Top 50 Highest-Caffeine Drinks Ranked (2025 Edition)

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Why a Fresh 2025 Ranking?

Every year brands tweak formulas, launch “extra strength” lines, and quietly shrink serving sizes. 2025 is no exception—Starbucks rolled out Chill’d™ Cold Brew 300, Monster dropped Beast Unleashed 6 % ABV + 130 mg, and specialty roasters keep chasing the “world’s strongest coffee” title. Our new list:

  • Updates label data released between Jan 2024 – Jul 2025.

  • Standardizes everything to milligrams (mg) per serving.

  • Flags drinks exceeding 300 mg (orange) and 400 mg (red).

2025 Caffeine Leaderboard – 50 Drinks Ranked High → Low

Rank Drink & Brand Category Serving Size Caffeine (mg)
1 Death Wish Coffee Ground coffee 12 oz 728
2 Black Insomnia Coffee Ground coffee 12 oz 702
3 Devil Mountain Black Label Ground coffee 12 oz 666
4 Very Strong Coffee (UK) Ground coffee 12 oz 660
5 Bang Energy (all flavors) Energy drink 16 oz 300
6 Starbucks Blonde Roast – Venti Coffee shop 20 oz 475
7 Super Coffee Triple Shot RTD coffee 11 oz 300
8 Celsius Heat Energy drink 16 oz 300
9 Spike Hardcore Energy drink 16 oz 350
10 Reign Raze X Energy drink 12 oz 300
11 5-Hour Energy ® Extra Strength Energy shot 2 oz 230
12 C4 Energy “Smart” Energy drink 16 oz 200
13 Monster Energy Energy drink 16 oz 160
14 Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew – Grande Coffee shop 16 oz 280
15 Peet’s Cold Brew Baridi Coffee shop 16 oz 260
16 Red Bull “Triple Shot” Espresso RTD coffee 8.4 oz 120
17 Redline Xtreme Energy drink 8 oz 300
18 Rockstar Pure Zero Energy drink 16 oz 240
19 DynaPep Micro-Shot Energy shot 0.14 oz 100
20 Stok Cold Brew – Un-Sweet RTD coffee 13.7 oz 145
21 Java Monster 300 RTD coffee 15 oz 300
22 McCafe Brewed Coffee – Large Fast food 21 oz 180
23 Dunkin’ Iced Coffee – Large Coffee shop 24 oz 297
24 Starbucks Pike Place – Grande Coffee shop 16 oz 310
25 Starbucks Caffè Americano – Venti Coffee shop 20 oz 300
26 Prime Energy Energy drink 12 oz 200
27 Ghost Energy Energy drink 16 oz 200
28 Amp Energy Energy drink 16 oz 150
29 Coca-Cola “Ultimate” w/ +XP Soda 12 oz 70
30 Coca-Cola Classic Soda 12 oz 34
31 Pepsi Zero Sugar Soda 12 oz 69
32 Mountain Dew Voltage Soda 12 oz 55
33 Dr Pepper Dark Berry Soda 12 oz 41
34 Brew Dr. Uplift Kombucha Kombucha 12 oz 105
35 Yerba Mate (Guayakí) Tea 15.5 oz 150
36 Starbucks Matcha Latte – Grande Tea latte 16 oz 80
37 Tazo Chai Latte Concentrate Tea latte 8 oz (dil.) 47
38 Lipton Pure Leaf Unsweet Tea Bottled tea 18.5 oz 69
39 Arizona Iced Tea Bottled tea 16 oz 30
40 Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Cocoa 8 oz 5
41 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar Candy 1.55 oz 9
42 Cliff Bar – Cool Mint Energy bar 2.4 oz 50
43 Pre-Workout C4 Sport Powder 1 scoop 135
44 Pre-Workout Ghost Legend Powder 2 scoops 250
45 Migraine Excedrin (2 caplets) OTC med — 130
46 Vivarin Tablet OTC med 1 tab 200
47 Liquid IV Energy Multiplier Powder 1 stick 100
48 Dalgona Whipped Coffee (DIY) Homemade 8 oz 120*
49 Starbucks Decaf Pike – Grande Coffee shop 16 oz 25
50 Chamomile Herbal Tea Herbal 8 oz 0

*Value assumes 2 Tbsp instant coffee.

Strongest Coffees: Why the Numbers Are Sky-High

  1. Roast profiles – Darker roasts weigh less after roasting, so per-scoop caffeine can be higher.

  2. Brewing ratios – “World’s strongest” brands often use 1 : 10 coffee-to-water instead of the Specialty Coffee Association’s 1 : 15.

  3. Bean species – Robusta beans pack 2× the caffeine of Arabica.

Pro tip: Use a kitchen scale. A “heaping tablespoon” varies 20–30 %.

Energy Drinks: The 300 mg Ceiling

Most mainstream cans stay under 300 mg because the FDA flags 400 mg/day as safe for adults. Newer brands flirt with that line by:

  • Shrinking can size to 12 oz but keeping 300 mg / can.

  • Adding theanine or electrolytes to market “balanced energy.”

  • Stating “not recommended for children, pregnancy, or caffeine-sensitive individuals” to avoid litigation.

Don’t Ignore Soda & Kombucha

Coke at 34 mg seems low until you realize a movie-theater “large” = 44 oz = 125 mg. Fermented kombucha can vary wildly; some local brands hit 130 mg.

(IMAGE PLACEHOLDER – infographic comparing 44-oz Coke vs. 16-oz Monster in caffeine per container.)

How to Use This List Safely

  1. Start with your personalized cap using the Caffeine Calculator.

  2. Add up mg from every item you plan to consume.

  3. Stay ≤ 80 % of your cap to leave wiggle room for hidden sources.

  4. Space out intakes by ≥ 3 h to avoid stacking spikes.

  5. Cut intake by evening (8 h before bed) to protect REM sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drink two Bang Energy cans in a day?

Two cans = 600 mg. That exceeds the 400-mg FDA guideline for almost everyone.

Is low-acid coffee lower in caffeine?

Not necessarily. Acidity relates to chlorogenic acids, not caffeine concentration.

Do cold brews always have more caffeine?

Usually yes, because they steep longer and are often served without dilution. But “nitro cold brew in a smaller cup” can equal drip coffee.

What’s the safest high-caffeine option?

Look for natural cold brew around 200 mg served in a clearly labeled bottle. Avoid powders with unknown scoop size.

Final Take-Aways

  • Death Wish still reigns supreme, but many grocery-store drinks now top 300 mg.

  • Serving size illusions matter more than brand marketing.

  • Track your intake daily and keep total mg below your personalized limit.

Internal-Link Suggestions

Adjust URLs once articles are live.

  • Caffeine half-life & sleep → /caffeine-half-life-chart/

  • Caffeine during pregnancy → /pregnancy-caffeine-limit-2025/

  • Safe pre-workout caffeine guide → /preworkout-caffeine-dosage/

External-Link Suggestions (open in new tab, UGC or sponsored if affiliate)

  • FDA caffeine guidance

  • Mayo Clinic caffeine overdose symptoms

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