You want sugar-free cold brew. The front of a bottle can say "sugar-free" or "unsweetened," but the back of the can is where the details are. This guide walks through the lines on a cold brew label that tell you what's actually in it: the ingredient list, Total Sugars, Added Sugars and caffeine.
What "Natural Flavors" Means on a Label
"Natural flavor" is a defined term in US food labeling rules. Under 21 CFR 101.22, it covers essential oils, extracts, distillates and similar products derived from plant or animal sources "whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional." The same rule lets a label declare these simply as "natural flavor" or "artificial flavor," so the ingredient list won't tell you which specific compounds were used.
That isn't a reason to avoid a drink. It just means the words "natural flavors" tell you something was added for taste, without naming it.
Sugar-Free Isn't Always Sweetener-Free
Some coffee drinks replace sugar with non-sugar sweeteners. The World Health Organization's 2023 guideline lists common ones as acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. The WHO made a conditional recommendation against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases, and said the recommendation does not apply to people with pre-existing diabetes. It also noted that some of the links it reviewed might be confounded by the characteristics of the people studied.
If what you want is a short ingredient list, the place to check is the ingredient list itself, not the front of the bottle.
The Ingredient Count Test
Flip the can over and count the ingredients. Black cold brew can be made from coffee and water alone. Anything past those two (flavors, sweeteners, milk, cream, stabilizers) was added for a reason, and the ingredient list is where it has to show up.
Total Sugars vs. Added Sugars
The Nutrition Facts panel has two sugar lines, and they measure different things. According to the FDA:
- Total Sugars include sugars naturally present in a food or drink plus any added sugars.
- Added Sugars include sugars added during processing (such as sucrose or dextrose) and sugars from syrups and honey. They don't include naturally occurring sugars in milk, fruits and vegetables.
- The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day.
A sweetened cold brew with cream or syrup can carry a lot of added sugar. A drink made with milk can show Total Sugars even when Added Sugars reads zero. Check both lines, and check the serving size, since a bottle can hold more than one serving.
Check the Caffeine, Too
The FDA says caffeine has to appear in the ingredient list when it's added as a stand-alone ingredient, but stating how much caffeine a drink contains is voluntary (FDA). Caffeine that comes from the coffee itself isn't an added ingredient, so if a can doesn't print a number, the label alone won't tell you. FDA says up to 400mg a day is an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults.
A Quick Label Checklist
- Ingredient list: how many ingredients, and are any of them sweeteners, flavors, milk or cream?
- Added Sugars: the number of grams, per serving.
- Servings per container: one, or more than one?
- Caffeine: is the amount printed?
For more on comparing labels, see our zero sugar cold brew label comparison and our guide to how much caffeine is in cold brew.
What's on the Bare Brew Label
No sugar. No dairy. Bare ingredients, a special blend of coffee and water. The label lists filtered water and Honduran Arabica coffee, with 0g sugar, 20 calories, 5g total carbohydrate and 320mg caffeine per 12 fl oz can. Bare Brew is our own product. See pack sizes and current prices.
Sources:
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 101.22, "Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives."
- World Health Organization. "WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline," May 15, 2023.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label."
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?"
This article is general information, not medical advice. Bare Brew is a coffee drink, not a treatment for any condition. Each 12 fl oz can has 320mg of caffeine. It's not recommended for children, people who are pregnant or nursing, or anyone sensitive to caffeine. If you take medication or have a health condition, talk to your doctor about caffeine.
