Does Ginger Ale Have Caffeine? Brand by Brand

Does Ginger Ale Have Caffeine? Brand by Brand

No. Standard ginger ale has 0 mg of caffeine. Canada Dry, Schweppes, Seagram's and Vernors all label their ginger ale caffeine free, in both regular and zero sugar versions. The one exception on a major label: Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale, which contains about 9 mg of naturally occurring caffeine per 12 fl oz. Checked September 19, 2026.

Below is a full brand-by-brand lookup table, the sugar numbers most people skip, and the handful of ginger sodas that actually do carry caffeine.

Every Major Ginger Ale, Checked for Caffeine

Each row below links to the manufacturer's own product-facts page. Every serving is 12 fl oz.

If ginger ale is caffeine free, why do colas have caffeine? Under 21 CFR 182.1180, caffeine is GRAS specifically in cola-type beverages at up to 0.02%. Ginger ale is not a cola, so caffeine was never part of the standard formula.

Does Canada Dry Have Caffeine?

No. Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Canada Dry Zero Sugar Ginger Ale are both labeled "No Caffeine" and "Caffeine Free", respectively, on Keurig Dr Pepper's product-facts pages.

The exception is Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale, which lists green tea as an ingredient and carries about 9 mg of naturally occurring caffeine per 12 fl oz. "Naturally occurring" means the caffeine was not added directly. It arrived via the green tea. That 9 mg is tiny, roughly a quarter of what a typical caffeinated soft drink contains, but it is not zero. The product is still listed by the manufacturer; availability varies by region.

Does Seagram's, Schweppes, or Vernors Ginger Ale Have Caffeine?

Seagram's: No. Coca-Cola's brand page describes Seagram's Ginger Ale as "naturally flavored and caffeine-free". The zero sugar version carries the same statement.

Schweppes: No. Both Schweppes Ginger Ale and Schweppes Zero Sugar are labeled "Caffeine Free" on KDP's product-facts pages. Schweppes is a Keurig Dr Pepper brand in the U.S.

Vernors: No. Vernors Ginger Soda and Vernors Zero Sugar are both listed as "Caffeine Free" by KDP. Vernors is sweeter than most ginger ales (38 g added sugar vs. 33 g for Canada Dry), but the caffeine content is the same: zero.

Which Ginger Sodas DO Have Caffeine?

Two categories to watch:

Green tea ginger ales. Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale is the main one on U.S. shelves. The caffeine comes from the green tea ingredient, not from added caffeine. About 9 mg per 12 fl oz.

Guarana-based ginger sodas. BAWLS Ginger is sold as a caffeinated ginger ale infused with guarana in a 10 oz bottle. The brand's shop page does not print a milligram figure, so we will not guess one here. Guarana is a plant source of caffeine, so any soda listing it on the label will contain caffeine.

How to check any can yourself: Under FDA labeling rules (21 CFR 101.4), added caffeine must appear in the ingredient list. Naturally occurring caffeine arrives via an ingredient like green tea, guarana, or yerba mate. If you see any of those words, the drink is not caffeine free.

Ginger Ale vs. Cola and Coffee: Caffeine Compared

Ginger ale sits at the absolute bottom: zero. Even the green tea version, at 9 mg, has less caffeine than any standard cola. For a wider look at caffeine-free sodas, see our breakdowns of Sprite, Starry and 7UP, root beer, where one major brand does add caffeine, and the exact caffeine in Coke Zero.

Does Diet or Zero Sugar Ginger Ale Have Caffeine?

No. Switching to diet or zero sugar changes the sweetener, not the caffeine content. Here is what each brand uses instead of sugar:

• Canada Dry Zero Sugar: aspartame and acesulfame potassium
• Schweppes Zero Sugar: aspartame and acesulfame potassium
• Seagram's Zero Sugar: aspartame and acesulfame potassium
• Vernors Zero Sugar: aspartame
• Zevia Ginger Ale: stevia extract (zero calories, zero sugar, zero caffeine)

All are caffeine free. The calorie and sugar rows in the main table above reflect the manufacturer labels for each version.

If There Is No Caffeine, What IS in Ginger Ale?

Mostly sugar. A 12 fl oz can of Canada Dry Ginger Ale has 33 g of added sugar (66% of the Daily Value) and 130 calories. Vernors is higher: 38 g of added sugar (76% DV) and 140 calories. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 g of added sugar per day for men and 25 g per day for women. One can of Vernors exceeds the men's limit; one can of Canada Dry exceeds the women's limit.

