Top 15 Popular Soda Brands: How Much Caffeine?

Many people know that sodas like Coca Cola and Pepsi contain caffeine, but perhaps fewer people are aware that the likes of Mountain Dew actually contain more caffeine per 100ml. Whether you’re looking for a soda that packs a little extra caffeine punch or you want to monitor the amount of caffeine your kids are drinking on a daily basis, it pays to know how much is in some of the most popular drinks.

Below, we have put together a list of 15 of the most popular sodas, and their caffeine content, and have included two of the most popular energy drinks for comparison’s sake.

The 15 Most Popular Soda Brands

The actual caffeine content in drinks can vary by locale as well as the specific flavor or style of drink purchased, but we have used the traditional and most common variants of each brand below.

1. Coca Cola

Coca-Cola, originally made as a drink for those looking to abstain from alcohol, remains, by far, the most popular soda in the world. The company claims that it sells nearly 2 billion servings of its drinks every single day, although this does include Diet Coke and other Coca Cola brands. A can is usually 335ml, which means that it contains around 28.5mg of caffeine.

2. Diet Coke

While it might not have been surprising to learn that Coca-Cola contains caffeine, what might be surprising is the fact that Diet Coke contains nearly 50% more caffeine per serving. A can contains 46mg of caffeine. Diet Coke does not contain sugar, but it does use stevia and other sweeteners to replicate the sweet flavor and there are trace calories to be found in this diet soda.

3. Pepsi

Pepsi has long been second-best to Coca-Cola, in terms of sales, but for those who are looking for a traditional non-diet soda that packs more of a caffeinated punch, it has the upper hand over Coca-Cola, thanks to its 10.7mg of caffeine per 100ml.

4. Diet Pepsi

While Coca-Cola and Diet Coke took the approach of adding more caffeine to their diet drinks than their standard variants, Pepsi went the other way. Diet Pepsi includes only 9.86mg of caffeine per 100ml, which is still more caffeine than in Coca-Cola but less than in the standard Pepsi drink.

5. Dr. Pepper

Dr. Pepper is owned by Keurig Dr. Pepper, with Keurig being famous for their pod-based K-cup coffee machines, so you might expect this fruit-flavored beverage to have a high caffeine content. Compared to other sodas, it is indeed highly caffeinated with just over 11.8mg of caffeine per 100ml. However, it is lower in calories and sugar than other standard sodas.

6. Mountain Dew

Manufactured by Pepsi, Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored soda that is high in caffeine, with 15.2mg per 100ml. It is also higher in sugar and calories than its biggest competitors. Although it is high in caffeine, Mountain Dew is not considered an energy drink but still a soda.

7. Sprite

Sprite is a carbonated lemon and lime flavor drink that is reasonably high in sugar and calories but that contains no caffeine whatsoever, so while it might not be suitable for those on a diet, it is a good choice for people looking to avoid caffeine altogether.

8. Fanta

Fanta is a fruit-flavored carbonated drink that is manufactured and supplied by Coca-Cola. It does not contain any caffeine and is comparatively low in sugar and calories. The original Fanta is orange-flavored but there is a seemingly ever-increasing roster of flavors available for purchase. The figures given are for the orange drink and might differ for other flavors.

9. Sunkist

Sunkist is owned by Keurig Dr. Pepper and is one of surprisingly few citrus-flavored soda drinks that do actually contain caffeine, although the amount is approximately half that of Cokes and other sodas. Expect to find 5.35mg of caffeine per 100ml and a high amount of sugar in this fizzy drink.

10. Sierra Mist

Sierra Mist is a lemon and lime carbonated drink from PepsiCo. It is a caffeine-free beverage which means that there is no caffeine whatsoever. However, as is common with citrus drinks it does contain calories aplenty.

11. 7-Up

7-up is a carbonated lemon and lime caffeine-free drink that is owned and sold by Keurig Dr Pepper. It contains no caffeine but is quite high in sugar and calories. When 7-up was first introduced, it was known as Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda and was originally sold as an anti-depressant, rather than as a soft drink.

12. Moxie

Moxie was one of the first mass-produced sodas in the US and while it hasn’t retained its popularity over the years, it could be a good choice for those looking for a carbonated, moderately caffeinated alternative to other sodas. It was first sold as a medicine and has a similar taste to root beer. It only has 6.76mg of caffeine per 100ml of Moxie.

13. A&W Root Beer

Launched in 1919, A&W Root Beer is described as having a mellow and creamy taste. It is caffeine-free and alcohol-free. It uses real vanilla to achieve its flavor and it has 43 calories per 100ml serving, as well as 12.8g of sugar, although there are diet and zero versions of the popular root beer available to buy.

14. Red Bull

It may not be the original energy drink, an honor which arguably belongs to Jolt Cola launched in 1985, but it is now the most popular caffeinated energy drink in the world. It is very high in caffeine, at least when compared to traditional sodas, with 30mg of caffeine per 100ml of Red Bull. It also contains 45 calories and 10g of sugar per 100ml.

15. Monster

Although Red Bull comes under scrutiny for its high caffeine content, other energy drinks are available and many of them actually have a higher caffeine concentration. Monster is likely the second most popular and has 20% more caffeine with 36mg per 100ml. It also tends to come in a much larger can, which means that the consumer gets nearly double the amount of caffeine from a single serving. Calorie and sugar content are roughly equivalent to Red Bull, at 42 and 11g per 100ml respectively.

Does Soda Have Caffeine?

While most people are aware that Coca-Cola contains caffeine, it certainly isn’t the only soda to give a caffeinated kick. Drinks like Mountain Dew, in fact, have higher caffeine content, and although the caffeine is likely added synthetically nowadays, it was a natural ingredient in the Cola nuts that were used to give the drink its flavor. Consumers that are caffeine sensitive or looking to avoid caffeine should check the ingredients of their sodas before opening the can and should definitely avoid energy drinks.

Conclusion

Although Coca-Cola does have a reasonable amount of caffeine, this level is dwarfed by the likes of Mountain Dew’s caffeine content, and even Cola’s own sugarless variant, Diet Coke. Those looking to avoid caffeine are better looking at citrus-based drinks, although not Mountain Dew, and some root beers. While those looking for a soda with plenty of caffeine should consider a Diet Coke or Mountain Dew, assuming that they want to avoid energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster.

Featured Image Credit: Amanda Shepherd, Unsplash