Seeing as though I have been a Starbucks barista for the past three years, I constantly have people coming to me asking different coffee recommendations. The most common coffee-related question I get is what drink(s) should someone order if they are in need of a lot of caffeine. It is known that college students are busy and don't have a lot of time to sleep so anything that can help them power through the day is greatly appreciated. So here it is, here are my top five coffee recommendations for Starbucks drinks with the most caffeine content:
If you prefer coffee:
1. (Hot/Iced) Red Eye
AKA coffee with one shot of espresso. The caffeine from the coffee combined with the caffeine from the espresso shot will keep you up for a very long time! In my opinion (and what I recommend to any of my late night customers) the best way to sweeten it so that it's not so bitter is by adding white chocolate mocha and half and half into it. White mocha is a thick sauce that is one of the sweetest add-ins we offer so it'll absorb some of the bitterness of this intense drink.
2. (Hot/Iced) Black Eye
AKA coffee with two shots of espresso. I recommend ordering this only if you really need the caffeine because there is a lot in this drink. I suggest sweetening it the same way I recommended sweetening the red eye if you don't want to drink it black.
If you prefer espresso:
3. An Americano with an extra shot.
For those unfamiliar with Americanos, it is a drink made by adding espresso shots to water. What is unique about Americanos is that they are made according to Starbucks standards by adding an extra espresso shot than there is in regular lattes (i.e. if you were to order a grande latte you would get two shots whereas if you ordered a grande Americano you would get three). By adding another espresso shot to this already strong drink, you are upping the intensity and strengthening the flavor.
4. The 'Undertow'.
This drink is only listed on the menu at one Starbucks location but the recipe is accessible online on the infamous 'Starbucks Secret Menu' (so don't be surprised if the barista doesn't know the recipe off the top of their head and you have to tell them how to prepare it). The Undertow is one of the more complex Starbucks drinks to make. It starts with the barista pouring about an inch of cold half-and-half into a kids' sized cup, followed by them adding two pumps of vanilla syrup. Next, the barista will pull two hot espresso shots and as they are pouring out of the machine, the barista will hover a spoon over the cup so that when the espresso shots pour out they will slowly float atop the cream (as seen in the picture). This way when the customer takes the espresso shots back, it won't be scolding hot as it would if the espresso went straight into the cup. It creates a layered effect between the hot espresso shots and the cold half and half. The undertow is best consumed when it drunk right away. It is almost like an alcoholic shooter but in coffee form.
If you prefer tea:
5. Black Tea with no water and light ice.
Starbucks iced teas are made double-strength in a pitcher and watered down when a customer orders it so that it is not as intense. The Starbucks black tea contains the most caffeine so by ordering it with no water, you are getting a stronger tasting, heavily caffeinated drink.
Enjoy!!
