande: 380 mg
  • Venti: 470 mg

Clover® Coffee Medium Roast

  • Short: 170 mg
  • Tall: 280 mg
  • Grande: 375 mg
  • Venti: 445 mg

Clover® Brewed Coffee Light Roast

  • Short: 155 mg
  • Tall: 255 mg
  • Grande: 340 mg
  • Venti: 425 mg

5. Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee

The Starbucks cold brew coffee is one of the more popular items on the Starbucks menu, and for good reason. Cold brew coffee has “the right balance of sweetness with citrus and chocolate notes” according to Starbucks.

Do you know the difference between a Starbucks cold brew and a Starbucks iced coffee? Well, cold brew and iced coffee employ completely different brewing procedures.

Starbucks iced coffee is just hot coffee that has been doubled in strength and poured over some ice, whereas a  more complex framework is taken when it comes to making a cold brew coffee.

Starbucks steeps its coffee ground blend in filtered water for 20 hours after cooling.

Check out the different caffeine content for a few different cold brews, including the sweet cream cold brew, which is the regular cold brew with sweet vanilla cream added to it... So good!

Regular Starbucks Cold Brew 

  • Tall: 155 mg
  • Grande: 205 mg
  • Venti: 310 mg
  • Trenta: 360 mg

Honey Almond Milk Cold Brew 

  • Tall: 155 mg
  • Grande: 205 mg
  • Venti: 310 mg
  • Trenta: 360 mg

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew 

  • Tall: 145 mg
  • Grande: 185 mg 
  • Venti: 275 mg
  • Trenta: 320 mg

Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew 

  • Tall: 150 mg
  • Grande: 200 mg
  • Venti: 300 mg
  • Trenta: N/A

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew 

  • Tall: 145 mg
  • Grande: 185 mg
  • Venti: 275 mg
  • Trenta: 320 mg

Cold Brew Coffee With Milk 

  • Tall: 155 mg
  • Grande: 205 mg
  • Venti: 310 mg
  • Trenta: 360 mg

6. Nitro Cold Brew

If you are shocked to learn that Starbucks steeps their cold brew for 20 hours, then wait till you learn how they make the Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew.

By infusing the coffee with nitrogen bubbles, this beverage provides a variation to the store's typical cold brew. Since it is cold enough, Nitro Cold Brew does not require ice. Actually, they recommend against adding ice because the ice reacts with the nitrogen bubbles and ruins the velvety texture of this drink.

Caffeine of the Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew
Source: Starbucks.com

The nitro cold brew has a frothy top, and no sugar, milk, or straw is required, but of course, you can add some if you like. I love adding vanilla sweet cream to it and sometimes even vanilla sweet cream cold foam!

If you prefer large coffee cups, this is not the drink for you: only Tall and Grande sizes of Nitro Cold Brew are available. The unique foamy top and bubbles would be removed if this drink was served in larger Starbucks cup sizes

Regular Nitro Cold Brew

  • Tall: 215 mg
  • Grande: 280 mg

Honey Almond Milk Nitro Cold Brew

  • Tall: 210 mg
  • Grande: 265 mg

Salted Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew

  • Tall: 200 mg
  • Grande: 270 mg

Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew

  • Tall: 200 mg
  • Grande: 265 mg

7. Plain Brewed Coffee

During peak hours, Starbucks usually has three types of Starbucks coffee brewing: Blonde Roast, Dark Roast, and Pike Place, a Starbucks-created mix that is available all day.

 

Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee is made with light roast beans and is preferred among those who enjoy their coffee with sugar and milk. 

Starbucks Dark Roast coffee has a strong flavor and is often served with sugar or cream.

If you are searching for the best Starbucks coffee beans to brew at home, then check out our top list.

Blonde Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 180 mg
  • Tall: 270 mg
  • Grande: 360 mg
  • Venti: 475 mg

Dark Roast Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 130 mg
  • Tall: 195 mg
  • Grande: 260 mg 
  • Venti: 340 mg

Pike Place Brewed Coffee

  • Short: 155 mg
  • Tall: 235 mg
  • Grande: 310 mg
  • Venti: 410 mg

8. Caffè Americano

For individuals who prefer espresso drinks over drip coffee or other types of coffee, a Caffè Americano is made by diluting a shot or more of espresso with hot water to reduce the sharpness of the taste.

