Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine Yes! But How Much

Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine? Yes! But How Much?

Last updated on October 30th, 2023 at 16:35

Since that question “Does the Pink Drink have caffeine?” is buzzing around your mind and you are searching for that answer, I’ll tell it to you straight away, besides the title of this article is a dead give away!

Yes, there is caffeine in the Starbucks pink drink!

If you want to know how much just keep reading!

Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine?

Let’s get straight to business and rather than just simply answer the question, “Does the Pink Drink have caffeine?” let’s get to it and get a little granular and give you the full details.

Yes, the Strawberry acai refresher, the Starbucks pink drink, has caffeine and here is how much you can expect in the four drink sizes available:

  • Tall 12 Oz (360 ml): 35 mg.
  • Grande 16 Oz (480 ml): 45 mg.
  • Venti 24 Oz* (720 ml): 70 mg.
  • Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml): 90 mg.

*An iced drink in the Venti drink size has 24 Oz (720 ml) at Starbucks; hot Venti drinks are 20 Oz (600 ml).

Clearly it is a caffeinated beverage with the caffeine coming from the green coffee extract, an extract of unroasted green coffee beans.

Let’s see what the caffeine content is the equivalent of.

A Tall 12 Oz (360 ml) Strawberry Acai Refresher has the same caffeine content as a can of Coca-Cola. 16-Ounce Starbucks Pink Drink has the same caffeine content as half of a Short 8 Oz Caffe Mocha.

Another way of looking at this popular drink size, the 16-Ounce Grande Pink Drink, is that it has almost the same amount of caffeine as a Short 8 Oz (240 ml) and Tall 12 Oz (360 ml) brewed tea at Starbucks.

The 16-ounce Pink Drink compared to an espresso has 60% of the same caffeine content as a shot of espresso.

The Venti 24 Oz (720 ml) with the 70 mg of caffeine is almost the same as a single shot of espresso which has 75 mg. The 5 mg difference will not be noticed by your body, and thus it has the same level of stimulation as many of their short and tall espresso based drinks like a latte, cappuccino and caramel macchiato.

The Trenta, with 90 mg of caffeine you can expect it to have the same level of stimulation as a Short 8 oz (240 ml) caffe mocha.

Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine
A Homemade Pink Drink

Read: How many calories in Starbucks Pink Drink?

What Is In A Pink DrinkStarbucks Pink Drink Ingredients

This Starbucks refresher, the Strawberry Acai refresher, is made with only 4 ingredients:

  • Freeze-dried strawberries.
  • Strawberry Acai juice.
  • Coconut milk.
  • Ice.

The amount of each of the four ingredients that are added to your drink depends on the drink size. An example of this is the number of scoops of strawberries. All drink sizes get a single scoop of strawberries while a Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml) gets a double scoop.

The Strawberry Acai base contains:

  • White grape juice concentrate.
  • Green coffee flavor.
  • Natural flavors.
  • Water.

It’s a caffeinated juice concentrate due to the green coffee extract.

The freeze-dried strawberries are real strawberries that are dehydrated and then freeze dried.

The coconut milk provides a neat health boost from the medium-chain triglycerides and electrolytes as well as the lauric acid which has antimicrobial and antiviral properties. The inclusion of coconut milk makes it a non-dairy Starbucks beverage that is vegan friendly and gluten free.

If you are concerned about the ice, you should be! The ice used in all of Starbucks cold drinks is triple filtered.

Pink Drink Nutrition – Pink Drink Calorie, Sugar, Fat And Caffeine Content

Knowing the Pink Drinks nutrition is a lot more than just looking at the calories content of the drink. Consider the sugar fat and caffeine content too.

Let’s look at the Pink Drink calorie count, fat, caffeine and sugar in an easy-to-read table.

Drink SizeSugarFatCaloriesCaffeine
Tall 12 Oz (360 ml).19 grams2 grams11035 mg
Grande 16 Oz (480 ml).25 grams2.5 grams14045 mg
Venti 24 (720 ml).36 grams4 grams20070 mg
Trenta 30 (900 ml).50 grams5 grams27090 mg

Health is much more than the calories count, if it was only that you were looking at you would be deceived into thinking that the drink is healthy. Focus more on the sugar content, which is where the drink crosses the line into unhealthy category.

The suggested daily maximum sugar intake per day as per the American Heart Association is 27 grams per day for women and 36 per day for men. It’s clear that even the smallest drink size leaves very little room for sugar consumption throughout the rest of the day.