A quick note on "ginger" in the ingredient list: Canada Dry and Seagram's list ginger extract. Schweppes and Vernors list "natural flavors" (Vernors: "natural and artificial flavors") without naming ginger separately.

Is Ginger Ale Okay at Night, for Kids, or in Pregnancy?

Caffeine is not the issue with ginger ale. Zero milligrams means it will not keep you awake or interfere with sleep the way caffeinated drinks can. If you are looking for evening drink ideas, ginger ale works well as a mocktail base.

The sugar content is worth thinking about. A single can delivers 33 to 38 g of added sugar, which is well over half the Daily Value.

For context on caffeine thresholds: the FDA cites 400 mg per day as the amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults. ACOG (Committee Opinion 462) recommends under 200 mg per day during pregnancy. Standard ginger ale contributes 0 mg to either limit.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or choosing drinks for a child, talk to your clinician about what fits your situation.

The Short Version

Standard ginger ale, from every major U.S. brand, contains zero caffeine. Regular, diet, zero sugar: all caffeine free. The only exception on a mainstream label is Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale at about 9 mg per can, and guarana-infused ginger sodas like BAWLS Ginger, which are caffeinated energy drinks in a ginger wrapper. If the ingredient list does not mention green tea, guarana, or caffeine, the can is caffeine free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Canada Dry ginger ale have caffeine?

No. Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Canada Dry Zero Sugar Ginger Ale are both labeled caffeine free by Keurig Dr Pepper. The one Canada Dry product with caffeine is the Green Tea Ginger Ale flavor, which has about 9 mg per 12 fl oz from green tea.

Is ginger ale caffeine free on airplanes?

Yes. The ginger ales served on flights are the same caffeine-free products sold in stores (Canada Dry, Schweppes, Seagram's). The brand may vary by airline, but the caffeine content does not: 0 mg.

Does diet ginger ale have caffeine?

No. Diet and zero sugar ginger ales from Canada Dry, Schweppes, Seagram's, and Vernors are all caffeine free. The only difference from the regular version is the sweetener.

Which sodas are caffeine free?

Beyond ginger ale, Sprite, Starry and 7UP are caffeine free, and most root beers are too (with a notable exception). Fanta, Sierra Mist, and most fruit-flavored sodas also contain zero caffeine. Colas (Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper) all contain caffeine unless labeled otherwise.

Does ginger ale keep you awake?

No. With 0 mg of caffeine, ginger ale will not affect your sleep through caffeine. The sugar may cause a brief energy spike, but that is a blood sugar response, not a stimulant effect.

Does ginger beer have caffeine?

Ginger beer is a separate product from ginger ale, typically with a stronger ginger flavor and sometimes brewed. Mainstream ginger beer brands generally do not list added caffeine, but always check the label. We have not verified specific milligram figures for any ginger beer brand for this article.

Zero Caffeine in the Can, So Where Does the Lift Come From?

Half the people reading this came here to confirm their ginger ale is caffeine free. It is. If you are avoiding caffeine at night, during pregnancy, or for a child, 0 mg is the point, and nothing in this section changes that.

But the other half just learned something worth sitting with: that 3 p.m. ginger ale you thought was giving you a boost? It was 33 g of sugar doing the work. No caffeine, no sustained energy, just a blood sugar spike and the crash that follows.

If you actually want a lift without the sugar load, Roon is a zero-nicotine oral pouch with 80 mg caffeine, 60 mg L-theanine, 25 mg methylliberine (Dynamine), and 5 mg theacrine (TeaCrine). Zero sugar, zero calories (it contains sucralose for flavor). It is a pouch, not a drink. The felt window is 6 to 8 hours because methylliberine slows caffeine's clearance. In a randomized, double-blind crossover PK study (n=12), co-administration of 100 mg methylliberine with 150 mg caffeine cut caffeine's oral clearance from 41.9 to 17.1 L/hr and extended its half-life from 7.2 to 15 hours, with no increase in peak concentration. Roon uses 25 mg methylliberine with 80 mg caffeine, so the doses are lower than the study's, but the mechanism is directionally the same. That longer half-life also means you should stop at least 8 hours before bed.

Roon is not a soda replacement or a sugar substitute. It is a caffeine tool. From $9.16 per tin on subscription, or $15.00 per tin one-time (4 tins). If a measured, longer-lasting caffeine source is what you are actually after, try Roon.

Related from Roon

• Does Sprite Have Caffeine? Every Flavor Checked
• Does Root Beer Have Caffeine?
• Does Olipop Have Caffeine? Every Flavor Checked
• How Much Caffeine Is in a Cup of Coffee?

Written by Roon Team