There's Only One Drink At Starbucks You Can't Order Venti-Size

Picture the original Starbucks stereotype: A patron ordering an incredibly complicated-sounding drink meeting their precise preference for flavor, milk-to-coffee ratios, sweetness, caffeine content, etc. With such a customizable menu, it's no surprise that Starbucks has an extensive, unofficial secret menu that allows customers to order anything from Pennywise-inspired Frappuccinos to a blackberry caramel macchiato. But there's one thing you absolutely cannot order at Starbucks, and that's a venti, or 20-ounce, nitro cold brew.

Nitro cold brew infuses cold brew coffee with nitrogen when poured, giving it a creamy texture characterized by tiny bubbles. A nitrogen infusion also helps preserve the coffee's flavor for longer, a definite plus for an industry that relies on a product whose freshness deteriorates rather quickly. It's also relatively cheap to produce and helps coffee shops minimize waste due to its longer shelf life. So why won't Starbucks sell its popular nitro cold brew in its largest size? A defining characteristic of the beverage is the creamy foam on top of the cup; at a venti's 20 ounces, that foam will fade away all too quickly, ruining the drink's signature quality.

Maintaining the quality of the drink is the official reason given by Starbucks. But, of course, conspiracy theories abound. One popular theory is that the nitro cold brew would have too much caffeine as a venti. While nitro cold brew is one of the more caffeinated drinks at Starbucks, it actually contains less caffeine than a regular cup o' joe (215 grams of caffeine in a tall nitro cold brew as opposed to 235-plus milligrams of caffeine in a cup of drip).

Another conspiracy is that Starbucks refuses to offer a venti version because nitro cold brew isn't served over ice – it comes pre-chilled, and the ice would just dilute the drink. Therefore, nitro cold brew costs Starbucks more because it can't fill half the cup with cheaper ice, and the venti would be too much of a profit reduction. Incidentally, the lack of ice can also mean that a cup of nitro cold brew would have more caffeine than a regular cold brew, which is already stronger than a cup of iced coffee.