What Brewed Tea Means at Starbucks
Every hot tea is a Teavana full-leaf sachet dropped into hot water in the cup. There is no urn, no concentrate and no sugar unless you ask for it. A Grande gets two sachets; a Venti gets two as well, so the Venti tastes weaker for the same caffeine. The teas steep on the walk to the door, and most people leave the bag in.
Because it is water and leaves, five of the six teas here show zero calories at every size. The exception is the Honey Citrus Mint Tea, which is built with lemonade and honey and carries 130 calories in a Grande.
| Item | Caffeine | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Honey Citrus Mint Tea | 16 mg | 130 cal |
| Royal English Breakfast Tea | 40 mg | 0 cal |
| Emperor's Clouds & Mist Tea | 16 mg | 0 cal |
| Mint Majesty Tea | n/a | 0 cal |
| Earl Grey Tea | 40 mg | 0 cal |
| Chamomile Mint Blossom Tea | 25 mg | 5 cal |
The Caffeine Ladder
Tea caffeine depends on the leaf. Black teas sit at the top, green teas in the middle, and the mint and chamomile herbals at zero. Even the strongest brewed tea here carries a fraction of a brewed coffee's 315 mg.
| Item | Size | Caffeine | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal English Breakfast Tea | Grande | 40 mg | 0 cal |
| Earl Grey Tea | Grande | 40 mg | 0 cal |
| Chamomile Mint Blossom Tea | Grande | 25 mg | 5 cal |
| Honey Citrus Mint Tea | Grande | 16 mg | 130 cal |
| Emperor's Clouds & Mist Tea | Grande | 16 mg | 0 cal |
| Mint Majesty Tea | Grande | 0 mg | 0 cal |
The Royal English Breakfast Tea and Earl Grey Tea lead at 40 mg. The Chamomile Mint Blossom Tea is a green tea blend and keeps some caffeine; the Mint Majesty Tea is the one true caffeine-free cup and the usual order after dinner.
The Six Teas
Royal English Breakfast Tea
A full-leaf black tea with a malty, rounded profile. The Royal English Breakfast Tea is the tea to order with milk, and it takes a splash of 2% or a pump of vanilla without losing its shape.
Earl Grey Tea
Black tea with bergamot, the citrus that gives Earl Grey its perfume. The Earl Grey Tea is also the base of the London Fog; steamed milk and vanilla turn it into the London Fog Latte at 180 calories.
Emperor’s Clouds & Mist Tea
A lightly smoky, gently sweet green tea grown at altitude. The Emperor's Clouds & Mist Tea is the green tea for people who find grassy greens harsh, and it is 16 mg of caffeine in a Grande.
Chamomile Mint Blossom Tea
Green tea with chamomile, rose hips and spearmint. The Chamomile Mint Blossom Tea is soft and floral and is often ordered as a wind-down tea despite carrying 25 mg from the green tea base.
Mint Majesty Tea
Peppermint, spearmint and a little lemon verbena, with no tea leaf at all. The Mint Majesty Tea is caffeine free and zero calories, and it is the herbal half of the Honey Citrus Mint.
Honey Citrus Mint Tea
The Honey Citrus Mint Tea began as a customer's secret-menu order, the Medicine Ball: half hot water, half steamed lemonade, a Jade Citrus Mint green tea bag, a Peach Tranquility bag and honey. Starbucks put it on the menu in 2017. It is 130 calories and 30 g of sugar in a Grande, all from the lemonade and honey, with 16 mg of caffeine.
- Why choose it: a sweet, sour, minty cup that people order when they have a cold.
- Nutrition tip: ask for less lemonade or no honey to drop the sugar.
How to Order Brewed Tea
- Milk: any milk can be added to the black teas; a splash of 2% is about 10 to 20 calories.
- Honey or classic syrup: honey packets are at the bar; classic syrup is about 20 calories a pump.
- Steamed lemonade: half water, half lemonade turns any tea into a citrus tea like the Honey Citrus Mint.
- Two bags: standard in a Grande and Venti; ask for a third if you want it stronger.
- Iced: most of these teas exist as shaken iced teas in the iced tea section, made from a different concentrate.
- Refills: brewed tea qualifies for the same in-store refill as brewed coffee for Rewards members.
Plain brewed teas declare none declared and contain nothing beyond tea and water; the Honey Citrus Mint adds honey. Milk added at the bar is where dairy enters.