The Tower Café has a fair amount of coffee choices, but even those get boring after a while. What should you do when you are starting to hate coffee but can’t sacrifice your need for caffeine? You should look for other options. For those of you on a “coffee break”, here are some coffee alternatives for when you need a caffeine boost.
1. Awake Caffeinated Milk Chocolate Bar
The Awake Chocolate bar is simple and sweet. What makes Awake better than other chocolate bar options is that it is caffeinated: each bar is packed with as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. With Awake, you can satisfy both your sugar-cravings and need for caffeine.
2. Guayaki Yerba Mate
According to Guayaki, Yerba Mate “has the strength of coffee [and] the health benefits of tea”. If you are looking for a strong caffeine boost, Yerba Mate is your go-to drink. Each Guayaki Yerba Mate can have much as 150 mg of caffeine—the equivalent of a cup of coffee. There are a variety of flavors to choose from, among which I highly recommend the Enlighten Mint. In case you want to avoid the extra sugar, you can choose the unsweetened tea. Keep in mind however that the unsweetened drinks have a somewhat earthier aftertaste.
3. 5-Hour Energy Shot
For a mere 57 ml, the 5-hour Energy Shot delivers a lot of caffeine; each regular Shot holds 200 mg! The small size of the shot makes it ideal for those of you looking for an efficient caffeine boost after an all-nighter.
4. Kung Fu Milk Tea
Kung Fu Tea is a beloved boba chain to many. Just a short walk away from campus, Kung Fu Tea at Davis Square offers a wide variety of beverages. Mobile order is also available on app. From its classic menu, I recommend the Kung Fu Milk Tea. Although the caffeine content is not explicitly stated on its website, tea based drinks generally contain a high amount of caffeine. Kung Fu Milk Tea is a sweet alternative to coffee.
5. Sencha Green Tea Shot
The Sencha Green Tea Shot contains only concentrated green tea, vitamin C and water. With 5 times the regular amount of catechin tea antioxidants than regular green tea, the Sencha Shot will help you detox. Although Sencha Shot will only give you a small caffeine boost (each shot holds only half the caffeine per cup of coffee), it will rejuvenate you thoroughly.