Dunkin’ Spiked

Did you know that Dunkin’ Donuts sells 60 cups of coffee every second? The iconic donut shop and coffee brand has been around since 1950, and in that time, it has become the largest coffee and donut brand, spreading to 12,500 stores worldwide. Not only that, Dunkin’ is the fifth highest-selling ground coffee in grocery stores across America. And according to the brand’s website, there are over 25,000 ways to order a coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. Meaning if you got a different Dunkin’ Donuts coffee every day, it would take sixty-eight and a half years to try them all. It’s safe to say that Dunkin’ Donuts knows their coffee. Well, the news just broke that the beloved brand has decided to create something very special for its 21 and older coffee fans everywhere.  Dunkin’ Spiked is a new alcoholic brand from the Dunkin’ Trademark, and it will have two lines of alcoholic drinks, Iced Coffee and Iced Tea.

Will Dunkin’ Spiked Have Caffeine?

We don’t know how much caffeine (if any) will be in Dunkin’ Spiked. However, we do know that the ingredients of the Spiked Iced Coffee line is “premium malt beverage with real coffee, natural flavor, and artificial color.” The Spiked Iced Tea line’s ingredients also contain “Real Tea.” Unless the “real” tea and coffee the brand is referring to is decaffeinated (which would likely be specified), it’s safe to assume that these drinks have some quantity of caffeine. The majority of Hard Teas have a small quantity of caffeine, including Twisted Tea which claims 91% of the hard tea market and contains 30 mg per can. Popular Hard Coffee brands Rebel and Pabst also contain caffeine, having 45 mg and 30 mg, respectively.

The Controversial Nature of Mixing Caffeine and Alcohol

There’s no question about it; 2023 is the year where too contentious friends, alcohol and caffeine, cozy up once more. The espresso martini recently became one of the most popular bar calls in the United States. The hard tea market is surging, seeing double-digit growth and a surge of new products from popular brands. But the controversial nature of mixing caffeine and alcohol remains. The reason for that is that the TTB all but banned alcoholic beverages with added caffeine in 2010. The CDC also warns strongly against mixing alcohol and caffeine. Much of this was in reaction to the FDA declaring caffeine as a “dangerous additive” to alcoholic beverages in 2010 after a year-long study of products Joose, Max, Core, Moonshot, and Four Loko.

So, how can hard teas and hard coffees fly under this ban’s radar? According to Bev Source, the FDA ban is only on synthetic caffeine and not naturally occurring caffeine in coffee and tea. The article goes on to say that this could change at any moment. Nevertheless, the consumer demand for these drinks is still surging, and clearly, there are plenty of brands willing to take on a little risk in order to meet that demand.

Everything We Know About Dunkin’ Spiked

Dunkin’ Spiked will have two lines of alcoholic drinks, Iced Coffee and Iced Tea. The four flavors of Iced Coffee will clock in at an alcohol content of 6% ABV. These flavors are Original, Caramel, Vanilla, and Mocha. You’ll be able to get these iced coffees in the Dunkin’ Spiked Iced Coffee Mix Pack. The pack is a 12-pack of 12 oz cans. Coming in a little lower than the Iced Coffees, Dunkin’ Spiked Iced Tea has a 5% ABV. The four flavors in the Dunkin’ Spiked Iced Tea Mix Pack are Slightly Sweet, Half & Half, Mango Pineapple, and Strawberry Dragonfruit. You can look for updates from the brand on the Dunkin’ Spiked website.

Want to find your perfect hard seltzer or canned cocktail? Try our Seltzer Finder! You can search by flavor, ABV, carbs, and more to discover your ideal beverage.