Top 10 Best Starbucks Cold Brew Drinks

Starbucks Cold Brew Drinks
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If you are looking for the best way to satisfy your cold brew coffee cravings, Starbucks is a fantastic place to start. Offering a nice variety of options, all Starbucks cold brew beverages have bold flavors and are incredibly rejuvenating!

So which Starbucks cold brew coffee drinks are best?

That is precisely what we are here to investigate!

In this thorough guide, I will cover everything you need to know about Starbucks cold brew coffee from how it’s made and what are the 10 best cold brew drinks to order.

How Are Starbucks Cold Brew Drinks Made?

Starbucks cold brew coffee drinks are made with coffee prepared through a steeping process in fresh, cold water. The two cold brew options available at Starbucks are regular cold brew and Nitro cold brew.

Both kinds of Starbucks cold brew coffee are made by steeping freshly ground coffee beans in cool water for a designated time. This brings out the subtle nutty nuances of the coffee and sets it apart from other cold coffee beverages such as the iced lattes and Americano drinks.

Americanos and iced lattes are made with hot coffee or espresso poured over ice. In contrast, Starbucks cold brew coffee is never heated. Instead, it is prepared with a cold water steeping process that enhances flavor notes naturally found in coffee beans.

Starbucks Nitro cold brew and Cold brew coffee tap
Starbucks Nitro cold brew and Cold brew coffees are served from a tap

Starbucks first began introducing cold brew coffees into the mainstream in 2014. Starbucks Nitro cold brew and regular cold brew coffees both come from kegs, are steeped for 20 hours, and are served via a keg and tap system.

Regular Starbucks cold brew coffee is usually served with ice and does not contain nitrogen.

Alternatively, Starbucks Nitro cold brew coffee does not come with ice and is served similarly to how beer is served, using a keg and nitrogen tap system. The nitrogen in a Nitro cold brew infuses into the cold coffee as it cascades from the tap for a creamy, smooth effect.

So what beans does Starbucks use for cold brew?

A signature blend of 100% Arabica coffee beans is used, but only Starbucks knows the specifics of the blend. This is why both types of cold brew coffee at Starbucks have strong flavors, nutty nuances, and smooth, rich, chocolatey notes.

In addition to going to a Starbucks coffee shop, you can find their cold brew products in supermarkets and online stores like Amazon. If you are looking for canned options, I recommend that you also check out the excellent Kirkland cold brew.

10 Best Starbucks Cold Brew Drinks to Order

Now that you know how both types of cold brew coffee at Starbucks are made, let’s go over some of the most delicious options to consider ordering.

Refresh your afternoon and put some pep in your step with these 10 impressive and flavorful cold brew coffee drinks from Starbucks!

1. Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew Grande

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 185 mg
  • Calories: 240
  • Sugar: 26 g

I just tried the Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew for the first time and it’s my new favorite Starbucks drink!

This drink is perfect for anyone who loves delicately sweet flavors and super smooth cold brew coffee — but the great thing is that it’s not too sweet. Enhanced with notes of caramel and topped with creamy cold foam, this cold brew is an awesome flavor escape for people who love tastefully balanced gourmet libations.

2. Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 185 mg
  • Calories: 110
  • Sugar: 14 g
Starbucks Cold Brew with Milk and Sweet Vanilla Cold Foam

An instant classic, the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew has vanilla syrup, slow steeped cold brew coffee, and a delicate float of sweet cream cold foam that infuses slowly downward into the cup.

It’s super smooth and perfectly sweet to liven up your day. I like to have my Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew with an additional splash of milk as you can see in the photo above.

3. Nitro Cold Brew with Cascara Cold Foam

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 270 mg
  • Calories: 80
  • Sugar: 18 g

A rich Nitro cold brew drink, this velvety smooth coffee creation is topped with cascara-flavored cold foam. This adds subtle notes of dark brown sugar into your beverage for one of the most crave-worthy Nitro Cold Brews ever!

Note that there are whopping 270 milligrams of caffeine in a grande-sized drink as it contains no ice but the whole 16 ounces consists of cold brew coffee.

4. Honey Almond Milk Cold Brew

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 205 mg
  • Calories: 50
  • Sugar: 10 g

The Starbucks Honey Almond Milk Cold Brew is delicately sweetened with honey and topped off with fresh almond milk.

This drink has balanced flavors in every sip and gives people who want to avoid dairy a rich and creamy way to refresh their senses. It’s my favorite Starbucks honey drink!

5. Cold Brew Coffee (with Milk)

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 205 mg
  • Calories: 5
  • Sugar: 0 g

Traditional cold brew coffee is served straight out of a tap and poured over ice.

I always order mine with a splash of whole milk for a perfect creamy touch to this super smooth cold brew drink. You can also try this drink with almond or oat milk, if you prefer a plant-based option.

6. Nitro Cold Brew

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 280 mg
  • Calories: 5
  • Sugar: 0 g

For coffee purists, Nitrogen Cold Brew coffee is steeped slowly for smooth flavors and a refreshingly creamy effect.

Without sugar, ice, or milk, this coffee naturally has a velvety crema and the perfect balance of refreshing coffee nuances.

7. Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 265 mg
  • Calories: 70
  • Sugar: 4 g

Served fresh and cold, this silky smooth Nitro Cold Brew is topped off with vanilla sweet cream cold foam for a cascading velvety effect that is sure to light up your afternoon.

8. Irish Cream Cold Brew

Grande Size (16 oz):

  • Caffeine: 185 mg
  • Calories: 200
  • Sugar: 24 g

Dreamy, creamy, and loaded with smooth holiday flavors, this cold brew coffee is swirled with Irish Cream syrup. The drink is then topped with a velvety smooth layer of vanilla sweet cream cold foam and just a hint of cocoa for the perfect effect!

9. Cookies and Cream Cold Brew (Secret Menu)

As an off-menu item, this cold brew coffee comes with vanilla, white mocha, and mocha cold foam for a tasty “cookies and cream” effect.

To order it, ask for a Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Coffee with one pump of vanilla syrup and three pumps of white mocha sauce. Then, ask for a topping of vanilla sweet cream cold foam with two pumps of mocha blended in. Yum!

10. Salted Caramel White Mocha Cold Brew (Secret Menu)

Another secret menu item to order at Starbucks is the Salted Caramel White Mocha Cold Brew. It is definitely worth ordering if you love sweet, creamy flavors and rich cold brew coffee.

Just order a Venti cold brew coffee with four pumps of white mocha, a topping of salted sweet cream cold foam, and a drizzle of caramel sauce inside the cup.

Final Thoughts on the Best Starbucks Cold Brew Orders

Starbucks cold brew coffee drinks are perfect for people who love the creamy and rich flavors of cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee is made without heat and can be served in its standard format or infused with nitrogen as a Nitro Cold Brew.

Hopefully, this list of the 10 best cold brew coffee drinks has been helpful and given you some inspiration for the drive-thru. Consider testing one of them out the next time you want something cool and refreshing!

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