The Brews to Rule Them All: The Best Starbucks Black Tea Drinks

August 5, 2022

If you think that black tea seems plain or boring, these Starbucks black tea drinks are sure to change your mind! From bold and robust to delightfully fruity, there are plenty of options for you to choose. Check out each and every delicious of these black teas!

The Top Starbucks Black Tea Drinks

Here are the brews that you should try out for yourself:

Royal English Breakfast Tea

This brew is just right for any one looking for a strong and dark cup. It is made from a blend of high grown black teas from Sri Lanka and India. This results in a brew with lots of complex, natural flavors to enjoy. Although it is the ultimate breakfast drink, this hot drink will hit the spot any time of the day.

Earl Grey Tea

If you are looking for a lighter cup, then this blend will do just the trick. The strong black tea is softened by the essence of bergamot and lavender flowers. These accompaniments lend a citrus tang and light, floral taste elevating the taste of the black teas.

Chai Tea

This is the black tea for anyone who likes a little bit of spice. The tea is infused with warming spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. It is best enjoyed with a little sweetener added in.

Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte

If you are looking to take a bit of the edge of the dark, smoky black tea, then this latte will be ideal. The tea is blended with liquid cane sugar and hot milk. It is topped off with foam. A perfect balance of strong, sweet, and creamy.

London Fog Tea Latte

The London Fog tea latte can be a bit of an acquired taste but you can guarantee that you will have never tried anything quite like it. The citrusy and floral notes are complemented by the steamed milk and vanilla syrup. This is all topped off by delicate foam.

Chai Tea Latte

Starbucks customers sure do love a chai latte and what's not to love? The chai tea latte is pre-sweetened and blended together with hot milk. The foam adds the finishing touch to this warm, decadent, unforgettable beverage!

Iced Black Tea

For those cool days when you are looking to keep things simple, nothing beats an iced black tea. Shaken with ice, this drink is cold and tasty, but doesn't lose any of its robust flavors. The iced tea can be sweetened according to your taste.

Iced Guava Black Tea

If you feel like your iced black tea could be dressed up a little, then here is the iced tea for you. This consists of iced black tea blended with guava flavored fruit juice and then sweetened with liquid cane sugar.

Iced Black Tea Lemonade

This iced black tea lemonade combines the two most refreshing beverages you can think of - black tea and lemonade! The ingredients are shaken together to create a beautiful blend of flavors. The lemon adds sweetness to the iced tea, but you can certainly add more.

Iced Guava Black Tea Lemonade

There is no need to stop with just one or two flavors, why not blend the whole lot together? This is precisely what this version of the iced black tea lemonade does! Iced black tea, guava flavored juice, and lemonade are shaken together. Sweet, tangy, and bold - the one of the most perfect iced tea drinks for a hot day.

Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte

Strong black tea and cold milk are the perfect combination in this iced tea. Throw in some liquid cane sugar and you've got a creamy, sweet, and tasty treat!

Iced London Fog Tea Latte

Looking to take your London Fog tea latte to the next level? Well, this iced tea with milk, and vanilla syrup is just the way to do it. Go ahead and give it a try, there are so many interesting and tantalizing notes to enjoy with this beverage.

Iced Chai Tea Latte

You don't have to give up your favorite chai latte just because the temperatures have gone up. This iced chai tea latte shows you how well the warming spices of the brew combine with milk and ice. And, as the iced tea is pre-sweetened, the drink has just the right amount of sugar as well. Certainly on of the top iced tea drinks on the menu.

Teavana Mango Black Tea

Ready made and bottled, the Teavana mango black tea combines the delicious, juicy flavors of mango with the robust notes of black tea. It is all topped off with a twist of lime. Go ahead and pick up a Teavana mango black tea at any Starbucks store.

Chai Crème Frappuccino

Looking for ultra-decadent iced tea drinks? Well, this iced tea gives the chai tea latte an incredible boost. The spicy chai concentrate is combined with creamy components, and ice. This is all topped off with whipped cream.

