Do Starbucks Teas Have Caffeine? | Real Menu Facts

Short answer first: yes, most Starbucks teas have caffeine. Any drink made with black, green, white, or oolong tea delivers a mild lift. Herbal blends are the exception. The store menu labels both groups clearly, and each product’s nutrition page shows an approximate caffeine number for each size. Starbucks also reminds guests that customization changes the figure.

Do Starbucks Teas Have Caffeine? Sizes, Blends, And Exceptions

The word “tea” at Starbucks covers a few lanes. You’ve got brewed tea bags steeped in hot water, iced tea infusions shaken over ice, and tea lattes built with concentrated bases like chai or matcha. Because caffeine comes from the tea leaf itself, strength depends on the blend and how it’s prepared. Herbal infusions skip the tea leaf, which is why Mint Majesty and Passion Tango are caffeine-free. Starbucks’ menu pages also flag that caffeine values are estimates for standard recipes and sizes.

Grande Caffeine Snapshot By Style

Use the table below to set expectations. These are ballpark figures for a Grande (16 fl oz). Baristas brew concentrates for iced teas, while lattes pull from tea bases or powders, so actual numbers vary a bit.

Tea drinkers often compare amounts across drinks, so a broad reference like caffeine in common beverages can help you place these numbers in context without guessing.

What Changes The Caffeine In A Starbucks Tea?

Size And Concentration

Moving from Tall to Grande to Venti increases caffeine because each size uses more tea base. Iced teas are brewed double-strength and then diluted with water and ice in-store, so the concentrate strength starts higher to keep flavor steady.

Tea Base And Blend

Black tea skews stronger than most green teas. Chai and matcha build on that by using a concentrated base, which is why they land higher than brewed tea made with a bag. Herbal infusions like Passion Tango skip the tea leaf and stay at zero. Starbucks’ nutrition pages label each drink with an approximate figure and call out that the number is an estimate.

Steep Time And Add-Ins

Longer steeps pull more caffeine into hot brew. Adding lemonade or milk doesn’t add caffeine on its own; the tea base drives the count. Switching sweeteners won’t change caffeine either.

Popular Starbucks Tea Drinks, Explained

Iced Black Tea And Iced Green Tea

Both are shaken with ice for a clean, crisp taste and a small lift that suits midday sipping. Expect around the mid-20s in milligrams for a Grande, with stronger sips as you size up. Menu listings show calories and an approximate caffeine value for each size.

Chai Tea Latte (Hot Or Iced)

Chai latte uses a black-tea concentrate blended with spices and milk. A Grande typically lands near the mid-90s in caffeine. You can ease the buzz with fewer pumps of chai or by ordering a Short or Tall size.

Matcha Latte

Matcha is powdered green tea whisked into milk. Because the powder stays in the cup, you ingest more of the leaf, which nudges caffeine above a basic green tea. A Grande usually sits around the high-70s to low-80s.

London Fog Tea Latte

This Earl Grey latte blends brewed tea with steamed milk and a touch of vanilla. The caffeine sits close to brewed black tea since it starts from a tea bag rather than a concentrate.

Herbal Options (Zero Caffeine)

When you want flavor without a buzz, Mint Majesty and Iced Passion Tango are the go-tos. Both are herbal, so they come in at 0 mg. Starbucks lists them among its tea selections, with nutrition pages confirming the caffeine-free status.

How Starbucks Lists Caffeine (And Why Numbers Are “Approximate”)

Starbucks posts an approximate caffeine amount for each drink and size on the product’s nutrition page. That wording matters. Differences in tea batches, water temperature, brew time, and syrup or milk changes create small swings. You’ll see the note about approximate caffeine and standard recipes repeated across the menu.

Your Best Order: Low, Medium, Or High Caffeine

Pick a lane based on your day. If you’re caffeine-sensitive, pick an herbal and enjoy the ritual without the buzz. If you want a gentle boost, brew-based teas fit the bill. When you need more, tea lattes deliver extra oomph without jumping to coffee.

Sizing Tips To Hit Your Target

• Order smaller. Choosing a Tall trims caffeine in every style.
• Tune the base. Chai pumps and matcha scoops can be reduced for a softer effect.
• Skip sweetness, not tea. Sugar syrups don’t add caffeine, so cutting syrup only changes taste.

How Iced Tea Compares To Coffee

Even the stronger tea drinks fall far below typical coffee at Starbucks. Brewed coffee often sits well above 200 mg per Grande, while many teas land below 100 mg. If you’re managing your intake, tea is an easy way to stay under the daily guideline. The FDA suggests healthy adults cap total caffeine near 400 mg per day. Link your choices to that upper bound to keep energy steady.

Ordering Moves That Keep Flavor And Control Caffeine

Use The “Unsweetened” Shortcut

Asking for unsweetened iced tea removes syrup by default. Flavor stays bright, and the caffeine stays the same because it comes from the tea base, not the sweetener.

Lean On Herbal When It’s Late

Even a mild green tea can nudge sleep if you drink it close to bedtime. Herbal blends keep nighttime calm without losing the warm-cup routine. If you’d like more sleep-friendly ideas, our piece on drinks that help you sleep is a handy next read.

FAQs You Might Wonder About (Answered In The Flow)

Does Lemonade Change Caffeine In Iced Tea?

No. Lemonade changes flavor and calories, not caffeine. The tea base sets the milligrams.

Is Passion Tango The Only No-Caffeine Iced Option?

Yes for the standard iced tea lineup. Hot herbal Mint Majesty is also caffeine-free if you want a warm cup.

Why Don’t Numbers Always Match Third-Party Charts?

Starbucks states that caffeine figures are approximate because brew variables matter. Third-party charts may use lab tests, estimates, or specific conditions, which explains slight shifts. Always check the product’s nutrition page for the current baseline.

Bottom Line For Starbucks Tea Caffeine

Most Starbucks teas contain caffeine, with brewed black and green in a gentle range, and tea lattes like chai or matcha sitting higher. Herbal blends such as Passion Tango and Mint Majesty stay at zero. Pick your size and style to match your day, and aim to keep total intake near the FDA’s 400 mg guideline.