Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

yerba mate vs Twisted Tea: which has more caffeine?

yerba mate has more caffeine than Twisted Tea on both counts: 85mg per 8 oz cup against 30mg per 12 oz bottle, and about 11mg per fluid ounce against 2. The serving sizes differ, so the table below shows both ways of counting.

yerba mate vs Twisted Tea: the numbers

yerba mate Twisted Tea
Caffeine per serving 85mg per 8 oz cup 30mg per 12 oz bottle
Caffeine per fl oz 10.6mg 2.5mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 4.7 13.3

Sources: yerba mate's figure is verified in our yerba mate caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer / compiled (source); Twisted Tea's figure is verified in our Twisted Tea guide against brand data / Caffeine Informer (source).

The concentration gap is the striking part: yerba mate packs roughly 4 times the caffeine per ounce. Sipping speed matters at that density; a 8 oz cup finished in minutes hits differently than the same milligrams spread over a slow cup.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Twisted Tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and yerba mate 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 yerba mate or Twisted Tea have more caffeine? yerba mate: 85mg per 8 oz cup versus 30mg per 12 oz bottle for Twisted Tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? yerba mate, at about 10.6mg per fluid ounce versus 2.5mg for Twisted Tea.

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.

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