Caffeine is the internet economy’s life blood. Yeah, that’s a bold statement, but when your entire industry is over-worked, you should realize that there are complimentary things that we owe a great deal of debt to our success.
Personally, I’m suffering from some bad sleep depression and exhaustion right now. Today, I **_can not _**function without caffeine. My “sleep bank” has been exhausted and angry creditors beg for just a minute of rest. Not going to happen this week. I only have one cup of coffee _Ghetto Mocha_tm (see recipe at the end of this post) a day so that I won’t build too much of a caffeine tolerance. Coffee is my poison of choice, as it’s convenient, ubiquitous, has less calories then Mountain Dew, and more caffeine then anything. What’s your favorite pick me up?
If you are lacking sleep and you want to get the most caffeine per 12oz, the chart below should help you determine how to get your fix:
Source: Wilstar.com has breakdown of caffeine by drink taken from the National Soft drink Assoc, FDA, Bunker and McWilliams and Pepsi. My problem is they don’t calculate the right quantities (ex: comparing 8oz of coffee to 12oz of soda). As such, below is the sorted list of caffeine quantities across both sodas and coffee (using the conservative estimates for coffee) for 12oz drinks. Bottom line, if you need your fix, order six espressos (2oz each * 6 = 12 oz), a 12oz coffee, or two red bulls. Aside - Who knew Pepsi One was stronger then Mountain Dew?!
Drink | Caffeine (12oz) |
| Coffee, Espresso (12oz) | 600 |
| Coffee, Drip | 172.5 |
| Red Bull (12 oz) | 120 |
| Coffee, Brewed | 120 |
| Coffee, Instant | 97.5 |
| Tea, brewed, imported brands (avg.) | 90 |
| Jolt | 71.2 |
| Tea, iced | 70.5 |
| Tea, brewed, U.S. brands (avg.) | 60 |
| Pepsi One | 55.5 |
| Mountain Dew | 55 |
| Mountain Dew Code Red | 55 |
| Diet Mountain Dew | 55 |
| Kick Citrus | 54 |
| Mellow Yellow | 52.8 |
| Surge | 51 |
| Tab | 46.8 |
| Diet Coke | 45.6 |
| Tea, instant | 45 |
| Shasta Cola | 44.4 |
| Shasta Cherry Cola | 44.4 |
| Shasta Diet Cola | 44.4 |
| RC Cola | 43 |
| Diet RC | 43 |
| Dr. Pepper | 41 |
| Diet Dr. Pepper | 41 |
| Diet Sunkist Orange | 41 |
| Mr. Pibb | 40 |
| Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb | 40 |
| Red Flash | 40 |
| Sunkist Orange | 40 |
| Ruby Red | 39 |
| Storm | 38 |
| Big Red | 38 |
| Pepsi-Cola | 37.5 |
| Pepsi Twist | 37.5 |
| Diet Pepsi | 36 |
| Diet Pepsi Twist | 36 |
| Aspen | 36 |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 34 |
| Cherry Coke | 34 |
| Lemon Coke | 34 |
| Vanilla Coke | 34 |
| Diet Cherry Coke | 34 |
| Snapple Flavored Teas (Reg. or Diet) | 31.5 |
| Canada Dry Cola | 30 |
| A&W Creme Soda | 29 |
| Nestea Sweet Iced Tea | 26.5 |
| Nestea Unsweetened Iced Tea | 26 |
| Barq's Root Beer | 23 |
| Tea, green | 22.5 |
| A&W Diet Creme Soda | 22 |
| Hot cocoa | 21 |
| Snapple Sweet Tea | 12 |
| Lipton Brisk, All Varieties | 9 |
| Coffee, Decaf, instant | 6 |
| Coffee, Decaf, brewed | 4.5 |
| Canada Dry Diet Cola | 1.2 |
| Diet Rite Cola | 0 |
| Sprite | 0 |
| 7-Up | 0 |
| Mug Root Beer | 0 |
| Diet Barq's Root Beer | 0 |
| Sundrop Orange | 0 |
| Minute Maid Orange | 0 |
| A&W Root Beer | 0 |
| Slice | 0 |
| Sierra Mist | 0 |
| Fresca | 0 |
Despite my Colombian heritage, I don’t like the taste of coffee, I certaintly don’t take it black, and I simply don’t understand why anyone would ever want decaffinated coffee (unless their in coffee rehab and need a placebo). I need some cream and sugar or other flavors to offset the bitter taste. Which brings me to a delicious recipe for office/cube dwellers everywhere, the _Ghetto Mocha_tm. * Mix 1 packet of Farmer Brothers hot chocolate mix (No sugar added variety is better) with 12oz fresh coffee. Stir vigorously and enjoy.