southern sweet tea vs McDonald's Sweet Tea (large): which has more caffeine?

McDonald's Sweet Tea (large) has more caffeine than southern sweet tea on both counts: 100mg per 32 oz cup against 41mg per 16 oz glass, and about 3mg per fluid ounce against 3. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

southern sweet tea vs McDonald's Sweet Tea (large): the numbers

Sources: southern sweet tea's figure is verified in our southern sweet tea caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); McDonald's Sweet Tea (large)'s figure is verified in our McDonald's Sweet Tea (large) guide against Caffeine Informer (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick southern sweet tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and McDonald's Sweet Tea (large) 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

• southern sweet tea: the full caffeine guide
• McDonald's Sweet Tea (large): the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does southern sweet tea or McDonald's Sweet Tea (large) have more caffeine? McDonald's Sweet Tea (large): 100mg per 32 oz cup versus 41mg per 16 oz glass for southern sweet tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? McDonald's Sweet Tea (large), at about 3.1mg per fluid ounce versus 2.6mg for southern sweet tea.