The Difference In Strength Between Dead Eye And Black Eye Coffee

On especially sluggish mornings, it can be hard to choose between a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso, but what if we told you that you can actually get the best of both worlds? Just order this one powerful coffee beverage known as a black eye. This intensely caffeinated beverage is a mixture of drip coffee, either hot or iced, and a double shot of espresso. That intense combination makes for a drink that's chock-full of caffeine, and it's certainly not something for the faint of heart. 

While it's hard to gauge exactly how much caffeine is inside one of these drinks, let's look at the numbers. There's normally somewhere between 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup of coffee, while an average shot of espresso boasts about 64 milligrams of caffeine. With many medium-sized coffees sitting somewhere around 16 ounces nowadays, a black eye coffee could easily contain upwards of 320 milligrams of caffeine. Of course, the exact amount will vary per drink, but still, that's a whole lot of energy.

For those who are seriously operating on autopilot, there is one similar caffeinated drink to a black eye called a dead eye that you can try, but don't get these two twisted. These drinks may be similar in name and contents, but they are definitely not the same outright. So, for all those looking for a really serious pick-me-up, here's the difference between a dead eye and a black eye coffee.

Much like a black eye, a dead eye coffee is a cup of drip coffee, but this time it's mixed with a triple shot of espresso. Also called a dripped eye coffee in some regions, this is certainly a beverage to practice caution around due to its high caffeine content. (The name of the drink is a warning in-and-of itself.) Still, for those days when you really are feeling close to dead, it can be easy to remember that a dead eye is a potential solution. This drink can contain upwards of 380 milligrams of caffeine, so it's sure to pump you full of energy. 

The difference between a back eye and a dead eye is just 1 shot of espresso, but that hyper-concentrated liquid sure does make a big difference for both caffeine level and taste. Both of these drinks will taste extra bitter due to the intensity of espresso, the dead eye in particular, but they also have a mild sweetness from the wholesome presence of drip coffee. The resulting flavor is certainly an acquired taste, but most people tend to order these beverages for their caffeine content rather than flavor anyway. 

If you want something slightly less powerful than these beverages, a red eye coffee is a drink with just 1 shot of espresso mixed into a drip coffee, so it will have a bit more balance between its notes of sweetness and bitterness.

The FDA encourages adults to consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, so just one of these intense drinks will be nearly your entire allotment for the day. Because every type of coffee bean has different caffeine levels, however, it's difficult to gauge just exactly how powerful these drinks are, so it's best to exercise caution and only indulge in one cup at a time. Excess caffeine can do a lot of things to your body, such as increasing your heart rate and causing headaches, nausea, and insomnia, among other things. And later, it could also lead to a big crash of energy, so just keep those factors in mind.

Finally, aside from the terms "dead eye" and "black eye," some popular coffee brands have their own names for each of these drinks. For example, Starbucks dubs its dead eye a green eye coffee, and a black eye is sometimes known as a sling blade in some shops. So, if you're ever in doubt when at a coffee counter, just order a drip coffee outright with however many espresso shots you'd like added in. Even if you've had a seriously restless night of sleep, one of these drinks is sure to wake you right up.