Does Faygo Have Caffeine? (2026)
Faygo is one of the most recognized regional soda brands in the United States, with roots stretching back more than a century in Detroit, Michigan. The brand offers an unusually broad lineup of flavors, from classic colas to fruit-based options that have no equivalent among national competitors. For anyone monitoring caffeine intake, this variety raises a straightforward question: does Faygo have caffeine?
The answer depends entirely on which flavor is in the bottle. Some Faygo sodas contain caffeine, while the majority of the lineup is completely caffeine-free. This article breaks down which Faygo flavors contain caffeine, how much they contain, and how they compare to other popular soft drinks on the market.
The General Answer: It Varies by Flavor
Faygo does not apply a single caffeine policy across its entire product range. Instead, the presence of caffeine tracks closely with the type of soda in question. Cola-style and certain citrus-adjacent flavors contain caffeine, while fruit flavors and most other varieties do not. This is consistent with how most soda manufacturers handle caffeine. Cola-based drinks have historically included caffeine as a standard ingredient, while fruit-flavored sodas have not.
What makes Faygo somewhat unusual is the sheer number of caffeine-free options available. The brand produces more than 50 flavors, and only a small fraction of those contain any caffeine at all. For consumers who want to avoid caffeine entirely, Faygo offers one of the widest selections of any soda brand in the country.
Faygo Flavors That Contain Caffeine
The following Faygo flavors contain caffeine. The caffeine levels listed are approximate values per 12-ounce serving, which is the standard can size used for nutritional comparisons across the soft drink industry.
- Faygo Cola — Approximately 36 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. This is Faygo’s flagship caffeinated product and falls in line with the caffeine content found in most mainstream colas.
- Faygo Diet Cola — Approximately 36 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. The diet version carries the same caffeine load as the regular cola.
- Faygo Moon Mist — Approximately 34 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. Moon Mist is Faygo’s citrus soda, comparable to Mountain Dew in both flavor profile and caffeine content.
- Faygo Diet Moon Mist — Approximately 34 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. The diet formulation retains the same caffeine level as the original.
- Faygo Rock & Rye — This is a more nuanced case. Some formulations of Rock & Rye have been reported to contain trace amounts of caffeine, though the levels are minimal. Consumers who are highly sensitive to caffeine should check the label on their specific bottle or can, as ingredient formulations can shift over time.
It is worth noting that Faygo’s caffeinated offerings carry less caffeine per serving than many national competitors. A 12-ounce can of Pepsi contains about 38 mg of caffeine, while the same serving of Mountain Dew contains approximately 54 mg. Faygo’s cola and Moon Mist sit at the lower end of the spectrum for caffeinated soft drinks.
Faygo Flavors That Are Caffeine-Free
The vast majority of Faygo’s product line contains zero caffeine. This includes all of the brand’s fruit-flavored sodas, its cream soda, and several other popular varieties. Here is a representative list of caffeine-free Faygo flavors:
- Faygo Redpop (strawberry)
- Faygo Orange
- Faygo Grape
- Faygo Cream Soda
- Faygo Root Beer
- Faygo Twist (lemon-lime)
- Faygo Peach
- Faygo Cotton Candy
- Faygo Pineapple
- Faygo Candy Apple
- Faygo Black Cherry
- Faygo Ginger Ale
- Faygo Firework
- Faygo Stars & Stripes
Faygo Root Beer deserves a specific mention. Unlike Barq’s Root Beer, which famously contains caffeine, Faygo Root Beer is caffeine-free. This is actually the norm for root beer as a category. Barq’s is the outlier, not Faygo.
The same applies to Faygo Cream Soda. Cream soda as a category is almost universally caffeine-free, and Faygo follows that standard. Consumers who enjoy cream soda specifically because it lacks caffeine will find Faygo’s version to be a safe choice.
