How Much Caffeine Is In Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew? A lot!

Turn to Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew if you really need to jumpstart your morning!

Starbucks is often the first place many of us turn for a morning pick-me-up. It’s consistent, widely available, and has a large and customizable menu. One of the newer additions to that menu is Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew.

Not only is it sweet, creamy, refreshing, and delicious, but it packs a serious caffeine wallop! How serious? Let’s find out.

What Is Nitro Cold Brew?

Nitro cold brew is cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas, which gives it its characteristic creamy mouthfeel – just like Guinness beer, another nitrogenated drink. And like beer, Starbucks serves its nitro cold brew on tap (1).

Learn more in this video:

Nitrogen is odorless and colorless, though many people report that nitro cold brew has a natural sweetness. It’s also perfectly safe. Indeed, nitrogen makes up nearly 80% of Earth’s atmosphere. 

Want to try making nitro cold brew at home? You only need 3 things.

How Much Caffeine Is In Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew?

There are 215 mg of caffeine in a Tall (12 ounces) Nitro Cold Brew and 280 mg in a Grande size (16 ounces). Starbucks does not offer a Venti-sized Nitro Cold Brew because it tends to lose its “nitro cascade” when poured beyond a certain amount – ruining its creamy, frothy texture (2).

You can also get a Nitro Cold Brew With Vanilla Sweet Cream, which ups the calories and reduces the caffeine slightly by replacing some of the cold brew with cream. There are 200 mg of caffeine in a Tall and 265 mg in a Grande.

There is more caffeine in Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew coffee than their regular cold brew. Starbucks’ standard cold brew coffee has 155 mg of caffeine in a Tall and 205 mg in a Grande.

How Does Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Compare With Other Brands? 

Cold brew coffee tends to be more highly caffeinated than hot coffee, but the precise caffeine content varies widely between brands. Here’s how a few of the more popular options stack up against Starbucks.

Choose Death Wish Coffee if you want the most caffeine bang for your buck but aren’t necessarily as concerned about great flavor. Death Wish canned cold brew has 300 mg in an 8-ounce can. For reference, Red Bull also comes in an 8-ounce can, which has just 80 mg of caffeine. So tread carefully.

Stumptown’s Cold Brew is another fairly punchy offering. Stumptown Original Cold Brew has 257 mg of caffeine in a 10.5-ounce can – the famous Stubby. The canned Nitro Cold Brews are even peppier, with 252 mg in the Original Nitro and 289 mg in the Hair Bender Nitro.

Wandering Bear Cold Brew comes in a box and is served on tap, so you can dole out your own portion size. The recommended serving is 6 ounces, which contains 150 mg of caffeine. If you wanted to ramp it up to a Starbucks Grande size, 16 ounces would have 400 mg – the recommended daily limit.

Final Thoughts

Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew contains approximately 215 mg of caffeine in a Tall and 280 mg in a Grande – substantially more than their regular cold brew. It’s a great option if you need an extra boost in the morning. But caffeine content aside, Nitro Cold Brew is a wonderfully sweet and creamy treat that is well worth a try!