The Type Of Alcohol Dunkin' Spiked Uses To Give You A Buzz
Dunkin' Spiked is the official line of hard coffee and hard tea from Dunkin' — yup, Dunkin' sells booze now. This is a retail line of beverages, meaning you can't actually catch a buzz on Dunkin' premises. Instead, you can purchase these from the supermarket or liquor store.
Malt alcohol is what gives Dunkin' Spiked's its buzz. As the product's website explains, "Dunkin' Spiked Iced Teas and Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees are flavored malt beverages, which means the source of alcohol is a fermented base primarily from sugar." That's the same type of alcohol in Twisted Tea and many other adult beverages. Similar to those drinks, the traditional "malty" flavor (like you'd get in a malted milkshake) has been taken away thanks to modern processing techniques, leaving you with a versatile neutral alcohol that manufacturers can add in to flavored beverages.
Dunkin' Spiked products come in classic coffee flavors, like Mocha Iced Coffee and Vanilla Iced Coffee, as well as seasonal flavors like Peppermint Mocha Iced Coffee, which was released for last year's winter season. Obviously, there's no stopping you from making your own iced coffee with a splash of a neutral spirit, like vodka, but the convenience of the can is part of the point here, along with the variety in flavors.
Dunkin' Spiked contains caffeine as well
There is a touch of caffeine in Dunkin' Spiked drinks, but not much. According to the Dunkin' Spiked official site, "Dunkin' Spiked Iced Teas contain between 15 and 30 milligrams per 12-ounce serving depending on the flavor. Dunkin' Spiked Iced Coffees contain about 30 mg per 12-ounce serving." This is much less than a 12-ounce serving of coffee, which can range from 113 to 247 milligrams.
Dunkin' Spiked can include caffeine in these beverages because the caffeine is not an added ingredient; it's a natural ingredient as part of the tea and coffee in the drink. The addition of caffeine has been banned since 2010 by the FDA, which is the key difference. Because of this — and the backlash to energy drink canned cocktails like Four Loko – you probably won't see any new types of products with specs past what Dunkin' Spiked is serving in the future.