25 Strongest Starbucks Drinks (For Caffeine Lovers)

The Most Caffeinated Starbucks Drinks

Need a serious caffeine fix? If you’re wondering what the strongest Starbucks drinks are, you’ve come to the right place!

When it comes to coffee, Starbucks is one of the most popular places to go. They have a wide variety of coffee and espresso drinks that will give you the caffeine boost you need.

But with so many choices, it can be hard to know which drink will give you the most bang for your buck (you know, from a caffeine point of view!). That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the strongest coffees at Starbucks, so you can know exactly what to order when you need an extra boost.

Let’s start by introducing you to the most caffeinated drinks you can order from Starbucks’ menu.

Then, I ranked them based on the most caffeine per drink order and most caffeine per fl oz. and organized it all in tables. That way, you’ll be sure to get a jolt, no matter the cup size or add-ins.

What is the Strongest Starbucks Coffee?

The Starbucks drink with the highest caffeine amount is the Venti® Veranda Blend® Blond Roast with 475 mg of caffeine in 24 fl oz, or 23.75 mg of caffeine per fl. oz. The Short Clover® Dark Roast Brewed Coffee has 190 mg of caffeine in a much smaller cup, slightly beating the Veranda in terms of caffeine concentration. However, the Starbucks Espresso is by far the most concentrated. Each 0.75 fl oz shot contains 100 mg of caffeine per fl oz—more than 4x the caffeine per fl oz than the other two.

Strongest Starbucks Coffees

When you need an extra boost, most caffeinated drinks you can order from Starbucks’ menu. They all have more than 10 mg of caffeine per fl oz, so you’ll be sure to get a jolt no matter the size or add-ins.

Strongest Brewed Coffees

Veranda Blend® – Blonde Roast

Caffeine: 180mg-475mg; Ingredients: brewed coffee

A light roast, a.k.a blonde roast, is a slightly roasted coffee bean, so it’s lighter in color. Blonde roast coffees are typically more acidic than darker roasts and have higher caffeine content than their darker counterparts. Blond roasts are known for being robust and flavorful. And Starbucks’ Veranda Blend® is one of the strongest coffees out there. So if you’re looking for a coffee that will wake you up and get you going in the morning, this is the one for you!

Clover® Brewed Coffee – Light, Medium, and Dark Roast

Caffeine: 155mg-445mg; Ingredients: brewed coffee

Clover coffee has a light and refreshing taste that is perfect for morning or afternoon sipping. It is made with a Clover machine—a particular single-cup brewing machine that evenly distributes the water and grinds the beans to create a perfect cup of coffee each and every time. And because the machine grinds the beans fresh, each cup has a slightly different and quite powerful flavor!

Starbucks recently brought back the Clover brewing system and added an incredible selection of light, medium, and dark roasts that you can try. And all three count toward my list of the most caffeinated coffees you can order!

Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast

Caffeine: 155mg-410mg; Ingredients: brewed coffee

Starbucks medium roast is perfect for those who want to enjoy the full flavor of the coffee beans without the bitterness that can come with darker roasts. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of caffeine in each cup!

Featured Medium Roast – Pike Place®

Caffeine: 155mg-410mg; Ingredients: brewed coffee

If you’re looking for a delicious medium roast with a good caffeine content, you can’t go wrong with Starbucks Pike Place® roast. It is their most popular coffee for a reason—it’s smooth and has just the right amount of flavor.

Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast

Caffeine: 130mg-340mg; Ingredients: brewed coffee

What makes Starbucks dark roast so special? For starters, it’s made with 100% Arabica beans. This gives the coffee a richer flavor than other coffees just can’t compete with. In addition, the beans are roasted longer, giving the coffee its signature deep and bold flavor. Not to mention that intoxicating morning coffee smell!

Featured Starbucks Dark Roast Coffee

Caffeine: 130mg-340mg; Ingredients: brewed coffee

Dark roasts create a rich and bold cup of coffee that is perfect for those who love a strong cup of coffee in the morning. Starbucks features different dark roasts throughout the year—and they all have similarly high caffeine amounts. So if you’re looking for a delicious dark roast with plenty of caffeine, head to your local Starbucks and try their latest featured coffee. You won’t be disappointed.

Cold Brewed Coffees

Cold brew is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for an extended period (usually 12 hours or more). The coffee never touches heat, resulting in a highly caffeinated, less acidic, smoother cup of joe.

Cold Brewed Coffee

Caffeine: 150mg-330mg; Ingredients: cold brewed coffee, ice

Starbucks has perfected the cold brew process. They produce small batches of cold brew to ensure that every cup is as refreshing as it is rich. Starbucks steeps coffee grounds in room-temperature water for 20 hours! This lengthy process results in a coffee concentrate that can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brewed Coffee

Caffeine: 140mg-320mg; Ingredients: cold brewed coffee, vanilla sweet cream, ice

The Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brewed Coffee from Starbucks is the perfect drink for summer. This Starbucks cold coffee favorite is made with cold brew coffee, milk, vanilla syrup, and topped with sweet cream. But don’t be fooled—even with all this added milk and cream goodness, this coffee is still one of the most caffeinated Starbucks drinks!