Like most of the Starbucks iced coffee versions of hot drinks, there is an iced Caffè Americano version, but it is unavailable in a Short sized cup.

Hot Caffè Americano

  • Short: 75 mg
  • Tall: 150 mg
  • Grande: 225 mg
  • Venti: 300 mg

Iced Caffè Americano

  • Short: N/A
  • Tall: 150 mg
  • Grande: 225 mg
  • Venti: 300 mg

9. Iced Shaken Espresso

The Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso is made with shots of espresso that are shaken with ice, chilled, and then sweetened and combined with milk to provide a delightful drink to savor on the go.

Caffeine in Iced Shaken Espresso
Source: Starbucks.com

The first iced shaken espresso drink that Starbucks came up with was the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and it was a complete hit. So they ended up introducing other flavors!

Iced Shaken Espresso

  • Tall: 150 mg
  • Grande: 225 mg
  • Venti: 300 mg

Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

  • Tall: 170 mg
  • Grande: 255 mg
  • Venti: 340 mg

Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

  • Tall: 170 mg
  • Grande: 255 mg
  • Venti: 340 mg

Iced Chocolate AlmondMilk Shaken Espresso 

  • Tall: 170 mg
  • Grande: 255 mg
  • Venti: 340 mg

10. Iced Caffè Mocha 

The iced caffè mocha involved espresso shots with dark chocolate mocha syrup, cold milk, and whipped cream on top. 

If you order this Starbucks drink in a Venti, you'll get a triple shot of espresso. A Venti cup of hot caffè mocha, on the other hand, only contains 2 shots of espresso.

Keep in mind that the bittersweet mocha sauce also has some caffeine in it, because chocolate in general has caffeine.

Iced Caffè Mocha 

  • Tall: 95 mg
  • Grande: 175 mg
  • Venti: 265 mg

11. Macchiato

A macchiato is an espresso-based Starbucks coffee drink with a dollop of foam and steamed milk. It's called a macchiato because a very small amount of milk is added to mark the espresso.

Hence, the word "macchiato" means "marked" or "stained" in Italian!

But the macchiato has evolved with many variations, such as an iced macchiato or my personal favorite, the iced caramel macchiato. I highly recommend that you try it at least once.

Caramel Macchiato

The caffeine amount in Starbucks Macchiatos varies depending on the number of espresso shots used in a serving. Check out the amounts below:

Espresso Macchiato

  • Solo: 75 mg
  • Doppio: 150 mg
  • Triple: 225 mg
  • Quad: 300 mg

Caramel Macchiato

  • Short: 75 mg
  • Tall: 75 mg
  • Grande: 150 mg
  • Venti: 150 mg

Iced Caramel Macchiato

  • Tall: 75 mg
  • Grande: 150 mg
  • Venti: 225 mg

12. Latte

Who doesn’t love a latte? This hot drink is an all-time favorite around the world, and it never seems to go out of style. It's a classic! Even the iced caffè latte.

And as usual, Starbucks has come up with many variations for the latte, with different flavors and different types of espresso beans, such as the Starbucks Blonde Vanilla Latte!

Your hot latte will contain one shot of espresso if you order a Short or Tall Caffe Latte. The Grande and Venti, on the other hand, have two shots in them.

But the shots for an iced latte are different, so check out the caffeine content below:

Caffè Latte

  • Short: 75 mg
  • Tall: 75 mg
  • Grande: 150 mg
  • Venti: 150 mg

Iced Caffè Latte

  • Tall: 75 mg
  • Grande: 150 mg
  • Venti: 225 mg

Cinnamon Dolce Latte

  • Short: 75 mg
  • Tall: 75 mg
  • Grande: 150 mg
  • Venti: 150 mg

Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte

  • Tall: 75 mg
  • Grande: 150 mg
  • Venti: 225 mg

Starbucks Reserve® Latte

  • Short: 135 mg (2 shots)
  • Tall: 135 mg (2 shots)
  • Grande: 135 mg (2 shots)
  • Venti: 265 mg (4 shots)

