Opinion

Is the Starbucks Summer Menu Worth It?

Mia Pares, Staff Reporter • May 27, 2026

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kQE5bS6JDL69ukPjWCRv3rmpuYMnhCPP/view?usp=sharing

Summer is almost here! This means more drinks from Starbucks, which dropped May 12th! As the season goes on, the weather is going to get extremely hot outside, and your body is going to need something refreshing to cool off: new, fun drinks, like the Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher and ethnic returning beverages, like the Horchata Frappuccino and Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso, are some very diverse, good choices. But do these drinks live up to the hype Starbucks gives? And is this menu going to live up to the expectations of last year’s summer favorite, the Summer Skies Refresher? Well, I’m here to help and can tell you which drinks are really worth the money and give us everything we need this summer season! I will be rating the following Starbucks summer drinks from my most favorite to least favorite.

1. Horchata Frappuccino

This is what the Horchata Frappuccino looks like. It is made with almond milk, ice, coffee, cinnamon syrup, and topped off with whipped cream, a caramel swirl, cinnamon dolce sprinkles and/or cinnamon dolce powder. I would rate this drink an 8.1/10. (Starbucks Media Team)

In first place is Starbucks’ Horchata Frappuccino. For a tall Horchata Frappuccino, I paid $6.95, which isn’t that bad. The frappuccino was really good; however, it didn’t taste like an actual Horchata. It could have been better. The coffee flavor was overpowered by the cinnamon dolce syrup, making it sweeter with every sip. It also had more of a chocolate chip cookie taste than the creamy milky taste you get from Horchata. However, this frappuccino has a longer lasting flavor compared to their normal caramel frappuccino or mocha frappuccino. Overall, this drink had a very nice flavor, and I would get it again, but I would not choose it over my normal order.

2. Iced Mango Cream Matcha

This is what the Iced Mango Cream Matcha looks like. It is made with milk, vanilla syrup, mango cold foam, green tea, vanilla sweet cream, and mango syrup. I give this drink a 5.3/10. (Starbucks Media Team)

In second place is Starbucks’ Iced Mango Cream Matcha featuring their new mango cold foam. For a size tall, I paid $5.95, again, a pretty cheap price. As someone who despises matcha with all her heart, this drink was actually not that bad. This drink lived up to its title, with a very nice green tea flavor mixed with the refreshing taste of mango from the cold foam, making a very good flavor combo. Even though you taste a lot of mango, the strong matcha taste overpowers it, making it taste kind of bland at times. Overall, I most likely wouldn’t choose to get this drink again, but I think this drink is great for anyone who loves matcha and likes mango.

3. Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso

This is what the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso looks like. It is made with blonde espresso, ice, oat milk, and Starbucks’ Horchata syrup made with rice, cinnamon, and vanilla. I rate this drink a 4.2/10. (Starbucks Media Team)

In third place, we have Starbucks’ Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso, which was a bit of a let down. You would think this drink would taste sweet, considering it is Horchata flavored blonde espresso; however, I was very wrong. This drink had a very strong espresso taste and the espresso part tasted decent, but it left no room for any other flavor. However, some people like stronger coffee and think this tastes exactly how it should. Although not for me, if you’re someone who loves coffee and the taste of black coffee, this drink is definitely for you. I wouldn’t get this drink again because I prefer sweeter beverages.

4. Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher

This is what the Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher looks like. It is made with butterfly pea flower infusions, mango-pineapple popping pearls, guava, passion fruit base, and lemonade. I give this drink a 4/10. (Starbucks Media Team)

Second to last is Starbucks’ new Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher, which turned out to be a huge disappointment. For a size tall, I paid $6.45, which is only okay in terms of price. Sadly, this drink did not live up to my expectations, but I can also admit that I wasn’t surprised by that. This drink was supposed to taste like pineapple with hints of guava and passion fruit. However, the only taste I got was expired fruit and a hint of guava syrup. You have to really mix up the drink to be able to taste a flavor other than expired fruit. And all the stirring still doesn’t even help the flavor that much. Overall, this drink was a huge bummer and I most definitely won’t be getting it again, but if you haven’t yet, please go try the drink for yourself to see if you like it.

5. Butterfly Drink

This is what the Butterfly Drink looks like. It is made with mango-pineapple popping pearls, ice, coconut milk, and butterfly pea infusions. I rate this drink a 3.2/10. (Starbucks Media Team)

In last place, not surprising, is Starbucks’ new Butterfly Drink. I paid $6.40, a little less than the refresher. This drink is supposed to be similar to everyone’s favorite Pink Drink but with its own butterfly taste and flavors. This drink was so bad, making it even worse than the refresher, which is sad because I wanted to like at least one of their butterfly drinks. Again, this drink tasted like expired fruit, but what made this drink even worse was the milk, making the expired fruit now taste moldy. The only thing saving the drink was the mango popping pearls. I honestly don’t get why Starbucks added these drinks because they weren’t good at all and they make me want to drink six cups of matcha. Overall, this drink was not good at all and I definitely don’t recommend it, but, once again, go try out the drink for yourself, and hopefully you will be able to enjoy it.

In conclusion, Starbucks’ summer menu did not live up to the hype they gave, and none of these drinks replace the summer skies refresher, severely disappointing me and tons of other people. Overall, I would rate all the drinks I tried a 6.9/10, which is pretty generous considering only two drinks were actually decent. Even though the drinks weren’t the best, I am still happy to have tried them and be able to give my honest feedback to my fellow Tigers. I hope I gave you clear insight on what the drinks have to offer, and I hope you get the chance to go out and try the drinks for yourself.

References:

Starbucks Corporation. (2026, April 13). Starbucks previews 2026 summer menu with tropical flavors and horchata-inspired drinks. Starbucks. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2026/starbucks-previews-2026-summer-menu-with-tropical-flavors-and-horchata-inspired-drinks/

Franke, K. (2026, April 14). Starbucks Reveals New Summer Menu, Including a Color Changing Drink. Good Housekeeping. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a71014404/starbucks-summer-menu-2026/

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About the Contributor

Mia Pares, Staff Reporter

Hi! My name is Mia Pares. I’m a freshman at Elmwood Park High School, and I am a staff reporter for The Tiger. I plan to join the softball and soccer teams here at EPHS. I also love playing volleyball with my friends and baking delicious treats. My interests include sports, fashion, friends, family, and true crime. As for school extracurriculars, I am in DECA; this is my first year and I know it will be great. After high school, I want to go to a good college and major in psychology. My dream is to become a children’s psychiatrist and succeed in life.