Starbucks won’t let us have venti Nitro Cold Brews, but the question is why

Have you ever tried to order a venti Nitro Cold Brew at Starbucks, only to be told no? Are you curious why you can’t get a larger size? So are we.

Starbucks is known for many things. Whether we are talking their coffee, their global presence, or even specific drinks like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, there is a lot to appreciate about the coffee shop (including the fact that they have a wide variety of drinks that are in fact not coffee). However, one thing that has us scratching our heads is the fact that it is impossible to get a Nitro Cold Brew in a Venti.

For those unfamiliar with the sizing descriptions at Starbucks, a Venti is a large, and while every other drink can be ordered in that size, Nitro Cold Brews are an exception. And to make things more confusing, asking the barista why usually doesn’t give you an actual answer. In fact, I sometimes wonder if they know why the answer is a no.

While some people might suggest that the reason you can’t get a Nitro Cold Brew in a Venti is because of the level of caffeine, that is actually false based on Starbucks‘ own nutritional information. So what is the real reason then?

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According to MyRecipes, it seems the answer might be as simple as the bottom line. You have to think that most of the cold drinks at Starbucks come with ice in them, which means you are getting less product to accommodate the ice itself. However, Nitro Cold Brews do not have ice in them. And that means that if your cup is going to be all product.

It is likely that going over a Grande (medium for those unfamiliar) would end up messing with profit margins, and of course customers are not necessarily going to want to pay a ton more just to get a larger size.

Of course, there is also the possibility that the kegs that pour the Nitro Cold Brew have a problem after they distribute the 16 ounces that make up a Grande. But that doesn’t seem realistic if you consider how many pours the keg must handle per day to begin with. After all, there are a lot of people ordering those Nitro Cold Brews, even if they are only able to get a smaller size.

Simply put, the most likely reason why Starbucks won’t let us order a Venti of their Nitro Cold Brews has to be down to the fact that there is no ice in the cups to counter how much coffee you are being served. Of course, if you really think about it, the fact that they are not adding ice to these cups also means that technically you probably are getting as much coffee as you would in a standard Venti of other drinks on the menu (including other Cold Brews).

What do you think of the fact that Starbucks doesn’t offer a Venti of the Nitro Cold Brew? Do you care that you can only order this coffee drink in a medium size? Tell us what you think in the comments.