Let’s be honest: we all need our caffeine fix this time of year. It starts off innocently, with one latte at the new coffee shop that opened, one new matcha flavor, one “treat yourself” moment post-exam. However, as the prices keep climbing and the modifications keep piling up, it’s worth asking: are the colorful cold foams and cotton candy-colored cans really worth the splurge?
Before we see what’s brewing, let’s pop the lid on the fun drink universe and give it the credit it deserves.
To start, we have the fizzy energy category. Looking at Alani Nu, Poppi, Olipop, Bloom (both the cans and flavor packets) and so much more, you can see that there’s basically a colorful can for every craving.
From personal observation, I see at least three Cotton Candy or Pink Slush Alanis sitting on desks in my classes, someone with a local latte in hand and, somewhere in the room, a fizzy prebiotic drink like Poppi.
Then there’s the espresso side of things: La Colombe Draft Lattes, Starbucks, Dunkin’ and, of course, local coffee shops with insanely enticing recipes.
On top of it all, walking into a coffee shop is a whole other story. We’ve moved way past choosing between vanilla and caramel. Now, I’m seeing combinations like “cookie butter + brown sugar latte with maple cold foam” or “toasted marshmallow + dark chocolate latte.” Then there’s matcha: strawberry, blueberry, banana bread, tiramisu—if you can think of a flavor, I’m convinced it’s in a matcha by now.
While I’ve definitely tried my fair share of these, and can confirm they’re absolutely delicious, I do wonder: when did we stray so far from a regular vanilla latte or a nice sparkling La Croix? But here’s the real question: how much is our very valid need to constantly try the newest, prettiest and most elaborate drink actually costing us?
I mean, I get it. Fun drinks have become more than just a beverage; they’re also an outing with your roommates, a reward, a part of our daily caffeine necessities. On top of it all, it can be hard to resist; there always seems to be another drink to try, rate and inevitably add to your rotation. But with a single drink now costing anywhere between $6 to $10, those bevs of the day start to add up. Over a month, or even a whole semester, we’re talking about way more than just “a little treat.”
Let’s break it down: $$
If we’re talking about a daily coffee costing anywhere from $5 to $10, plus a case of Alani to last you about two weeks (around $22-$23), you’re already spending roughly $45 to $80 a week just on beverages. And that’s not even counting the spontaneous Poppi at Target, the matcha run with your roommate, or the “I need a little treat” after a long day of class.
Even staying on the lower end, $45 a week equates to around $180 a month. Over a four-month semester, that’s around $720 spent almost entirely on drinks. Suddenly, those $7 here-and-there purchases don’t feel quite as harmless when you see them all together. And listen, I’m not saying you need to give up your morning coffee or start flaking on every matcha run—I certainly won’t be. But when our fun drinks start adding up to hundreds of dollars a semester, it might be worth asking ourselves if we truly want the drink, or if we’ve simply gotten used to always having one in hand, or trying the latest flavor.
We can’t take all the blame here, though. This is definitely not something to feel guilty over. A lot of our fun drink craze can be attributed to the genius marketing and advertising behind every sip. Between colorful packaging, limited-edition flavors, influencer promotions and drinks practically designed for our feeds, these brands know exactly how to make us want to try what’s next. There’s always a new flavor to hunt down, a seasonal drink to try before it’s gone, or a pretty new can that somehow ends up in the cart. At some point, we’re not just buying the drink; we’re buying into the hype surrounding it.
What’s hiding under the cold foam?
Now that we’ve looked at what’s pouring out of our wallets, let’s look at what’s actually going into our drinks. Take a Grande Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha: one standard drink has 390 calories, 42 grams of sugar and 150 milligrams of caffeine. Once you start adding extra syrups, sauces, or cold foams, there’s even more lurking underneath that foam.
Energy drinks bring something slightly different to the table. An Alani Nu may have zero grams of sugar, but one 12-ounce can packs 200 milligrams of caffeine. Having your coffee in the morning and reaching for an Alani later means the caffeine can add up just as quickly as the charge to your bank account. Even our beloved matcha isn’t automatically innocent. Matcha can have plenty of nutritional benefits, but once we turn it into a strawberry cheesecake matcha with sweetened milk, flavored syrups and cold foam, we’re not exactly drinking the same thing as a traditional cup of matcha anymore.
Let me make it clear though, before you start side-eyeing your banana latte. Don’t be alarmed! Having a caffeinated drink each day can be totally normal, and none of this means you need to start cutting out your morning coffee. It’s really just about being mindful of how much you’re consuming. For the sake of our hearts, sleep schedules and overall well-being, maybe we don’t need another caffeine boost when our bodies aren’t actually asking for one.
So keep on sipping your favorites, treating yourself and enjoying the occasional little luxuries—just keep a little balance in the mix, and both your body and wallet will appreciate it.