Surge vs brewed black tea: which has more caffeine?

Surge carries more total caffeine per serving (69mg per 16 oz can vs 47mg per 8 oz cup), but ounce for ounce brewed black tea is actually the stronger drink at about 6mg per fluid ounce against 4. Which one "has more caffeine" depends on whether you measure the container or the concentration.

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.

Surge vs brewed black tea: the numbers

Sources: Surge's figure is verified in our Surge caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); brewed black tea's figure is verified in our brewed black tea guide against USDA FoodData Central (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick brewed black tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Surge 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

• Surge: the full caffeine guide
• brewed black tea: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does Surge or brewed black tea have more caffeine? Surge: 69mg per 16 oz can versus 47mg per 8 oz cup for brewed black tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? brewed black tea, at about 5.9mg per fluid ounce versus 4.3mg for Surge.