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A few Australian friends were surprised to see Squirt on the shelf when they visited, so we picked some up and tried it. I got the appeal pretty quickly.
Since I’m cutting daily caffeine, I wanted to know whether Squirt has any caffeine at all.
I checked the label to separate the regular citrus versions from the one flavor that lists caffeine.
Squirt Soda secrets revealed: Is it truly caffeine-free?
So, to answer “Does Squirt have caffeine?” in short, only one flavor does.
The original Squirt and Squirt Zero Sugar do not contain caffeine, whereas the Ruby Red Squirt does have small amounts of caffeine, about 39 mg per serving.
When I want a caffeine-free mixer, I reach for regular Squirt or Squirt Zero Sugar and leave Ruby Red for another day.
When I do drink Ruby Red Squirt, I treat it like any other caffeinated soda and keep it earlier in the day.
I’m using 12 fl oz servings here so the caffeine numbers do not get mixed up with can size.
Beverage | Serving Size | Caffeine (mg) |
|---|---|---|
Squirt Zero Sugar Grapefruit | 12 fl oz can | 0 |
Squirt Grapefruit | 12 fl oz can | 0 |
Ruby Red Squirt | 12 fl oz can | 39 |
The inside story of squirt (History, nutrition & ingredients)
History
Squirt soda was initially invented by Herb Bishop out in Phoenix, Arizona, back in 1938.
Squirt started as a cocktail mixer, then became a standalone citrus soda too.
Diet Squirt, released in 1983, was the first US soft drink sweetened entirely with aspartame.
Today, Keurig Dr Pepper owns Squirt, and it still sits in the citrus-soda lane with Fresca.
Ingredients
When I look at Squirt ingredients, I start with the original version first.
The diet version uses a different sweetener setup, so the ingredient list shifts a little.
Ruby Red Squirt uses its own ingredient mix too.
The biggest difference between regular and Zero Sugar is the sweetener swap.
The original Squirt uses high fructose corn syrup, which gives it the sugar-sweet finish I expect from a full-sugar soda.
Squirt Zero Sugar swaps in aspartame and acesulfame potassium for the high-fructose corn syrup used in the original, and its ingredient list also includes several formulation differences.
Ruby Red is the only Squirt citrus soda with caffeine listed as an ingredient, so that is the one I check when caffeine matters.
If I am watching sugar, I usually pass on the regular version and go to Zero Sugar.
Nutrition facts
I still look at the nutrition panel either way, because caffeine, calories, and sugar are easier to manage when I know the numbers.
Serving size matters here, because label numbers can look smaller when they are based on a pour I would not actually drink.
Here are the nutritional facts for each flavor at 20 fl oz:
Squirt Zero
Squirt Grapefruit
Squirt Ruby Red
Will Squirt Soda tip the scales towards weight gain?
When I see a sweet soda like this, I check whether I am asking about the drink itself or the day’s total sugar and calories.
Whether someone’s weight fluctuates depends on a range of factors, including diet, lifestyle, genetics, and other external or internal elements.
Gaining weight is often caused by, among other things, someone eating more calories than they burn – therefore, to lose weight would mean burning more calories than you consume. The latter is known as creating a calorie deficit.
A 12 fl oz can of Squirt has 140 calories and 38g of sugar, so I treat it as an occasional drink, not an all-day sip.
One can will not decide anything by itself, but it adds up if I drink sweet sodas often.
That is the version I reach for when I want the Squirt flavor without the sugar load.
Caffeine in Squirt Soda vs other popular sodas
Most Squirt flavors are caffeine free, so I do not think of the brand as a caffeine drink overall.
Ruby Red Squirt has less caffeine than most cups of coffee, but I still notice it if I am keeping caffeine low late in the day.
I compared Squirt with Coca-Cola and a few other soft drinks by going back to the labels and serving sizes instead of relying on marketing language.
Soda Type | Serving Size | Caffeine Level |
|---|---|---|
Squirt Original | 12 fl oz | 0 mg |
Squirt Zero Sugar | 12 fl oz | 0 mg |
Fresca | 12 fl oz | 0 mg |
Sprite | 12 fl oz | 0 mg |
Coca-Cola | 12 fl oz | 24 mg |
Pepsi | 12 fl oz | 29 mg |
Dr. Pepper | 12 fl oz | 31 mg |
Diet Coke | 12 fl oz | 35 mg |
Squirt Ruby Red | 12 fl oz | 39 mg |
Mountain Dew | 12 fl oz | 54 mg |
FAQs
Does Squirt contain real grapefruit juice?
Squirt does contain real grapefruit juice, but less than 2 percent of the drink is concentrated grapefruit juice and natural flavors. That low percentage helps explain why the grapefruit note can taste stronger than the juice number suggests.
What soda is the same as Squirt?
If you like Squirt, Citra and Fresca are the first two comparisons I think of.
Is Squirt Soda vegan?
Squirt is vegan and does not use animal-derived ingredients.
Was Diet Ruby Red Squirt discontinued?
Keurig Dr Pepper currently lists the product as Ruby Red Squirt, and the drink is still around. If I could not find it, I would check the shelf label or ask store staff for the current name instead of assuming it was discontinued.
Conclusion
Most Squirt flavors are caffeine free, and Ruby Red Squirt is the exception at 39 mg per 12 fl oz serving. That is enough for me to notice if I am caffeine sensitive or drinking it late.
If I want the grapefruit flavor without thinking about caffeine, I stick to the regular or zero sugar versions and save Ruby Red for when the extra caffeine does not matter.