Starbucks Reserve® Hazelnut Bianco Latte

  • Short: 135 mg (2 shots)
  • Tall: 135 mg (2 shots)
  • Grande: 135 mg (2 shots)
  • Venti: 200 mg (3 shots)

Starbucks® Blonde Vanilla Latte

  • Short: 85 mg
  • Tall: 85 mg
  • Grande: 170 mg
  • Venti: 170 mg

Iced Starbucks® Blonde Vanilla Latte

  • Tall: 85 mg
  • Grande: 170 mg
  • Venti: 225 mg

13. Flat White

Flat White first gained popularity in New Zealand and Australia, and it is now offered in nearly every Starbucks location. 

Flat White

The hot flat white has a higher caffeine content than the iced version. A Grande serving of the former provides 195mg of caffeine, while the latter contains 130mg.

Ristretto espresso shots and steamed whole milk are used to make this not too creamy and not too strong beverage.

Flat White

  • Short:
  • Tall: 130 mg
  • Grande: 195 mg
  • Venti: 195 mg

Iced Flat White

  • Tall: 90 mg
  • Grande: 130 mg
  • Venti: 175 mg

Honey AlmondMilk Flat White

  • Short: 150 mg
  • Tall: 150 mg
  • Grande: 225 mg
  • Venti: 225 mg

Iced Honey AlmondMilk Flat White

  • Tall: 150 mg
  • Grande: 225 mg
  • Venti: 300 mg

Analyzing The Amount Of Caffeine In Starbucks Drinks

Starbucks' Top 10 Strongest Coffees

The major constituent in a large number of Starbucks drinks is espresso, of course, brewed coffee also has caffeine.

But if we are looking at espresso-based drinks, then calculating how many shots of espresso you get in your Starbucks coffee drink is one of the fastest ways to figure out how much caffeine you are about to consume. 

Starbucks utilizes the same recipe for most espresso-based drinks: one espresso shot (solo) for Short and Tall cups, and two shots (doppio) for Grande and Venti cups.

Note that this rule does not always apply. For example, a doppio is used for short cups in several drinks, such as flat whites.

Additional components, such as whipped cream, milk, and sweeteners, will not weaken the caffeine amount in these beverages, as the espresso is the only caffeine source.

Unless we are talking about the caffè mocha or iced caffè mocha because chocolate has some caffeine in it. In which case, the caffeine source in these drinks is not just the espresso!

By knowing how much caffeine is in a shot of espresso, you can calculate exactly how much caffeine goes into each espresso-based beverage.

The Caffeine Content In Espresso

There are four espresso sizes when it comes to caffeinated drinks at Starbucks:

  • Solo (0.75 fl. Oz)
  • Doppio (1.25 fl. Oz)
  • Triple (2.25 fl. Oz)
  • Quad (3 fl. Oz)

As we previously mentioned, solo servings are typically used for drinks in Short and Tall sized cups, and doppio servings are usually used for Grande and Venti drinks.

So if each espresso shot contains 75 mg of caffeine, then a solo shot contains 75 mg of caffeine (duh), a doppio contains 150 mg, a triple contains 225 mg, and a quad contains 300 mg. 

The Different Starbucks Cup Sizes

The Many Cup Sizes Of Starbucks

Starbucks uses unique naming standards for their cups as an alternative to using the standard 'small’, ‘medium’, and ‘large' sizes that you'd expect to find elsewhere. 

Instead, Starbucks uses the following cup names:

  • Short (8 fl. Oz)
  • Tall (12 fl. Oz)
  • Grande (16 fl. Oz)
  • Venti (20 fl. Oz or 24 fl. Oz)
  • Trenta (30 fl. Oz)

Have you ever wondered why there are two large sizes? The reason for this is that the smaller of the two (the Venti) is used for hot drinks and the larger is used for iced drinks. That's because ice takes up more room in the cup.

Generally speaking, Grandes, Ventis, and Trentas contain the most caffeine as they contain two or more shots of espresso, while Shorts and Talls contain only one. 

