Some people drink Starbucks because they love it – the rest drink it for the caffeine kick only, which is perfectly fine. There are many people in the world that don’t like the taste of coffee but drink it for its caffeine, and also its addictive properties. So what is the best Starbucks drink to wake you up? Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just saying an ‘espresso’, you have to factor in roast, blend, size, shots, and other elements. Let’s have a look.
What Makes a Drink Better for Waking Up?
The easy answer to this question is caffeine. The higher the caffeine content in a coffee or coffee beverage, the more immediate energy it will provide. While sweeteners may also contribute to the energy boost provided by a coffee beverage, energy from sugars is generally more of a short-term benefit compared to caffeine.
As mentioned, caffeine reduces tiredness and increases alertness in the drinker. Caffeine is also proven to improve other brain functions, including focus and mood, providing even more context for why caffeinated beverages, like coffee, are so popular for mornings. Additionally, caffeine is shown to increase metabolism and exercise performance, helping consume energy and move throughout the day.
What Is the Best Starbucks Drink to Wake You Up?
A regular brewed black coffee is actually the best Starbucks drink for waking up. Specifically, blonde roasts, such as the Veranda Blend, are the best. While many people may think of some type of espresso-based beverage as the ideal morning pick-me-up, this isn’t actually correct due to caffeine levels and the amount of drink.
This is because blonde roasts are only lightly roasted, leaving higher levels of caffeine in the coffee beans. A Grande (16oz.) cup of blonde roast coffee from Starbucks contains roughly 360mg. of caffeine, which is plenty to wake a person up in the morning.
If blonde roasts are not a person’s favorite blend, that is okay. Standard medium-roast coffee also has a good amount of caffeine to start the day. For example, a medium roast, such as the Pikes Place Roast, has about 310mg of caffeine in a Grande size coffee (16oz.).
Again, that is enough caffeine to wake up. It is important to remember that, generally speaking, the darker the roast the lower the caffeine levels will be. While it is still a tasty way to wake up and begin a day, a featured dark roast at Starbucks will only have about 260mg of caffeine in a Grande size (16oz.) cup of coffee.
Discover the most popular Starbucks drinks that people order.
Other Great Options for Waking Up at Starbucks
While a brewed coffee, especially light and medium roasts, may be the best way to wake up at Starbucks, there are plenty of other beverages that provide enough caffeine and flavor to start the day.
For the cold beverage fans, the Nitro Cold Brew is a great option for a kick of caffeine. The Nitro Cold Brew contains about 280mg of caffeine per 16oz. serving, although caffeine levels are altered with the additions of creams, syrups, and other flavorings and sweeteners.
Although the caffeine levels are not quite as high, most espresso-based beverages are a tasty option and contain around 150mg of caffeine in a Grande (16oz.) beverage. This includes popular Cappuccinos and Lattes, although flavored beverages with various creams and sweeteners may change the overall caffeine content due to dilution.
Fans of sweet and flavored beverages may want to try a Caffè Mocha. Thanks to additional caffeine content from cocoa, the Caffè Mocha has about 175mg of caffeine in a Grande (16oz.) beverage, making it slightly higher than other espresso drinks. Plus, the cocoa adds a little extra flavor for the morning.
For coffee fans that aren’t looking for beverages and flavorings, a plain shot, or double shot, of espresso may do the trick. Each 1.5oz shot of espresso contains 150mg of caffeine, making espresso a quick and easy way to wake up any time of the day.
Related: Starbucks Instant Coffee.
The Finest Roast
So what is the best Starbucks drink to wake you up? The next time you rely on Starbucks to kickstart your morning, opt for a lighter roast, black coffee for the best results. Of course, caffeine affects people in different ways and you might find that a regular latte does the job just fine.
