Does Starbucks Have Decaf Cold Brew?

Cold brew is an extremely popular beverage that is served all around the world and has even been reimagined in different ways by big coffeehouses, like Starbucks. 

But is it available in decaf?

Does Starbucks have decaf cold brew? Yes, Starbucks has a Decaf Cold Brew. Starbucks uses decaf coffee beans as a base, which essentially means that you can enjoy all of the brand’s offerings without the added caffeine. The flavor might be a bit different, but for most casual drinkers, it might not even make that big of a difference.

Read below to learn more about decaf, how it’s prepared, and how Starbucks uses decaf coffee beans to make delicious beverages!

What Is Decaf?

Before we get into the how, let’s first discuss why.

The reason why most coffee houses sell decaf versions of their beverages can boil down to three main reasons.

1. People Want Coffee Without The Buzz

The primary reason humans consume coffee, apart from its flavor, is that it can keep us going — and the main proponent of this effect is caffeine. 

A single coffee bean has about 1500 different compounds, and caffeine is just one complex compound — but it is powerful enough to affect the brain in interesting ways. 

On its own, caffeine is termed a psychoactive drug that has a direct influence on mood, mental processes, and alertness. 

In simple terms, caffeine blocks certain receptors in the brain which forces the brain to stay alert and awake. This translates to better focus, potentially more physical energy, and for some, better mood. 

But ironically, caffeine can also be its worst enemy.

See, the thing about coffee is that most people can only enjoy it during the day when they are required to be active. 

Sure, you can drink a cup of coffee in the evening, but good luck trying to sleep with a system loaded with copious amounts of caffeine! 

Even if you drink a little bit, the sheer diversity in the microbiology of humans means that the compound will have different effects from one person to the other. 

Some people might be able to sleep soundly even after having a tall cup while others might stay awake the entire night. 

In either case, this is where decaf coffee comes in!

Decaf coffee tries to offer the same flavor (more on this below) but without the added effects of caffeine. 

This essentially means that you can enjoy a cup of coffee virtually any time of the day without worrying about staying up or being awake at the wrong time!

2. Caffeine Affects The Heart 

The second reason why people opt for decaf coffee is that caffeine, like many other substances, can cause unwanted symptoms — and we aren’t just talking about staying past your bedtime!

Caffeine can cause serious problems in people with certain heart conditions. 

When consumed, it is widely known to increase blood pressure. The exact mechanics of how this works is not clear, but scientists have linked a short but dramatic increase in blood pressure in people who regularly consume caffeine. 

Add this effect to someone with a weak heart or an underlying heart condition and things can get serious very fast.

Even though the odds of getting ill from drinking a single cup of coffee aren’t high, most health-conscious people with such concerns just avoid consuming caffeine altogether. 

3. Caffeine And Gut Motility 

The final reason, which also happens to be health-related, is that caffeine is notorious for causing stomach problems, especially in people who have a sensitive gut. 

Even if you have an otherwise healthy heart, you can still get affected by caffeine because of its ability to increase gut motility. Not sure what that is?

In other words, it can make you pass loose stools (read: diarrhea). This effect has been documented to affect people at different rates.

In theory, even if you were to serve coffee made using lactose-free milk to someone with lactose intolerance, caffeine alone can cause the same lactose-linked stomach problems, especially if the person has a compromised gut. 

The Pursuit Of Decaf 

Caffeine may have a few disadvantages, but coffee itself is known to be very beneficial in many ways!

Remember: caffeine is just one of many compounds found in coffee beans. The other compounds happen to be antioxidants and other beneficial substances that can promote physical and mental health. 

This is why people find it important to consume coffee, even if it is stripped of the majority of its caffeine. 

But how do you remove caffeine? 

Decaf has existed in multiple forms for decades. It was first introduced in 1903 by a German coffee merchant by the name of Ludwig Roselius. 

Roselius wanted to create a caffeine-less coffee because he thought that the demise of his father was directly linked to his regular and copious consumption of coffee. 

After much experimentation, he came up with the Roselius Process, which involved soaking the beans in solvents to strip the caffeine molecules from the beans. 

Of course, at the time, this was an imperfect and crude method but it worked well and was the default way to produce decaf coffee beans — until people realized that the solvents used in this method were carcinogenic. 

This, along with the altered taste of the beans using the Roselius method, led to the search for better caffeine extraction methods. 

Today, coffeehouses, including Starbucks, extract caffeine by soaking coffee beans in water before letting them sit in a bath of food-safe solvents. This method is referred to as the Direct Method. 

The solvents remove the caffeine molecules after which the beans are then rinsed a few times and then roasted to drain and evaporate the solvents. 

The only problem with this method is that it can affect the flavor of the beans!

Flavor Of Decaf

Decaf is known to have a slightly altered flavor which people describe as being a little sourer. 

The extent of this alteration usually depends on the type of extraction method and the quality of the beans. 

While the direct method alters the flavor of the beans, it is still the go-to practice for decaffeinating coffee beans due to its effectiveness and cost. 

Thanks to this method, Starbucks is effectively able to make a decaffeinated version of almost all of its original offerings! 

There are other methods like the Swiss-Water Method and the Natural Decaffeination Process that remove caffeine without the use of solvents, but unfortunately, these methods can take a lot of time and can cost a lot.

This is why they are usually used by artisan coffeehouses that focus on producing premium-grade beans.

The good news is that Starbucks decaf coffee beans are safe as they are prepared as per the high standards of the FDA — and they can taste great due to the addition of other flavoring ingredients!

Please keep in mind that any alteration to the flavor of the beans is very minor; most people won’t be able to tell the difference.

This is especially true if they order a complex beverage that already contains a host of syrups and flavoring ingredients, as is common at Starbucks.

Related Questions 

Now that you know all about decaf cold brew coffee at Starbucks, here are some related questions we thought you might have.

Is Starbucks Decaf Cold Brew 100% caffeine-free? 

No. Even though the beans are labeled as “decaf,” it is nearly impossible to process 100% caffeine-free beans due to the limitations and variations of the decaffeination process. 

Starbucks claims that its decaf beverages are 97% caffeine-free. This means that you can expect to get around 2 milligrams of caffeine per typical cup instead of 95 milligrams as you normally would.  

What types of decaf beans does Starbucks offer?

There are mainly two types of coffee beans in the market: one comes from Robusta trees, and the other comes from Arabica trees. 

Starbucks claims to use beans that are only sourced from the Arabica tree, which the brand also uses to process and produce decaf beans. 

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