Review: Starbucks’ Summer 2024 Menu Items
It doesn’t really start feeling like summer until Starbucks releases its summer menu, right? Well, the coffee chain has just launched its summer menu items for 2024, which are inspired by the tropical, fruity flavors of the season. I picked up all six menu items as soon as they came out on May 7 and gave them a taste test. Which ones will I be sipping and snacking on all summer long? Here’s my review!
Taste Test
1. Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher – $5.95
Starbucks has three new refreshers on its summer menu, all featuring a trio of flavors: blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry, along with raspberry-flavored popping pearls. The Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher has a splash of lemonade added to the mix, making for a bright, tangy sip.
2. Pineapple Cloud Cake – $4.45
The Pineapple Cloud Cake is a small, spongy cake with a huge pineapple flavor. You can taste the tropical fruit in the cake itself, and there’s a pineapple cream layer and a pineapple spread on top to bring the flavor home.
There’s also a sweet drizzle topping, which was aesthetically pleasing but not really needed flavor-wise. The pineapple cake has a slight divot in the middle, allowing more room for the pineapple cream, but I wish they could’ve fit even more. The pineapple cream was definitely the best part of the cake!
3. Summer Skies Refresher – $5.95
The Summer Skies Refresher is made with Summer-Berry Refresher, coconut milk, and raspberry popping pearls. This was my favorite of all three new refreshers!
The coconut milk added a little creaminess and a subtle coconut flavor, which paired well with the berries. The popping pearls brought a fun textural element to the drink and a little extra fruitiness once in a while.
As you can see in the picture above, the straw you’ll get with your refresher is massive. I assume it’s because the popping pearls need to fit through your straw, but it made my almost $6 drink look like it could be consumed in two sips!
4. Orange Cream Cake Pop – $4.20
I didn’t really want to like the new Orange Cream Cake Pop, mostly because I think it should be illegal to charge almost $5 for a bite-sized cake! But I have to admit, this cake pop was a winner.
Not only is the orange slice design super cute, but the orange cream cake and buttercream have the perfect balance between citrus and vanilla. Just like most other Starbucks cake pops, this treat was perfectly moist and dipped in sweet white chocolate.
5. White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew – $4.95
After its initial launch in 2023, the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew is back on this year’s summer menu for a limited time. This fan-favorite drink is made with Starbucks’ cold brew, sweet macadamia syrup, white chocolate macadamia cream cold foam, and toasted cookie crumbles.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this drink, but it hit all the right notes. There were some subtle hints of macadamia, along with sweet white chocolate. The toasted cookie crumbles added some smokiness, which was a surprise initially, but they were delicious once I got used to them.
6. Summer-Berry Refresher – $5.45
The final item I tried from Starbucks’ new summer menu was the Summer-Berry Refresher. Honestly, it tasted exactly the same as the Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher. I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference if it weren’t for the labels! This refresher is 50 cents cheaper than the one with lemonade, though, and I actually liked it better.
Another thing to note is that the popping pearls in these refreshers aren’t boba, so they’re not chewy. They’re more jelly-like and disappear as soon as you pop one in your mouth. I thought they were bobas when the barista handed me the drinks, but these popping pearls actually work better with summery, light drinks like refreshers.
Grab or Pass?
I’d happily grab any of these items on Starbucks’s summer menu again. I think they’re all priced a little bit high, but flavor-wise, these are stellar. I’ll be ordering the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew a lot this summer, and the Summer Skies Refresher will be my go-to drink when temperatures climb above 80.