Nitro Cold Brew

Caffeine: 215mg-280mg; Ingredients: cold brewed coffee, nitrogen microbubbles

Starbucks has jumped on the trend and is now offering this unique beverage at select locations. So what is nitro cold brew? It’s essentially cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen, which gives it a creamy texture and slightly sweet flavor. If you’re a fan of Starbucks iced coffees, you’ll be happy to know that nitro cold brew has even fewer calories and sugar. As a bonus, you’ll feel like you’re drinking a pint of Guinness with lots of caffeine-boosting energy and none of the hangover!

Espresso and Espresso-Based Drinks

Espresso is made by forcing hot water through tightly packed coffee beans, creating a much stronger flavor than your typical drip coffee. Starbucks has a variety of espresso-based drinks for your to indulge in. So, if you want a LOT of extra caffeine in your life, there’s a Starbucks espresso drink for you.

Expresso

Caffeine: 75mg-300mg; Ingredients: espresso

A single shot of espresso has 75Mg of caffeine—no wonder so many espresso-based drinks are among the strongest Starbucks coffees! Depending on your thirst for caffeine, you can order 1-4 espresso shots at Starbucks: Solo (1 shot), Doppio (2 shots), Triple (3 shots), and Quad (4 shots) are the standard menu choices. But you can add as many espresso shots as you can handle to any Starbucks drink.

Iced Espresso

Caffeine: 75mg-300mg; Ingredients: espresso, ice

Espresso is typically served as a hot drink. But pour it over ice, and you’ve got yourself a major caffeine kick and a brand freeze! The Starbucks Iced Espresso is typically served in a Tall cup regardless of the number of shots you want.

Espresso Con Panna

Caffeine: 75mg-300mg; Ingredients: espresso, whipped cream

Espresso Con Panna, a shot of espresso with a dollop of whipped cream, is a quintessential Starbucks beverage. And while it may seem like an indulgence, this caffeine-rich drink only has 1Mg of sugar. So, next time you need an afternoon pick-me-up, reach for an Espresso Con Panna instead of a sugary energy drink.

Espresso Macchiato

Caffeine: 75mg-300mg; Ingredients: espresso, steamed milk foam

Espresso Macchiato combines Starbucks’ rich, delicious espresso with steamed milk foam. The result is a rich, creamy beverage with a good caffeine punch!

Caffè Americano

Caffeine: 75mg – 300mg; Ingredients: espresso, water

U.S. soldiers added water to the Italian espresso during WWII, and the watered-down version became known as “Americano.” Caffè Americano is espresso topped with water to create a vibrant cup of coffee with a light layer of crema on top. If you’re feeling adventurous, ask the barista to add an extra shot of espresso to your size of choice!

Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice

Caffeine: 150mg-375mg; Ingredients: espresso, ice, classic syrup, milk

The Doubleshot on Ince is the only hand-shaken espresso drink at Starbucks. The combination of espresso with milk, syrup, and ice creates a slightly sweet and kind of frothy espresso.

25 Strongest Starbucks Coffees – Ranked by Caffeine Amount

Rank	Starbuck Drink	Cup Size	Serving Size (fl oz)	Caffeine Concentration (mg/fl oz.)	Caffeine (mg)
1	Veranda Blend® Blonde Roast	Venti®	20 fl oz	23.75 mg/fl oz	475 mg
2	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast	Venti®	20 fl oz	23.50 mg/fl oz	470 mg
3	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	Venti®	20 fl oz	22.25 mg/fl oz	445 mg
4	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Light Roast	Venti®	20 fl oz	21.25 mg/fl oz	425 mg
5	Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	Venti®	20 fl oz	20.50 mg/fl oz	410 mg
6	Featured Medium Roast – Pike Place®	Venti®	20 fl oz	20.50 mg/fl oz	410 mg
7	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast	Grande	16 fl oz	23.75 mg/fl oz	380 mg
8	Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice	Venti®	20 fl oz	18.75 mg/fl oz	375 mg
9	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	Grande	16 fl oz	23.44 mg/fl oz	375 mg
10	Veranda Blend® Blonde Roast	Grande	16 fl oz	22.50 mg/fl oz	360 mg
11	Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast	Venti®	20 fl oz	17.00 mg/fl oz	340 mg
12	Featured Starbucks® Dark Roast Coffee	Venti®	20 fl oz	17.00 mg/fl oz	340 mg
13	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Light Roast	Grande	16 fl oz	21.25 mg/fl oz	340 mg
14	Cold Brewed Coffee	Trenta	30 fl oz	11.00 mg/fl oz	330 mg
15	Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brewed Coffee	Trenta	30 fl oz	10.67 mg/fl oz	320 mg
16	Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	Grande	16 fl oz	19.38 mg/fl oz	310 mg
17	Featured Medium Roast – Pike Place®	Grande	16 fl oz	19.38 mg/fl oz	310 mg
18	Expresso	Quad	3 fl oz	100.00 mg/fl oz	300 mg
19	Iced Espresso	Quad	3 fl oz	100.00 mg/fl oz	300 mg
20	Espresso Con Panna	Quad	3 fl oz	100.00 mg/fl oz	300 mg
21	Espresso Macchiato	Quad	3 fl oz	100.00 mg/fl oz	300 mg
22	Caffè Americano	Venti®	20 fl oz	15.00 mg/fl oz	300 mg
23	Nitro Cold Brew	Grande	16 fl oz	17.50 mg/fl oz	280 mg
24	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast	Tall	12 fl oz	23.33 mg/fl oz	280 mg
25	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	Tall	12 fl oz	23.33 mg/fl oz	280 mg

