Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Gold Peak Sweet Tea vs Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus): which has more caffeine?

Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus) has more caffeine than Gold Peak Sweet Tea on both counts: 92mg per 16 oz can against 48mg per 18.5 oz bottle, and about 6mg per fluid ounce against 3. 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.

Gold Peak Sweet Tea vs Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus): the numbers

Gold Peak Sweet Tea Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus)
Caffeine per serving 48mg per 18.5 oz bottle 92mg per 16 oz can
Caffeine per fl oz 2.6mg 5.8mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 8.3 4.3

Sources: Gold Peak Sweet Tea's figure is verified in our Gold Peak Sweet Tea caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus)'s figure is verified in our Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus) guide against PepsiCo product facts (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Gold Peak Sweet Tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus) 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 Gold Peak Sweet Tea or Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus) have more caffeine? Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus): 92mg per 16 oz can versus 48mg per 18.5 oz bottle for Gold Peak Sweet Tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? Mtn Dew Kickstart (Orange Citrus), at about 5.8mg per fluid ounce versus 2.6mg for Gold Peak Sweet Tea.

Comparing caffeine? The caffeine comparison tool puts hundreds of drinks side by side, and the caffeine curfew calculator can check your cutoff time for tonight.

Free download: the espresso dial-in cheat sheet baristas tape to the machine.

Get the PDF