Starbucks Refreshers, reviewed

Starbucks Refreshers are new summer drinks hitting the menu boards at Starbucks this summer. The drinks were test marketed in several areas last year, and must have been quite the hit to get the push to a larger market! The drinks are slightly sweet, fruity drinks that are designed to be – as the name suggests – refreshing in the warm weather. They’re made with frozen fruit and a flavor-neutral extract made with green coffee beans. The green beans are ground into a powder that is incorporated into the drinks. It doesn’t add a coffee flavor, but it does add a small amount of caffeine (less than a regular cup of brewed coffee) and green coffee beans are said to help lower blood pressure and promote weight loss. The drinks are low in calories, too.

The Refreshers come in two flavors: Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus (pictured above). I felt like the lime tasted a bit like watered down limemade, and while it wasn’t bad at all, it also wasn’t terribly exciting. The hibiscus was much better. It had a very light berry flavor, floral notes and was very refreshing. It was just barely sweetened, just enough to highlight the fruits without leaving a sticky taste in your mouth. I like their tea-lemonade, but I think I would definitely choose the hibiscus refresher over that on a hot day. I didn’t notice a caffeine kick – but then again, I had already had a bit of coffee in the morning before I tried the drinks.

I also want to mention that this is the first drink in my area offered in the extra large Trente size, and having had the drink, I can actually see it working in that much larger size (remember, a lot of the volume is offset by ice ) on a hot day when you want more than just a few ounces of refreshment from a very lightly sweetened drink like this one.