20 Strongest Starbucks Coffees – Ranked by Caffeine Concentration

Rank	Starbuck Drink	Caffeine Concentration (mg/fl oz.)
1	Expresso	100.00 mg/fl oz
2	Iced Espresso	100.00 mg/fl oz
3	Espresso Con Panna	100.00 mg/fl oz
4	Espresso Macchiato	100.00 mg/fl oz
5	Veranda Blend® Blonde Roast	23.75 mg/fl oz
6	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast	23.75 mg/fl oz
7	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	23.44 mg/fl oz
8	Clover® Brewed Coffee – Light Roast	21.25 mg/fl oz
9	Brewed Coffee – Medium Roast	20.50 mg/fl oz
10	Featured Medium Roast – Pike Place®	20.50 mg/fl oz
11	Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice	18.75 mg/fl oz
12	Latte Macchiato	18.75 mg/fl oz
13	Nitro Cold Brew	17.50 mg/fl oz
14	Brewed Coffee – Dark Roast	17.00 mg/fl oz
15	Featured Starbucks® Dark Roast Coffee	17.00 mg/fl oz
16	Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew	16.56 mg/fl oz
17	Flat White	16.25 mg/fl oz
18	Caffè Americano	15.00 mg/fl oz
19	Cold Brewed Coffee	11.00 mg/fl oz
20	Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew	10.67 mg/fl oz

Coffee Q&A

Hot Brewed vs. Cold Brew

When it comes to caffeine, is cold brew stronger than hot brew coffee? First, let’s look at the science behind these two brewing methods: Hot brew coffee is made by pouring hot water over the grounds and letting it steep. The high temperature of the water extracts more of the coffee’s oils and caffeine. Cold brew takes 12 hours or more to make. During this long brewing time, more of the coffee’s soluble particles are extracted into the water. In the end, cold brew has a higher concentration of caffeine. Still, it dilutes when served over ice or infused with nitrogen oxide bubbles, so you end up with similar caffeine levels.

Espresso vs. Brewed Coffee

When it comes to coffee, there are two main types: espresso and brewed. Both have caffeine, but espresso is more potent. So, what’s the difference? Espresso is made by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee beans. This process extracts more of the beans’ oils, giving espresso its signature intense flavor. Brewed coffee is made by steeping ground coffee in hot water for a few minutes, then filtering it out. So, which is better? It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a strong cup of coffee with a bold flavor, go for espresso. On the other hand, brewed coffee is the way to go if you prefer a lighter cup of coffee with subtle flavors.

How much caffeine should you have in a day?

According to the FDA, most healthy adults can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily. However, pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions should limit their caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day or less.

Final Thoughts

Determining the strongest coffees at Starbucks is a matter of perception and taste. However, from a strict caffeine content, the Veranda Blond® Roast, Clover® Dark Roast Brewed Coffee, and the Classic Espresso are the top contenders. This is because they have the highest caffeine amounts per serving, as well the highest concentration of caffeine per fl oz.

However, caffeine is not the only thing that gives you that energy kick. The type of coffee beans, roasting style, cup size, and add-ins also change how your drink will hit you. 

Drinking Cuban coffee feels like a jolt of lightning has hit you because of the sugar in it! Granted, the crash after drinking a sugar-loaded Cuban colada is no joke… but I digress. 

My point is you can increase your caffeine content by altering your order. For example, the larger the cup, the more caffeine your brewed coffee will contain. You can get a lot more caffeine if you go from a Grande size to a Venti. 

Additionally, you can add more shots to make your espresso drinks even stronger. For example, my go-to Starbucks drink is a Hot Triple Grande Soy Latte. “Triple” means I order an extra espresso shot for the Grande cup. This increases the caffeine from 150mg to 225mg—which is more than enough caffeine for me!

If you’re looking for a coffee that will wake you up and keep you going all day, there are plenty of options on the Starbucks menu that will do the trick!

Sources:

Starbucks – Beverage Nutrition Master List

U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?