Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

Sun Drop vs Barq's root beer: which has more caffeine?

Sun Drop has more caffeine than Barq's root beer: 64mg vs 22mg in the same 12 oz can. That is a 42mg gap, and since the cans match, the per-serving number is the whole story.

Sun Drop vs Barq's root beer: the numbers

Sun Drop Barq's root beer
Caffeine per serving 64mg per 12 oz can 22mg per 12 oz can
Caffeine per fl oz 5.3mg 1.8mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 6.2 18.2

Sources: Sun Drop's figure is verified in our Sun Drop caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Barq's root beer's figure is verified in our Barq's root beer guide against Coca-Cola brand data (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick Barq's root beer when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Sun Drop 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 Sun Drop or Barq's root beer have more caffeine? Sun Drop: 64mg per 12 oz can versus 22mg per 12 oz can for Barq's root beer.

Which is stronger per ounce? Sun Drop, at about 5.3mg per fluid ounce versus 1.8mg for Barq's root beer.

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.

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