How are Starbucks Black Tea Drinks Made?

Most of the black tea drinks - the iced drinks and hot ones are made with a Teavana tea bag.

For the plain black tea drinks like Royal English Breakfast tea and Earl Grey, the tea bags are immersed in hot water to create a concentrated base. For the Starbucks iced tea drinks, the beverage is shaken with ice. This is why the Starbucks iced black tea has a more concentrated taste.

The same method is used for the Starbucks iced black tea lemonade and other iced black tea drinks like it. As mentioned, these beverages are also shaken with their accompanying ingredients.

In case you order a tea latte, then water is only poured to the halfway point of the cup. The rest is topped off by steamed milk. Foam is then spooned on top.

The chai latte and other chai based beverages are made in a slightly different way. This is because Starbucks uses a chai concentrate liquid. The other components are then mixed into it.

Most of the Starbucks black tea beverages are made sweeter with liquid cane sugar. This works especially well with the Starbucks iced beverages. Iced black tea lemonade and similar Starbucks iced concoctions are quite sweet, although sugar can still be added.

classic black tea

Caffeine in Starbucks Black Tea Drinks

You should be aware that Starbucks doesn't have decaf black teas. As such, all the beverages contain caffeine.

The exact caffeine content will depend on a few factors. This includes the exact Starbucks beverage ordered as well as the size. Most plain black tea beverages will contain more caffeine as these consist only of black teas.

Other blended hot and iced black tea beverages such as the iced black tea lemonade and Teavana mango black tea will contain less caffeine. This is because they are combine with other components.

On average, a grande sized beverage with only black tea may contain around 40mg of caffeine. An iced black tea blended beverage may consist of around 25 mg of caffeine.

Bear in mind that a small and hot size uses just one tea bag. The grande siz and venti use two tea bags.

The chai tea and chai tea latte is an especially potent black tea beverage, though. As it is made from a concentrate, a single serving of a grande beverage can contain around 95mg of caffeine!

If you ask your barista to make any changes to the recipe, then this can alter the caffeine content as well. For instance, if you ask for two tea bags instead of one tea bag or vice versa, then you will get a greater caffeine boost.

How to Order Starbucks Black Tea Drinks

Ordering Starbucks iced or hot beverages is quite different to ordering coffee beverages. Thus, you may require some guidance.

First and foremost, when you are handed your plain Starbucks hot tea, the tea bag or tea bags, will still be in it. This means that it is up to you to remove the tea bags.

The reason this is an important point to make is that the longer that black tea is steeped, the more tannins that escape into your brew. When this happens, your tea gets increasingly bitter. Leave the tea bags in for too long and your brew will become unpleasant.

Now, for the best flavors, you will typically steep the tea bags for around 3 to 5 minutes. This all does depend on your preference, though. If you prefer a lighter Starbucks hot tea, then remove the tea bags closer to the 3 minute mark. Or, leave it in longer.

The best way to get this just right is to keep taking a sip so that you know the precise time to remove the tea bags.

The good news is that this burden will not fall to you with a tea latte beverage such as chai tea latte. Instead, the baristas will handle the steeping for you as the beverage has to be combined with other elements.

The steeping of your iced black tea lemonade and other Starbucks iced black tea beverages will also be tackled by your barista.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the more commonly asked questions about Starbucks black tea drinks:

Is Starbucks Black Tea Healthy?

As long as you steer clear of sugar and other calorie laden components, your Starbucks hot and iced black tea can actually be quite healthy for you.

What Mixes Well with Black Tea?

Creamy, sweet, citrusy, and spicy flavors all work well with black tea. It is up to you to find what suits you best.

These are the black tea beverages from Starbucks you just have to try! Once you get a taste of them, you are sure to come back for more.

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About the Author
Dr. Dheena Sadik
Dr. Dheena Sadik is a consultant Nutritionist and Dietician. She has over a decade of experience in the health and fitness industry.
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