The Different Types Of Coffee Bean Roasts

Apart from the amount of espresso in a cup, the amount of caffeine in each one varies based on the roast type of the coffee beans.

You can choose from several types of roasted coffee beans, including dark roast, light roast, medium roast, and blonde roast.

 

Dark roasts offer richer flavors, but it doesn't automatically imply that they're higher in caffeine. Because caffeine breaks down during the roasting process, lighter roasts typically contain more caffeine than darker roasts.

Therefore, light roasts and blonde roasts tend to contain more caffeine than darker roasts, or medium.

The Different Types Of Drinks At Starbucks

The Types Of Drinks At Starbucks

Customers can choose from hundreds of drinks on the Starbucks menu, as we're sure you already know. While they are most renowned for their coffee, they also provide a wide range of other beverages, such as the Starbucks Refreshers which also have caffeine in them from green coffee beans.

We've categorized the most popular Starbucks beverages below to give you a quick idea of what's available.

Brewed Coffees

The majority of Starbucks' strongest drinks are their caffeinated coffee beverages, as one might assume. 

A coffee and milk beverage would typically contain full, non-fat, 2%, soy, or coconut milk, however, this has no effect on caffeine levels. Furthermore, whether it is hot or cold has no effect on caffeine concentration.

Many people believe that decaf coffee does not contain any caffeine, but this is not true: depending on the serving size, decaffeinated coffee contains between 15 and 30 mg of caffeine.

The Caffeine Content Of Caffeinated Coffee

Here are the average caffeine levels of a caffeinated coffee at Starbucks:

  • Short cup: between 75mg and 190mg
  • Tall cup: between 75mg and 280mg
  • Grande cup: between 125mg and 380mg
  • Venti cup: between 150mg and 475mg

Frappuccinos

The Starbucks Frappuccino is one of their most popular drinks. They combine frappuccino coffee or cream base, different flavors, and ice to create a creamy, cold beverage with a lovely texture. 

Depending on your craving, you can get a coffee frappe or a cream variant. The former is more popular because it comes with caffeine, while the latter is part of the caffeine-free Starbucks drinks.

There are about 20 different Starbucks Frappuccino variations across the menu, both caffeinated and decaffeinated. They are only available in the following sizes: tall, grande, and venti.

The Caffeine Content Of Frappuccinos

Here are the average caffeine levels of a regular espresso Frappuccino at Starbucks:

  • Tall cup: 125 mg
  • Grande cup: 155 mg
  • Venti cup: 185 mg

Steeped Teas

While Starbucks is most known for its extensive coffee selection, it also sells tea. 

There are many different types of tea on the Starbucks menu, but overall, it is estimated that each cup of tea contains less than 100 mg of caffeine. 

The types of tea that are higher in caffeine are the Matcha Tea Latte, which has 110 mg of caffeine per Venti serving; the Venti Chai Tea Latte (hot) has 120 mg, and the Iced Chai Tea Latte in a Venti size has 145 mg of caffeine.

Hot Chocolate

Finally, hot chocolate is a popular beverage among Starbucks customers. While most people would go for a mocha if they wanted something chocolatey and caffeine-filled, it's worth mentioning that hot chocolate includes caffeine as well.

Because chocolate contains modest levels of caffeine, each Venti chocolate drink should include roughly 35 mg of caffeine.

RELATED: Looking for Cheap Starbucks Drinks? Here are 17 Great Options!

Final Thoughts

Overall, Dead Eye and its siblings the Black Eye and the Red Eye, or the Clover® Brewed Coffee are excellent sources of instant energy boosts.

If you prefer espresso-based drinks, keep track of how many espresso shots are used in each size so you know how much caffeine is in each beverage.

We hope you found this article useful! And remember not to overdo it with caffeine!

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Felipe is a tea expert with an engineering background! He loves to drink and learn all about tea and coffee. His love for tea was discovered while living in Japan and his favorites are Sencha & Pu'er!
Disclaimer:

This article is intended for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Do not consume any type of coffee, tea or herbal infusion if you are allergic to it. The information in this article is not intended to treat serious medical conditions. Please seek professional medical advice before using home remedies.

Sources:

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