Starbucks Tall Drinks

When ordering a drink from Starbucks, you have to think about the cup sizes. Many new customers ask, what is a tall at Starbucks?

A Starbucks tall drink refers to a 12-ounce cup. You can order both cold and hot beverages in this cup size. When I started ordering my drinks from Starbucks, I used to wonder why this coffee house made everything seem complicated. I wondered why Starbucks did not have small, medium, and large cups.

Upon research, I discovered that the company’s cup sizes have a history behind them. Since I have learned how to order my drinks in a tall cup size over time, I created this post to share the Starbucks tall drinks you can order. You will also learn what each drink contains.

Table of Contents

What are Starbucks Tall drinks?

Hot Starbucks drinks that can be ordered in a Tall cup

Caramel Macchiato

This is one of the popular hot drinks that you can order in a tall cup, especially during winter. It is made up of freshly steamed milk, espresso, vanilla-flavored syrup, and caramel drizzle. Many people love it since it is sweet but not too sweet. A tall cup of caramel Macchiato contains 190 calories, 6 grams of fat, 25 gram of sugar, 75 mg of caffeine, and 20 mg of cholesterol.

You will not fail to notice the taste of coffee in this beverage. Feel free to order caramel macchiato with two pumps of vanilla syrup. Baristas add only one shot of signature espresso to a tall caramel macchiato, but you can ask for an extra shot. You can also customize this beverage by ordering it with any other type of milk, such as nonfat or non-dairy milk.

White chocolate mocha

You can also keep yourself warm on a cold day by ordering a white chocolate mocha from Starbucks. This hot drink is made up of steamed milk, mocha, white chocolate sauce, signature espresso, and whipped cream. The cream and white chocolate sauce make this beverage quite sweet while the espresso gives it a balanced flavor.

Though Starbucks serves this hot drink with 2% milk, you can still order it with whole milk or half and half. White chocolate mocha is rich and creamy. Since a tall white chocolate mocha has 340 calories, you should not take too much of this hot drink since it can lead to weight gain.

If you want to reduce your calorie intake while ordering this hot beverage, feel free to order it without the whipped cream. A tall cup of white chocolate mocha has 40 grams of sugar, 75 mg of caffeine and 15 grams of fat.

Cafe Americano

If you are looking for a low-calorie hot drink that you can order in a tall, consider cafe americano. This contains only ten calories and has no fat or sugar. A tall cup of cafe Americano can make you more alert since it contains 150 mg of caffeine. This beverage is made with hot water and shots of signature espresso.

You can order this beverage directly from a Starbucks store or through the app. The minimal ingredients make it easy to order. Many Starbucks customers that have tried this beverage reveal that it somehow tastes like drip coffee.

This coffee house gives you the freedom to customize a cafe Americano according to your preference. For instance, you can tell the barista to prepare this beverage with half and half or with steamed milk. You can also make it sweeter by asking for cafe Americano with some caramel syrup.

Flat white

This Starbucks beverage has been on the menu since 2015. A tall flat white is made up of 2 shots of ristretto and steamed whole milk. It has 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 13 grams of sugar, 14 grams of carbs, and 130 mg of caffeine. Instead of using regular espresso, Starbucks baristas make this beverage using ristretto, which leads to a sweeter tasting drink. Ristretto is half of the full shot of espresso.

You can order this drink by simply telling the Starbucks barista to serve you a tall cup of flat white. Steaming the milk in preparation of flat white leads to the formation of heavy microfoam which elevates the ristretto to the top of the tall cup. Flat white can wake you up since it is bold. The baristas do not add any sweeteners to this beverage so that you can enjoy the flavor of coffee beans fully. Using steamed whole milk gives a tall flat white creamy, and smooth taste.

Peppermint Mocha

Many Starbucks customers look forward to the holidays to enjoy such seasonal drinks. Peppermint mocha is a hot Starbucks drink that can be served in different sizes, including a tall. It is made up of steamed milk, espresso, peppermint syrup, and mocha sauce. You can order this beverage with toppings such as chocolate curls and whipped cream to make it more delicious.

Since this hot drink was added to the Starbucks holiday menu in 2002, it has become quite popular during holidays. A tall cup of peppermint mocha has 350 calories, 13 grams fat, 42 grams sugar, and 95 mg caffeine. You should therefore avoid consuming too much of this beverage due to its calorie content.

As you order a tall peppermint mocha, you can ask for three pumps of mocha sauce and another three pumps of peppermint syrup. Starbucks has been making changes to this sweet beverage over the years to improve it. Unlike in the past, when it came with some red sprinkles, Starbucks now serves peppermint mocha with dark chocolate curls.

