Starbucks Energy Refresher Menu USA

A regular Refresher gets its 50 mg from green coffee extract. The energy version adds a second dose of caffeine from natural sources plus B vitamins, and the total lands at 125 mg in a Grande, roughly two and a half times the regular drink and close to a Grande Caffè Latte at 150 mg. The taste is nearly identical; there is a faint bitterness in the plain builds that the lemonade and coconut milk cover.

The calories barely move. A Grande Strawberry Açaí Energy Refresher is 100 calories against 90 for the regular, and the sugar is the same 21 g. The premium is in the price: the energy builds run about 70 to 90 cents above their regular twins.

Every regular Refresher has an energy twin, which is why the section is so large. They fall into the same three styles as the regular board: plain base with water, base with lemonade, and base with coconut milk.

Pink Energy Drink

The Pink Energy Drink is the Pink Drink with the energy blend and the most ordered drink in the section. 140 calories, 25 g of sugar, 125 mg, $6.95 for a Grande.

• Why choose it: the Pink Drink taste with latte-level caffeine and no coffee flavor.

Strawberry Açaí Energy Refresher

The Strawberry Açaí Energy Refresher is the lightest way to get the energy blend: 100 calories in a Grande at $6.55, the lowest price in the section.

• Best for: the cheapest and lightest energy order.

Mango Dragonfruit Energy Refresher

The Mango Dragonfruit Energy Refresher matches it on calories with the least sugar of any energy build at 20 g.

• Best for: low sugar with the full caffeine.

Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher

The Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher is the heaviest at 180 calories and 39 g of sugar in a Grande, and a Trenta reaches 360.

• Nutrition tip: a Tall of this carries the same caffeine per ounce with a third of the sugar.

Cannon Ball Energy Drink

The Cannon Ball Energy Drink is the Beast Games tie-in on the energy base: both berry bases, lemonade and layered fruit. 160 calories, $6.95. The Pink Cannon Ball Energy Drink is the coconut milk version.

• Why choose it: a limited run; the most fruit in the cup of any Refresher.

Against the regular twin the only real changes are caffeine and price. Against a can, the Energy Refresher carries about the same caffeine as a 12 oz bottle of Starbucks Iced Energy Blueberry Lemonade at 160 mg, but far more sugar, since the bottled energy drinks are sugar free at 5 calories and the handcrafted ones carry 21 g and up.

The handcrafted drink is the better-tasting one. The bottle is the one to reach for on a low-sugar plan.

• Children and teenagers: 125 mg is a lot for anyone under the adult daily guidance, and the drink looks like a juice.
• Anyone who has already had a coffee; an Energy Refresher plus a latte is over the 400 mg daily figure most guidance uses.
• Evening orders: the caffeine is the same as a coffee and will land the same way.
• Pregnant customers, who are usually advised to keep total caffeine under 200 mg a day.
• Anyone sensitive to caffeine who orders a Trenta; the caffeine scales with the cup.

The plain and lemonade energy builds declare none declared and contain no dairy; the coconut milk builds contain coconut. All are made in shared shakers.