Are Starbucks refreshers caffeinated? (How much caffeine do Starbucks refreshers have? + More information)
Most Starbucks refreshers are popular and loved by Starbucks customers since they are healthier compared to most drinks offered by the coffee chain. However, are Starbucks refreshers caffeinated?
Yes, all Starbucks refreshers have low amounts of caffeine. However, there are other drinks offered at Starbucks that do not contain any caffeine. It was not until recently that I discovered all Starbucks refreshers contain a small amount of caffeine. When I wanted caffeine-free drinks, I always went for Starbucks refreshers as I thought they had no caffeine. However, every time I drank them, I felt the mild effects of caffeine. I later find out through my friend who works at the coffee chain as a barista that the drinks have little amounts of caffeine. Read on to find out more about Starbucks refreshers.
Table of Contents
How much caffeine do Starbucks refreshers have?
All Starbucks refreshers have an equal amount of caffeine content depending on the cup. For example. A tall serving of any Starbucks refresher will give you 35 mg of caffeine, while a grande serving contains 45mg of caffeine.
These refreshers are served in four cup sizes; a grande, venti, tall, and the trenta. The venti comes with 70 mg of caffeine, while the Trenta serving of a Starbucks refresher will give you 90 mg of caffeine. Additionally, Starbucks refreshers that you will order in-store have lesser caffeine content than the canned refreshers. The canned refreshers also have no inclusions and cannot be customized.
Where does the caffeine in refreshers come from?
The low amounts of caffeine in Starbucks refreshers come from the green coffee extract that is part of the ingredients used to make these refreshers. The coffee beans that this green extract is derived from are not roasted and hence contain high levels of chlorogenic acid.
The chlorogenic acid is a natural compound that gets lost when coffee beans are roasted. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects hence why Starbucks refreshers are considered healthier.
What are the other ingredients of Starbucks refreshers?
Though Starbucks refreshers are made of different ingredients, the core items used to make these drinks include green coffee extract, freeze-dried fruit inclusion, and a fruit juice base. The ultimate taste and texture profile of Starbucks refreshers is mainly from well-balanced and mixed fruit inclusions that give the drink an exotic texture and counterpoint, while the fruit juice base defines the unique taste of each refresher.
The different types and variations of Starbucks refreshers are made by playing with the ingredients, mostly adding flavors to alter the color and taste of the drink. For example, baristas can alter the baseline of these refreshers by replacing standard water with lemonade or coconut milk.
The Starbucks Acai refresher is made of strawberry fruit inclusions, water, ice, and a base of the strawberry acai refresher. On the other hand, the pink drink is made of ice, strawberry inclusions, coconut milk, and the strawberry acai refresher as the base.
The ingredients used to make the dragon refresher include dragon fruit inclusions, coconut milk, mango-dragon fruit refresher as a base, and ice. Lastly, the star drink is mainly made of coconut milk, inclusions of kiwi fruit, ice, and a kiwi-star fruit refresher as the base.
Does Starbucks have caffeine-free refresher alternatives?
Though there are no caffeine-free refreshers at Starbucks, the coffee chain offers a few drinks that contain no caffeine content. These are mostly the lemonade version of “refreshers.” They include; the blended strawberry lemonade, the classic lemonade, and the iced passion tango tea lemonade.
The iced tango tea lemonade is made of lemonade, the concentrate of Teavana’s passion tango iced tea, and ice. The barista shakes this refresher drink well to ensure all the ingredients mix well to provide a perfectly balanced flavor.
Additionally, according to the Starbucks website, the blended strawberry lemonade has 0 mg of caffeine. A grande serving of this drink will give you 45 grams of sugar, 190 calories, and 0 grams of total fats and cholesterol. The same serving has 46 grams of carbs and 200 mg of sodium. This drink is mainly made of Strawberry puree sauce, crème Frappuccino syrup, lemonade, and ice.
Lastly, the classic lemonade refresher offered at Starbucks has no caffeine content. This refresher is only made from lemonade and ice, and a few additives can be added to customize it according to your specifications. A grande serving of this drink contains 120 calories, 0 mg of cholesterol, 28 grams of total carbs, 27 grams of sugar, 10 mg of sodium, and 0 grams of protein and fats.
Final thoughts
To conclude, all Starbucks refreshers have caffeine since a core ingredient in making all these drinks is green coffee extract. However, refreshers have relatively low amounts of caffeine and high nutritional benefits compared to other drinks offered at the coffee chain. If you are looking for a non-caffeinated refresher, you might want to try out the lemonade version of drinks offered by Starbucks.
FAQ Section
Which Starbucks refresher has the most caffeine?
Most Starbucks refreshers have the same amount of caffeine depending on the serving; hence it is hard to determine which has the most caffeine. A grande serving of Starbucks refresher drinks has 45 mg of caffeine; a Trenta has 90 mg, a tall has 35 mg, while a venti has 70 mg of caffeine.
Are there caffeine-free refreshers at Starbucks?
No, all refreshers are caffeinated. However, the lemonade version of some drinks offered at Starbucks has no caffeine content. These include; the classic lemonade, the blended strawberry lemonade, and the iced tango tea lemonade.
How many calories do Starbucks refreshers have?
The number of calories in Starbucks refreshers depends on which type of refresher. For example, the mango dragon fruit has 70 calories per serving, while the same serving of Strawberry Acai has 80 calories.
What is the most popular refresher flavor at Starbucks?
The most popular refresher at Starbucks is the Strawberry Acai refresher.