A quick guide and the best Starbucks Refreshers on the menu. They’re perfect for non-coffee drinkers who want a low-calorie beverage with a little caffeine.
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What is a Starbucks Refresher?
Starbucks Refreshers are lightly caffeinated iced drinks made with green coffee extract and real fruit juice.
The green coffee extract is made from unroasted arabica coffee beans. It’s for anyone who wants a cold drink with caffeine but doesn’t like the taste of coffee.
All Starbucks Refreshers contain 45 mg of caffeine in a grande size drink. To compare, a grande hot chocolate has 25 mg of caffeine and a grande iced coffee has 165 mg.
RELATED: 23 Pink Starbucks Drinks (Including Secret Menu)
Notes on Starbucks Refreshers
Contains caffeine
Lots of people mistakenly order Refreshers for kids not realizing they contain caffeine. So be aware there’s 45 mg of caffeine in a grande Refresher.
3 different Refresher versions
There is the regular Refresher, Refresher with lemonade, and finally, Refreshers with coconutmilk.
Coconutmilk is one word
Starbucks has their own coconut milk blend that they call coconutmilk.
Inclusions are freeze-dried fruit
Each refresher is made with freeze dried fruit pieces that are called “inclusions.” Depending on the size of the drink, 1-2 scoops of inclusions are added to each Refresher. You can always ask for more inclusions.
Refreshers are hand-shaken
All refreshers are shaken with ice.
Add less water for a stronger flavor
The Refresher base is concentrated so if you want a stronger fruit flavor, ask for it to made with less water for a regular Refresher, less lemonade, or with less coconutmilk.
Available in 4 drink sizes
Starbucks Refreshers come in 4 sizes: tall (12 ounces), grande (16 ounces), venti (24 ounces), and trenta (30 ounces).
Very Berry Hibiscus and Kiwi Starfruit have been discontinued
You won’t find any drinks made with Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher or Kiwi Starfruit Refresher since they’re no longer available at Starbucks.
RELATED: 21 Strawberry Starbucks Drinks (Including Secret Menu)
14 Best Refresher Drinks
14. TikTok Matcha Pink Drink [Secret Menu]
Base drink:
Pink Drink
Customizations:
Vanilla sweet cream cold foam that’s blended with 1 scoop of matcha
How to order:
“Can I get a grande Pink Drink topped with vanilla sweet cream cold foam, with 1 scoop matcha blended into the foam, please?”
13. Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher
Ice + Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher Base + Freeze Dried Pineapple
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 100
Sugar in a grande: 19 g
The pineapple passionfruit refreshers are inspired by pineapple popsicle and passionfruit shaved ice.
12. Paradise Drink
Ice + Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher Base + Coconutmilk + Freeze Dried Pineapple
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 140
Sugar in a grande: 23 g
The Paradise Drink was added to the Starbucks menu in the summer of 2022.
11. Material Girl [Secret Menu]
Base drink:
Pink Drink
Customizations:
Add white mocha sauce
Add vanilla sweet cream cold foam that’s blended with strawberry puree sauce
How to order:
“Can I get a grande Pink Drink with white mocha sauce and vanilla sweet cream cold foam that has strawberry puree blended into the foam?”
10. Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade
Ice + Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher Base + Lemonade + Freeze Dried Pineapple
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 140
Sugar in a grande: 30 g
Lemonade adds a little sweet and sour touch.
9. Mango Dragonfruit Refresher
Ice + Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers Base + Water + Freeze Dried Dragonfruit Pieces
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 90
Sugar in a grande: 19 g
A tropical flavored drink with real diced dragonfruit.
8. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pink Drink [Secret Menu]
Base drink:
Pink Drink
Customizations:
Add vanilla sweet cream cold foam that’s blended with 2 pumps mocha sauce
How to order
“Can I get a grande Pink Drink with vanilla sweet cream cold foam that has 2 pumps of mocha blended into the foam.”
7. Dragon Drink
Ice + Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers Base + Coconutmilk + Freeze Dried Dragonfruit Pieces
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 130
Sugar in a grande: 23 g
This one’s pretty sweet — if you want it less sweet, you can add a little water.
6. TikTok Sunset Drink [Secret Menu]
Base drink:
Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade
Customizations:
No dragonfruit inclusions
Add splash of peach juice blend
Add Iced Passion Tango Tea
How to order:
“Can I get a grande Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade with no dragonfruit inclusions, and a splash of peach juice, then topped with Iced Passion Tango Tea so that it’s layered?”
5. Strawberry Acai Refresher
Ice + Strawberry Acai Base + Water + Freeze Dried Strawberries
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 90
Sugar in a grande: 20 g
Strawberry, passion fruit, and acai flavors are all in this iced drink.
4. Tiktok Pink Drink [Secret Menu]
Base drink:
Pink Drink
Customizations:
Substitute heavy cream for coconut milk
Add scoops of vanilla bean powder
Add whipped cream
How to order:
“Can I get a grande Pink Drink with heavy cream instead of coconut milk, and 2 scoops of vanilla bean powder shaken in, and topped off with whipped cream?”
3. Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade
Ice + Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers Base + Lemonade + Freeze Dried Dragonfruit Pieces
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 140
Sugar in a grande: 30 g
The sweet and tart lemonade is shaken with the tropical flavors in the mango dragonfruit.
2. Strawberry Acai Lemonade
Ice + Strawberry Acai Base + Lemonade + Freeze Dried Strawberries
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 140
Sugar in a grande: 32 g
The Refreshers made with lemonade adds a sweet touch.
1. Pink Drink
Ice + Strawberry Acai Base + Coconutmilk + Freeze Dried Strawberries
Caffeine in a grande: 45 mg
Calories in a grande: 140
Sugar in a grande: 24 g
The Pink Drink is the most popular out of all the Refreshers. This used to be a secret menu item but it was added to the official menu.
RELATED: 10+ Tiktok Starbucks Drinks
Questions You May Have
There’s slightly more caffeine in Starbucks Refreshers (45 mg in grande size) than iced tea (25 mg in a grande Iced Black Tea).
Yup! Get inclusions (freeze dried fruit) in iced tea or add it to milk for a low sugar drink for kids.
Nope, the Refresher bases are made with fruit and green coffee extract so it’s not possible to get it caffeine-free.
Related
- 50+ Popular Starbucks Secret Menu Drinks
- 17 Starbucks Drinks For Kids
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- Every Starbucks Drink Ranked by Caffeine Content
- 47 Best Starbucks Drinks
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Can you get the Pink Drink with regulart milk?
Hi VEDA, yup! You can order it with any milk you like.
Can they make refreshers with no added sugar for diabetics?
Is there any refreshing drink for diabetics?
Hi Nancy, refreshers come sweetened so you can’t take out the sugar, unfortunately. All refreshers have sugar in them.
If the Kiwi Refresher is not very popular, bring back the Cool Lime Refresher!!!!
… But you left out equally important info: How many grams of Added Sugar is in each drink?? The caffeine for alot of us is trivial- 45 mg is almost unmentionable; with Starbucks devotees only caring when the level reaches around 240mg, like a venti latte w 3 shots or so.
But I digress; sugar is the big concern here; the frappucinos gave rise to “dessert in a cup” at a drive thru (masquerading as a small treat or a coffee), with the first few years they were offered being consumed primarily by high schoolers.
Thanks for pointing this out S, I just added in the sugar content in each drink!