How much caffeine is in a Starbucks espresso shot?

One shot of espresso at Starbucks has 75mg of caffeine. A double (doppio) has 150mg, and a shot of Blonde Espresso runs higher at 85mg for a solo and 170mg for a doppio, per Caffeine Informer's compiled Starbucks caffeine guide, which mirrors the figures Starbucks publishes. Every espresso drink on the menu is built off that 75mg block, so once you know the shot count you know the caffeine.

Starbucks espresso shots by pull

Solo and doppio figures are the published values in Caffeine Informer's Starbucks guide (source). Triple and quad are that same per-shot value multiplied out, which is how the menu builds them: the guide lists a venti Caffe Americano, a four-shot drink, at 300mg and a venti Blonde Americano at 340mg, matching the arithmetic.

Shot count by drink, so you can read the caffeine off the menu

Per-size figures from Caffeine Informer's Starbucks guide, US sizes (source).

Why a bigger cup is often the same caffeine

A tall latte and a short latte both list 75mg because both are built on one shot. The extra four ounces are milk. The same thing happens between grande and venti hot lattes: two shots each, 150mg each, with the venti carrying more steamed milk rather than more coffee. The Americano is the exception, because it steps up a shot at every size, which is why it climbs 75mg at a time all the way to 300mg.

The mistake people make is assuming size drives strength. It does not. Shot count drives strength, and asking for an extra shot adds a clean 75mg to whatever you ordered. The Flat White and Latte Macchiato read oddly on the table for the same reason: the Flat White is built on ristretto shots and the Latte Macchiato starts at two shots even in a short cup.

Blonde versus standard

Blonde Espresso is the lighter roast option and it carries more caffeine per shot: 85mg against 75mg. That is roughly 13 percent more, and it stacks. A venti Blonde Americano lands at 340mg where the standard version sits at 300mg. If you like the lighter, sweeter shot but you are watching your total, that gap is worth knowing.

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

• How much caffeine is in two espresso shots?
• Espresso vs coffee: the real caffeine difference
• The verified caffeine database

FAQ

How much caffeine is in one shot of espresso at Starbucks? 75mg for a standard solo shot. A Blonde Espresso solo shot is higher at 85mg.

How much caffeine is in a double shot of espresso at Starbucks? 150mg for a standard doppio, or 170mg if you order it with Blonde Espresso.

Does a bigger Starbucks drink have more caffeine? Not always. A short and a tall latte both have 75mg because both use one shot. Only the shot count changes the caffeine, which is why the Americano climbs from 75mg short to 300mg venti.

Sources: every Starbucks figure on this page (75mg solo, 150mg doppio, 85mg and 170mg Blonde, and the full per-size drink table) is from Caffeine Informer's compiled Starbucks caffeine guide, US size tables (source), which mirrors the caffeine values Starbucks publishes on its menu (source). Starbucks notes that caffeine is an approximate value and varies with the bean and the pull.