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Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Caffeine Content Guide: How Much Is In It?

Your local coffee shop may know how to sling coffee beans, but do they use nitrogen gas for their coffee?

Starbucks has made waves by debuting its signature Starbucks nitro cold brew, a new way to enjoy cold coffee.

We’re here to explain what you should know about this new nitro cold brew and how much caffeine it’s packing. Read on!

What Is a Nitro Cold Brew Coffee?

Source: Starbucks.com

Regular cold brew coffee requires you to steep your coffee beans in water, either cold or lukewarm water, for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours.

This standard cold brew version can also be picked up at your favorite coffee shop, but be wary of its naturally higher caffeine content! Cold brew is extremely concentrated.

You may notice that a cup of normal cold brew coffee has a different taste compared to the hot joe from your local coffee shop.

That’s because cold brew has a lower acidity than hot drinks.

However, the nitrogen cold brewing method involves using nitrogen gas to give your drink a pleasant frothy texture.

This changes the texture of your drink from coffee into something akin to alcohol, but with more caffeine!

The nitrogen gas won’t greatly affect the flavor or negatively impact your health since it’s just used to give your drinks a creamy texture. Starbucks nitro cold brew is smooth and rich but not inherently dangerous.

Plus, being infused with nitrogen creates a uniquely sweet taste, eliminating the need to add sweetener or milk to your nitro cold brew. This is helpful if you’re at risk of diabetes but still want

How Much Caffeine Is in a Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Coffee?

Don’t expect your nitro cold brew to have less caffeine than your normal drink because cold brew tends to have more caffeine than regular coffee.

This isn’t from the nitrogen but because cold brew is chilled black coffee. The basic form of this world-renowned drink lacks ice or other sweeteners like sweet cream.

A standard cup of Starbucks nitro cold brew (or a “Tall” cup) contains 215 mg of caffeine, while a grande has 280 mg of caffeine. If you don’t want that much caffeine, stick to non-nitro coffee.

The caffeine content in the nitro cold brew is over 100 mg higher than a comparatively-sized order of black coffee, which should tell you how strong nitro is.

How Does the Caffeine Content Fare Against Its Competitors?

Nitro coffee’s frothy texture and rich taste hide a fairly shocking amount of caffeine per cup.

Now, while the distinctive keg and tap of nitro cold brew dispense a kick, it’s not as strong as the other kinds of coffee that Starbucks offers.

The strongest item on the menu is a venti-sized Blond roast, which has an almost-dangerous 475 mg of caffeine in one order. The Pike Place roast filter comes in second with 410 mg per Venti.

While nitro cold brew could be much stronger, it’s limited by the lack of a Venti-sized option on the menu. Let’s be real, do you need that much?

How Much Caffeine Is in Nitro Cold Brew VS Regular Coffee?

You may be wondering, “Does Starbucks nitro cold brew have as much caffeine as other Starbucks drinks?” The answer is yes! A regular cup of coffee can’t even begin to compare.

One order of nitro cold brew has 215-280 mg of caffeine depending on the size of your order, which may seem odd, considering nitrogen doesn’t contain any caffeine.

As it turns out, nitrogen isn’t the source, but the beans used for your cold brew! Normal cold brew is usually made with stronger coffee beans, and nitro cold brew is no different.

One grande order of regular coffee contains about 190 mg of caffeine compared to nitro cold brew’s 215-280 mg.

Is It Safe to Consume the Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Coffee?

Source: Starbucks.com

While caffeine is prized the world over as the perfect way to perk up with just one cup, it’s also noted for its health benefits, like improving your mood and providing you with antioxidants.

This bean-infused beverage is high in caffeine but low in calories, so it’s a great energizer. You take in a bit of caffeine, however small, whenever you drink coffee.

The flavor and subsequent feeling you get after one drink are great as a pick-me-up, but overdoing it can be harmful.

The FDA recommends setting a daily caffeine limit of 400 mg. A tall cup of nitro cold brew will provide you with 215 mg, over half the daily limit.

Adding cream will lower it to 200 mg, but you may still consume caffeinated drinks like soda or tea later in the day.

Caffeine overconsumption can lead to nausea and headaches and escalate into vomiting and chest pains.

To avoid getting sick from your vanilla nitro cold brew, think twice before getting a second cup.

Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Canned Products

You don’t have to stick with the standard nitro cold brew because Starbucks has created several beverages to suit your taste!

Even if you can’t reach your nearest Starbucks, you can grab some nitro cold brew to drink on the go. Here are some of the other canned beverages you can try:

Dark Cocoa Sweet Cream

Source: world.openfoodfacts.org

Just as sweet as it sounds and lowers on caffeine!

Black Unsweetened

Source: heb.com

Also known as the black version, each can pack 155 mg of caffeine.

Dark Caramel

Source: bevnet.com

It is 155 mg and has a nice warm flavor per can.

Vanilla Sweet Cream

Source: freshbybrookshires.com

Vanilla nitro sweet cream is ideal if you want a less-caffeinated drink with 110 mg of caffeine.

Conclusion

Several Starbucks locations and groceries have begun offering their new Starbucks nitro cold brew coffee, a cool and refreshing way to get your daily dose of caffeine.

If you’re afraid of consuming too much caffeine, you can dilute your drink with something sweet, like sugar or milk. You can also avoid nausea by drinking less coffee.

Whether you want it in a cup or a can, there are enough different flavors of this concentrated drink for every fan.

So head to your local Starbucks and look for the special nitro cold brew keg!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Learn more about Starbucks’ nitro cold brew here!

Why Can’t I Get a Venti-Sized Nitro Cold Brew?

This successful beverage has captured the attention of anyone who drinks coffee, but some fans have been left wondering, “Why doesn’t Starbucks offer nitro cold brew in their largest cup?

Unfortunately for hardcore fans of nitro coffee, this drink is only served in either Tall or Grande sizes. There’s a reason you can’t order a Venti nitro cold brew at your local Starbucks.

There’s no issue with their keg, and there’s nothing wrong with the tap that this beverage comes from.

The issue lies with their (then-) largest cup itself: The appeal of nitro cold brew is its bubbly texture, but the Venti cup is so large that filling it up causes the drink to lose its bubbles