The Most Expensive Starbucks Drink: Where the Record Stands in 2025

The headline number hasn’t changed—yet

More than a decade after “extreme customization” exploded across social media, the title of “Most Expensive Starbucks Drink” still belongs to a 2017 one-off: a $148.99 “Super Venti Flat White” built with an eye-popping number of added espresso shots and modifiers. An earlier milestone—the $83.75 latte with 101 shots in 2014—helped ignite the trend and proved that a coffee receipt can make headlines. In 2025, the stunt is alive and well, but no verified purchase has topped those figures.

How the phenomenon started

Starbucks’ made-to-order model lets customers stack add-ons: extra shots, alternative milks, syrups, powders, and toppings. In 2014, Florida consumer advocate William E. Lewis, Jr. placed a now-famous order: a latte swollen to 101 espresso shots and layered with flavor pumps—$83.75 at the register—and a viral story everywhere else. That receipt established a playbook for the “how high can it go?” crowd and showed how a single order could dominate a news cycle.

The leap to $148.99

On January 22, 2017, the bar moved dramatically with Lewis taking on the record again. During Inauguration Week, a Bethesda, Maryland, Starbucks filled an oversize mug with what became known as a “Super Venti Flat White”—$148.99 worth of coffee engineering, anchored by an extreme number of added shots and a coconut-milk swap. Multiple outlets documented the attempt, which also circulated on caffeine-watcher sites that track this niche of coffee culture.

Why 2025 hasn’t produced a pricier verified drink

If everything is customizable, why hasn’t someone crossed $150 in a way that sticks? A few reasons:

• Practical limits. Stores and baristas can (and often do) decline orders that tie up equipment or disrupt service. Oversized personal containers are commonly refused and purportedly against Starbucks policy.
• App caps. The Starbucks app’s customization flow tops out far below “record” territory—media walkthroughs this year point to a sub-$50 ceiling for the priciest in-app build, unless a store overrides it at the counter.
• Documentation standards. Viral videos abound, but newsrooms look for a clear receipt, store confirmation, and congruent details. Without that, claims stay in the rumor mill.

The anatomy of a record drink

Record attempts usually follow familiar math: start with a Venti base (or a bespoke large vessel), add dozens—occasionally 100+—espresso shots, stack syrups and drizzles, and swap to premium milks. Espresso shots are the main cost driver; the rest are more about spectacle. The 2017 order that still tops the leaderboard is frequently cited with well over a hundred shots and a sticker price that hasn’t been credibly eclipsed.

Health and barista realities

A standard health caveat is warranted. These builds aren’t meant to be consumed solo; the caffeine load can be dangerous. Baristas also note the strain on machines and lines when a single ticket monopolizes a bar. Even fans of the stunt agree: the point is the receipt and the photo, not polishing off a 200-plus-ounce drink.

Why people still chase it

The stunt persists because it is made for the feed: a shocking total, a wild ingredient list, and a receipt that doubles as a trophy. It’s participatory (any store might say yes, although against Starbucks policy), relatively harmless when shared, and slots neatly into the internet’s fascination with extremes. Brands don’t have to cheer it on to benefit—free publicity is built into the template.

Florida’s fingerprint on the story

Florida has an outsized role in the lore. The 2014 $83.75 latte that helped launch the craze came out of Fort Lauderdale, and SouthFloridaReporter.com chronicled the 2017 $148.99 escalation that remains the best-documented high. Whether another challenger emerges from Miami, Orlando, or beyond, the Sunshine State is already part of Starbucks stunt history.

How to spot a credible “new record”

As claims pop up on TikTok and X, here’s a quick newsroom checklist:

1. Receipt clarity: itemized modifiers and total sale visible. No receipt – no proof of record being broken.
2. Store confirmation: a manager or corporate comms will confirm or decline. The confirmation will always include the fact that this is against Starbucks policy.
3. Consistency: the vessel size and components should roughly align with store policy and bar capacity. Hence, a Trenta sized beverage could not possibly hold a record amount of coffee or other modifiers.
4. Third-party coverage: independent outlets corroborate, not just mirrors of the original post. Corroboration is more than an influencers TikTok or Facebook post.

Will the number move in 2025?

Maybe—but not yet. Prices have risen since 2017, so a cooperation-friendly store could hit $150+ without heroic contortions. But the app’s limits, store discretion, and the sheer logistics of pulling hundreds of shots make each attempt a moonshot. Until a verifiable receipt surfaces, $148.99 (2017) stands as the figure to beat, with $83.75 (2014) as one of the most famous early markers.