Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Red Bull vs La Colombe Draft Latte: which has more caffeine?

La Colombe Draft Latte has more caffeine than Red Bull on both counts: 155mg per 9 oz can against 80mg per 8.4 oz can, and about 17mg per fluid ounce against 10. 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.

Red Bull vs La Colombe Draft Latte: the numbers

Red Bull La Colombe Draft Latte
Caffeine per serving 80mg per 8.4 oz can 155mg per 9 oz can
Caffeine per fl oz 9.5mg 17.2mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 5.0 2.6

Sources: Red Bull's figure is verified in our Red Bull caffeine guide against Red Bull label / Caffeine Informer (source); La Colombe Draft Latte's figure is verified in our La Colombe Draft Latte guide against La Colombe product page (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Red Bull when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and La Colombe Draft Latte 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 Red Bull or La Colombe Draft Latte have more caffeine? La Colombe Draft Latte: 155mg per 9 oz can versus 80mg per 8.4 oz can for Red Bull.

Which is stronger per ounce? La Colombe Draft Latte, at about 17.2mg per fluid ounce versus 9.5mg for Red Bull.

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