For many of us, caffeine is a lifeline, helping us face early starts or back-to-back meetings. Like a miracle in a mug, a hot cup of coffee can give us the boost we need to power through the day.
And for celebrities, it’s no different. Whether they’re juggling long hours on set or non-stop promo tours, plenty of stars rely on a caffeine fix to keep going.
Take Pedro Pascal, for example. He went viral last year for his (quite frankly, chaotic) Starbucks order: six espresso shots over ice. The Internet’s daddy and his naughty little knees were clearly running on more than charm.
But do celebs actually influence how the rest of us take our coffee?
According to Sonali Saujani, former barista and co-founder of Custom Barista Equipment, the answer is yes. Speaking on behalf of Coffee Friend, she tells Metro: ‘The biggest trend I’m seeing in the UK right now is matcha; it’s the drink to order. We’re even seeing dedicated matcha bars popping up. I think a lot of that comes down to celebrity fans like Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid.
‘Celebs have a huge influence. While I’ve never had someone walk in and say they want a drink because a celeb orders it, it’s clear they help set trends. Especially when it goes viral on social media.’
It also turns out that, in celeb-land, ordering off-menu is the norm. But Sonali says you don’t need an A-lister’s status to tweak your order.
‘Baristas don’t usually mind off-menu orders, just be polite! Especially if they don’t have all the ingredients. A good barista is often just excited to show off their latte art… as long as you don’t stir it before admiring it!’
Inspired by Pedro, we took a closer look at the world of celebrity coffee orders and asked Sonali whether it’s a brew-tiful choice or if it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Because celebrities may hold influence, but that doesn’t mean their taste is always on point…
Celeb: Pedro Pascal
Coffee order: Quad espresso in a Venti cup with extra ice and six shots
Rating: 1/10
The internet daddy couldn’t hide his wild coffee order from the world. Eagle-eyed fans zoomed in on his Starbucks receipt and found the Last of Us star ordered SIX shots of espresso. Just how much of an energy boost did he need?
‘This order confuses me,’ Sonali admits. ‘Even if you love coffee, six shots with no sweetener or milk would pack a serious punch. I mean, I know Pedro Pascal is working overtime in a lot of people’s minds, but that’s a serious amount of caffeine right there!’
Celeb: Hugh Jackman
Coffee order: Grande dark red eye
Rating: 6/10
A former barista dished on Reddit about the celebs they had served, and revealed that the star’s order is just as extreme as his X-Men workout regime.
‘A grande dark red eye is a drip coffee with an espresso shot added in,’ Sonali explains. ‘He’s basically ordering a coffee with extra coffee. A good barista can make this a nice drink, which is why I gave it a 6/10, but it will be strong, and if the coffee is not great quality, it can just taste very bitter.’
Celeb: Lana Del Ray
Coffee order: Venti hot mocha with whipped cream
Rating: 8/10
Sonali says: ‘I give this order a high rating as it’s a delicious choice for someone with a sweet tooth. But if this is your go-to order, I don’t believe you like coffee. This order says to me that Lana is just ordering a hot chocolate with a bit of caffeine.
‘I firmly believe that anyone who drinks a mocha is still a child at heart, so maybe this displays the softer side to Lana. It’s not a healthy drink but it is a fun one.’
Celeb: Kim Kardashian
Coffee order: Hot, tall white chocolate mocha with whipped cream
Rating: 7/10
Kim left no questions over her coffee order, revealing to fans what she orders from Starbucks during a Q&A on X.
‘For someone so health-conscious, Kim’s order shocked me,’ Sonali admits. ‘This is a calorific drink and super sweet. You’ll need to drink a tall glass of water after this. But if you’re a sweet tooth, it’s not a bad shout. Depends on what you want from your hot drink.’
Celeb: Chris Pratt
Coffee order: Black coffee with 14 Splendas
Rating: -5/10
Clearly Chris Pratt has a sweet tooth, as the Guardians of the Galaxy star revealed to Ellen DeGeneres that his go-to Starbucks order is a black coffee with 14 Splendas. Yep, 14.
‘That’s giving “I’m healthy because I don’t consume sugar, and I pretend to like coffee, but I actually find it so bitter I need to add all the sweetener in the world to it”,’ Sonali insists.
‘This order would make me roll my eyes! On the outside, it looks like a healthy drink, but sweeteners can be so bad for you, and Splenda is known for being sweeter than sugar! Add a couple of Splendas, sure, but 14? That’s far too much.’
Celeb: Taylor Swift
Coffee order: Grande caramel nonfat latte
Rating: 10/10
The singing sensation revealed her favourite drink to order when she previously teamed up with Starbucks, and Sonali firmly approved.
‘Our simple, yet effective Queen! This order doesn’t surprise me in the slightest because while Taylor has the most complex of sets on her Eras Tour, she’s a simple woman at heart. Caffeine, check! Taste, check!’
Celeb: Nicole Kidman
Coffee order: Triple grande skim wet cappuccino
Rating: 7/10
A former LA barista dished on his celeb clients, and revealed that the actress takes her coffee seriously. While “dry” might sound unusual, in coffee terms it simply means less foam.
According to Sonali, the drink tastes great, but the order itself is overly complicated.
‘She could just order a triple-shot flat white and be done with it,’ Sonali says. ‘A cappuccino is basically the same, just with less foam. But at least she’s drinking a proper coffee, and not disguising the flavour with tons of sweeteners.’
Celeb: Zendaya
Coffee order: Venti iced matcha green tea latte with coconut milk
Rating: 8/10
A former barista revealed on X that she had served the actress this very order, and Sonali says it’s a great balance of flavours.
‘This isn’t a coffee,’ she explains. ‘But matcha is a big trend, and coconut milk would help add sweetness to level out the bitterness of matcha. This would be simple, but effective.’
