Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Big Red vs Poppi Classic Cola: which has more caffeine?

Poppi Classic Cola has more caffeine than Big Red: 40mg vs 34mg in the same 12 oz can. That is a 6mg gap, and since the cans match, the per-serving number is the whole story.

Big Red vs Poppi Classic Cola: the numbers

Big Red Poppi Classic Cola
Caffeine per serving 34mg per 12 oz can 40mg per 12 oz can
Caffeine per fl oz 2.8mg 3.3mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 11.8 10.0

Sources: Big Red's figure is verified in our Big Red caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Poppi Classic Cola's figure is verified in our Poppi Classic Cola guide against Caffeine Informer (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Big Red when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Poppi Classic Cola when you actually need the bigger hit and know your tolerance. If you are stacking either with other caffeinated drinks through the day, run the math against the 400mg reference rather than guessing.

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

Related reading

FAQ

Does Big Red or Poppi Classic Cola have more caffeine? Poppi Classic Cola: 40mg per 12 oz can versus 34mg per 12 oz can for Big Red.

Which is stronger per ounce? Poppi Classic Cola, at about 3.3mg per fluid ounce versus 2.8mg for Big Red.

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