A Brief History of Faygo and Its Michigan Heritage
Faygo was founded in 1907 by Ben and Perry Feigenson, two Russian immigrants who had settled in Detroit, Michigan. The brothers originally operated as the Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works, and their first flavors were grape, strawberry, and fruit punch. These early recipes were reportedly inspired by cake frosting flavors that the Feigensons had worked with in Russia.
The company name was shortened from Feigenson to Faygo in 1921, a practical decision that made the brand easier to fit on bottle labels and simpler for customers to remember. Throughout the early and mid-twentieth century, Faygo expanded its flavor lineup and distribution, though it remained firmly anchored in the Detroit metropolitan area and the broader Midwest.
Faygo’s identity is inseparable from Detroit. The brand has been a fixture of the city’s culture for well over a century, and it holds a place in local identity that few regional soda brands can match. In Michigan, Faygo is not simply a soda. It is a reference point, a shared cultural touchstone that appears at family gatherings, neighborhood barbecues, and gas stations across the state.
The National Beverage Corp. acquired Faygo in 1985. Under national ownership, the brand expanded its distribution footprint somewhat, reaching parts of the South and the Eastern Seaboard. However, Faygo has never pursued the kind of aggressive national rollout that would place it in direct competition with Coca-Cola or PepsiCo products in every market. Its strongest sales remain concentrated in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and other Midwestern states.
One element of Faygo’s modern cultural profile worth mentioning is its association with the musical group Insane Clown Posse (ICP), which is also from Detroit. ICP famously sprays Faygo at its concerts, a tradition that began in the early 1990s and has continued for decades. This association has introduced Faygo to audiences well outside its traditional geographic market, though the brand itself has not formally embraced the connection in its marketing.
Nutritional Information for Popular Faygo Flavors
Beyond caffeine content, consumers often want to understand the broader nutritional profile of the sodas they drink. Below is a summary of key nutritional data for several popular Faygo flavors, based on a standard 12-ounce serving.
| Flavor | Calories | Total Sugar | Caffeine | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faygo Cola | 150 | 41 g | ~36 mg | 30 mg |
| Faygo Moon Mist | 170 | 46 g | ~34 mg | 45 mg |
| Faygo Redpop | 170 | 46 g | 0 mg | 45 mg |
| Faygo Orange | 170 | 46 g | 0 mg | 55 mg |
| Faygo Root Beer | 160 | 44 g | 0 mg | 45 mg |
| Faygo Cream Soda | 180 | 49 g | 0 mg | 35 mg |
| Faygo Grape | 170 | 46 g | 0 mg | 45 mg |
| Faygo Diet Cola | 0 | 0 g | ~36 mg | 35 mg |
| Faygo Twist | 150 | 39 g | 0 mg | 50 mg |
A few patterns emerge from this data. Faygo’s fruit-flavored sodas tend to run slightly higher in sugar and calories than the cola. The diet options eliminate calories and sugar entirely while maintaining the same caffeine content as their regular counterparts. Sodium levels are relatively low across the board and are comparable to what other soda brands offer.
Faygo, like most regional soda brands, uses high fructose corn syrup as its primary sweetener in regular (non-diet) products. The ingredient lists for individual flavors are printed on the packaging and are also available through the Faygo website for consumers who want full transparency before purchasing.
How Faygo Compares to Other Sodas on Caffeine
Placing Faygo’s caffeine levels alongside those of major national brands provides useful context. The following comparison uses standard 12-ounce servings.
| Soda | Caffeine (per 12 oz) |
|---|---|
| Faygo Cola | ~36 mg |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 34 mg |
| Pepsi | 38 mg |
| Dr Pepper | 41 mg |
| Faygo Moon Mist | ~34 mg |
| Mountain Dew | 54 mg |
| Mello Yello | 51 mg |
| Barq’s Root Beer | 22 mg |
| Faygo Root Beer | 0 mg |
| A&W Cream Soda | 0 mg |
| Faygo Cream Soda | 0 mg |
Faygo Cola lands squarely between Coca-Cola and Pepsi in terms of caffeine, which means it delivers a fairly standard caffeine experience for a cola. Moon Mist is notably lower in caffeine than Mountain Dew, its closest flavor analog. Consumers who find Mountain Dew too stimulating but enjoy that type of citrus soda may find Moon Mist to be a workable alternative.
