McDonald's brewed coffee vs Rockstar Original: which has more caffeine?

Rockstar Original has more caffeine than McDonald's brewed coffee: 160mg vs 145mg in the same 16 oz can. That is a 15mg gap, and since the cans match, the per-serving number is the whole story.

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.

McDonald's brewed coffee vs Rockstar Original: the numbers

Sources: McDonald's brewed coffee's figure is verified in our McDonald's brewed coffee caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Rockstar Original's figure is verified in our Rockstar Original guide against Rockstar product page (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick McDonald's brewed coffee when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Rockstar Original 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

• McDonald's brewed coffee: the full caffeine guide
• Rockstar Original: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does McDonald's brewed coffee or Rockstar Original have more caffeine? Rockstar Original: 160mg per 16 oz can versus 145mg per 16 oz medium for McDonald's brewed coffee.

Which is stronger per ounce? Rockstar Original, at about 10.0mg per fluid ounce versus 9.1mg for McDonald's brewed coffee.