Clearly, the largest two drink sizes contain too much sugar.

Unfortunately there is no possibility of ordering a sugar-free pink drink. You can hack the menu and order a secret menu item and tell your barista to make you a passion tango ice tea with heavy cream, ice, sugar-free vanilla, a scoop of strawberries and no cane sugar!

Pink Drink Nutrition
A Low Calorie Pink Drink

Read: Does Starbucks Pink Drink have caffeine?

Can You Get The Pink Drink Without Caffeine?

Yes, you most certainly can order the Pink Drink without caffeine; the easiest way is to just ask your barista to make the drink caffeine-free.

The VIA instant refresher strawberry lemonade is the source of the caffeine. Change this for a herbal tea like hibiscus tea or extra coconut milk. Unsweetened fruit juice is a good choice too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine?

Does Starbucks Pink Drink Have Caffeine In It?

Yes, Starbucks pink drink has caffeine. The caffeine in the iconic drink comes from the green coffee extract. A Tall 12 oz (360 ml) has 35 mg of caffeine while a grande 16 oz (480 ml) has 45 mg, a Venti 24 Oz (720 m) has 70 mg and the Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml) has 90 mg of caffeine.

Notably, the Venti 24 Oz (720 ml) has almost the same caffeine content as a shot of espresso and the largest drink size, a trenta 30 Oz (900 ml), has the same caffeine content as a short 8 Oz (240 ml) caffe mocha.

Is The Pink Drink Healthy?

In my opinion, Starbucks Pink Drink is unquestionably and undeniably not a healthy beverage. While it is low in caffeine and has a reasonable calorie count of less than 150 calories for a grande 16 Oz (480 ml), the issue is the sugar content.

It, a Grande 16 Oz (480 ml) has 25 grams of sugar which is almost the recommended daily maximum intake as suggested by the American Heart Association of 27 grams for women and 36 grams for men.

In a single drink, this is too much.

Does Pink Drink Or Matcha Have More Caffeine?

Both Starbucks pink drink and Starbucks matcha tea latte contain caffeine. The amount of caffeine for each drink size for each of these beverages is as follows:

Drink SizePink DrinkMatcha Tea Latte
Short 8 Oz (240 ml)N/A30 mg
Tall 12 Oz (360 ml)35 mg55 mg
Grande 16 Oz (480 ml)45 mg80 mg
Venti 24 Oz (720 ml).70 mg110 mg
Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml)90 mgN/A

Clearly it is a matcha tea latte that has more caffeine, for all drink sizes.

Read: Pink Drink caffeine

Is The Pink Drink Considered Coffee?

No, the pink drink is not considered as a coffee drink as it is not brewed with roasted or raw coffee beans. It does contain an extract of green coffee, which is where the caffeine content comes from, but it is not a coffee drink and does not taste like coffee at all.

It’s a refresher with Strawberry Acai refresher juice base, freeze-dried strawberries and creamy coconut milk.

How Many Calories In A Pink Drink?

The Pink Drink at Starbucks is available in 4 drink sizes, Tall 12 Oz (360 ml), Grande 16 Oz (480 ml), Venti 24 Oz (720 ml) and Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml) with calorie count ranging from 110 to 270 calories as follows:

  • Tall 12 Oz (360 ml): 110 calories.
  • Grande 16 Oz (480 ml): 140 calories.
  • Venti 24 Oz (720 ml): 200 calories.
  • Trenta 30 Oz (900 ml): 270 calories.

Does The Pink Drink Taste Like Strawberry Milk?

There is a strawberry milk like flavor to this drink; for me, it’s like the pink starburst! Think of how strawberry and coconut will taste when well mixed, and you’ll get a very good idea of how this drink will taste.

Is The Pink Drink Good With Almond Milk?

While I love this drink with coconut milk, it does pair well with oat milk and almond milk as well as soy milk.

How Much Does A Pink Drink Cost?

The current cost of a Pink Drinks at Starbucks is a follows:

  • Tall 12 Oz (360 ml): US$4.65.
  • Grande 16 Oz (480 ml): US$5.15.
  • Venti 24 Oz (720 ml): US$5.65.

The cost will vary from location to location with slight changes in prices depending on the season too.

Final Thoughts – Does The Pink Drink Have Caffeine?

That question, Does the Pink Drink have caffeine? has been answered above. If you somehow missed the answer, it does have 35 to 90 mg of caffeine depending on the drink size.

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Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location

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