Chai tea latte

This hot drink is quite popular among young Starbucks customers. You can order the caffeinated drink in a tall cup and enjoy its delicious taste. It is made of black tea, infused with spices such as clove and cinnamon. Chai tea latte also contains steamed milk and milk foam. The ingredients lead to a balance of spicy and sweet.

You can order this drink with different custom milk options. Most fans of this hot drink reveal that it tastes better when made with soy milk than with coconut milk or almond milk. A tall chai tea latte has 190 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 70 mg of caffeine, and 32 grams of sugar.

Cold Starbucks drinks that can be ordered in a Tall cup

Iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso

If you prefer cold drinks, you can consider ordering this one in a tall cup. It is made up of blonde espresso, almond milk, chocolate malt powder, and ice. It is a smooth beverage that is delicious and strong to get you through the day. You can order this cold drink by listing its ingredients and asking for a tall cup.

Rather than always ordering iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso with regular espresso, you can personalize it by asking for a ristretto shot. Feel free to order this beverage with any syrup you prefer, such as toffee nut or vanilla, and ask for a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Some Starbucks customers even order this cold drink with a pump of chai. A tall iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso has 80 calories, 2 grams fat, 11 grams sugar, and 14 grams carbs.

Cold brew coffee

If you love strong coffee drinks, consider ordering a tall cold brew coffee from Starbucks. This is a low-calorie drink that has five calories but 155 mg of caffeine. People on a diet like it since it does not have any fat or sugar. The cold beverage is made from coffee beans that are slowly steeped in cool water for around 20 hours.

You can order this drink plain or personalize it to add more flavor. Consider ordering cold brew coffee with any milk type, such as whole, non-dairy, or nonfat milk, if you wish to make it creamier.

If you order cold brew coffee with some coconut milk, you can make it tastier by asking the barista to add a few pumps of white chocolate sauce. Alternatively, you can also order a tall cold brew coffee with a splash of cream and dark caramel syrup.

Iced caffe latte

This is a popular iced drink at Starbucks that can make you feel more refreshed on a hot day. A tall iced caffe latte contains 100 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 9 grams sugar, and 10 grams carbs. Ice caffe latte is easy to order since it is made up of only three ingredients: ice, milk, and brewed espresso.

Starbucks serves a tall cup of this beverage with one shot of signature espresso. Though it is made with 2% milk, you can order it with other options, such as whole or nonfat milk. Feel free to tell the barista to sweeten this beverage with syrup, such as classic syrup or vanilla syrup.

Pink drink

Apart from coffee and tea, Starbucks is also famous for its refreshers. If you want to try one, consider ordering the pink drink in a tall cup. This refers to Strawberry Acai Refresher, served cold to quench your thirst during summer. It is made up of coconut milk, ice, and strawberries and accented with flavors of acai and passion fruit.

It also contains a green coffee extract that can help you get the caffeine kick you crave. The coconut milk is what gives this drink its rosy pink hue. Feel free to personalize this beverage by ordering it with a different type of milk. A tall cup of this pink drink contains 110 calories, 2 grams of fat, 50 mg of sodium, and 19 grams of sugar.

Salted caramel cream cold brew

If you have not yet tried this tasty cold drink from Starbucks, you are missing out. Salted caramel cream cold brew is made up of cold brew, rich salted caramel cold foam, and one pump of vanilla syrup in a tall cup.

You can order this drink by listing its ingredients. Like other drinks, Starbucks gives you room to personalize it. For instance, you can order this beverage with toffee nut syrup and white mocha in place of caramel syrup.

Feel free to ask for a shot of blonde espresso as you order this cold beverage. When it comes to nutritional value, a tall salted caramel cream cold brew has 160 calories. It includes 145 mg of caffeine, 16 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of fat.

Iced golden ginger drink

The golden color is one of the things that draws many Starbucks customers to this beverage. This cold drink is made up of a blend of turmeric essence and ginger combined with coconut and pineapple flavors. You can order an iced golden ginger drink in a tall cup with a few scoops of ginger blend and two pumps of pineapple ginger syrup.

A tall cup of this drink has 100 calories, 16 grams of carbs, 14 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of fat. This is a suitable beverage for Starbucks customers that are sensitive to caffeine since it does not contain this stimulant.

Final thoughts

From the above, you can tell that Starbucks has a lot of tall drinks that you can pick from. While some of the beverages are served cold, others are served hot. Before you pick any of these drinks in a tall cup, it is important to know their ingredients and nutritional value. We have included such details in this post to help you make your choice easier. Enjoy!

FAQ section

How much is a Tall coffee?

A tall cup of freshly brewed coffee at Starbucks costs $1.85.

How many shots of espresso per Tall cup?

Most tall beverages at Starbucks come with one shot of espresso. However, if you want your drink to be stronger, feel free to order a tall cup with an extra shot of espresso.