The root beer comparison is particularly interesting. Barq’s has long been an exception in the root beer category by including caffeine, while virtually every other root beer brand, Faygo included, remains caffeine-free. If a consumer is switching from Barq’s to Faygo Root Beer, the difference in caffeine intake is worth noting, especially for those who drink multiple servings per day.
Who Should Pay Attention to Faygo’s Caffeine Content?
Several groups of consumers have legitimate reasons to track caffeine in their beverages. Pregnant individuals are generally advised to limit caffeine intake to 200 mg per day or less. Children and adolescents metabolize caffeine differently than adults and may experience sleep disruption or anxiety at lower thresholds. Individuals with certain cardiac conditions, anxiety disorders, or medication interactions may also need to moderate their caffeine consumption.
For all of these groups, Faygo’s extensive caffeine-free lineup is a genuine advantage. It is entirely possible to drink Faygo regularly without ever consuming a milligram of caffeine. The brand’s fruit flavors, cream soda, root beer, ginger ale, and specialty options all come in at zero caffeine. Very few soda brands offer that kind of breadth in the caffeine-free space.
Those who do want some caffeine from their soda will find Faygo’s caffeinated options to be moderate rather than aggressive. At 34 to 36 mg per 12-ounce serving, Faygo Cola and Moon Mist deliver less caffeine than a standard cup of green tea (roughly 28 to 45 mg per 8 ounces) and far less than a cup of brewed coffee (approximately 95 mg per 8 ounces).
Faygo Sizes and How They Affect Caffeine Intake
Faygo products are sold in several sizes, including 12-ounce cans, 20-ounce bottles, 24-ounce cans, and 2-liter bottles. The caffeine figures discussed in this article are based on the standard 12-ounce serving. Consumers who drink larger sizes will consume proportionally more caffeine.
A 20-ounce bottle of Faygo Cola, for example, would contain approximately 60 mg of caffeine. A 24-ounce can would contain roughly 72 mg. These are still moderate amounts by any reasonable standard, but they are worth tracking for anyone who is watching their daily intake closely.
Faygo is also commonly sold in bulk at grocery stores and warehouse clubs throughout the Midwest, which can make it easy to consume multiple servings in a single day. Three 12-ounce cans of Faygo Cola would deliver about 108 mg of caffeine, which is still below the threshold most health organizations consider concerning for healthy adults but is approaching the limit for those on restricted caffeine diets.
Final Assessment
Faygo’s relationship with caffeine is straightforward once the flavor lineup is understood. Cola and Moon Mist (along with their diet counterparts) contain caffeine in the range of 34 to 36 mg per 12-ounce serving. Every other Faygo flavor, and there are dozens of them, is caffeine-free.
This makes Faygo one of the most accommodating soda brands for caffeine-conscious consumers. The sheer volume of caffeine-free options means that avoiding caffeine does not require sacrificing variety. Strawberry, grape, orange, cream soda, root beer, peach, cotton candy, pineapple, and many more flavors are all available without a trace of caffeine.
For those who do reach for Faygo Cola or Moon Mist, the caffeine content is moderate and roughly in line with what national cola brands offer. There are no surprises here and no hidden stimulants. The brand is transparent about its ingredients, and the nutritional information is printed clearly on every can and bottle.
Faygo has been making soda since 1907, and its approach to caffeine has remained consistent. The caffeinated flavors carry caffeine because that is what the category expects. Everything else is clean. For a brand with more than 50 flavors, that level of simplicity is worth appreciating.