Barista Life Blog · 2 min read

Death Wish Coffee (brewed) vs Mountain Dew: which has more caffeine?

Death Wish Coffee (brewed) has more caffeine than Mountain Dew on both counts: 300mg per 8 oz brewed against 54mg per 12 oz can, and about 38mg per fluid ounce against 4. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

These are different categories of drink, which changes how the caffeine arrives. Energy drinks and sodas list an exact number because caffeine is a measured additive; brewed drinks vary with the beans and the brew, so their figures are compiled averages. The numbers here are the standard published values for each.

Death Wish Coffee (brewed) vs Mountain Dew: the numbers

Death Wish Coffee (brewed) Mountain Dew
Caffeine per serving 300mg per 8 oz brewed 54mg per 12 oz can
Caffeine per fl oz 37.5mg 4.5mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 1.3 7.4

Sources: Death Wish Coffee (brewed)'s figure is verified in our Death Wish Coffee (brewed) caffeine guide against Death Wish Coffee published figure (source); Mountain Dew's figure is verified in our Mountain Dew guide against Caffeine Informer (source).

The concentration gap is the striking part: Death Wish Coffee (brewed) packs roughly 8 times the caffeine per ounce. Sipping speed matters at that density; a 8 oz brewed finished in minutes hits differently than the same milligrams spread over a slow cup.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Mountain Dew when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Death Wish Coffee (brewed) 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 Death Wish Coffee (brewed) or Mountain Dew have more caffeine? Death Wish Coffee (brewed): 300mg per 8 oz brewed versus 54mg per 12 oz can for Mountain Dew.

Which is stronger per ounce? Death Wish Coffee (brewed), at about 37.5mg per fluid ounce versus 4.5mg for Mountain Dew.

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