Review: Starbucks' Lavender Lemonade Is The Pink Treat We Didn't Know We Needed
Starbucks fans who follow various social media outlets may have noticed recent posts about a trending go-to drink. It combines the coffee chain's new lavender powder and lemonade, shaken together. This powder was released to flavor the lineup of new Starbucks lavender drinks for spring 2024, and, as this lemonade concoction shows, lavender definitely has the versatility aspect on lock.
This mixture could be called a hack, but to me it feels closer to a newly added Starbucks secret menu item. Of course, Starbucks will be hesitant to call such a drink "secret" because this implies that a hidden menu actually exists, when in reality, the Starbucks secret menu is more of an informal collection of drinks customers have developed on their own based on the chain's available staples.
No matter what we're calling it, whether it be a hack or secret menu item, Starbucks' lavender lemonade is perfectly spring, and I'm loving how Starbucks is sharing ways to use this floral ingredient to make some fun lavender drinks. As a Starbucks aficionado and former barista who has explored a few hacks for better Starbucks lavender drinks, I decided to give it a try.
What is Starbucks' lavender lemonade?
Some people may have the impression that this drink can be selected from the Starbucks app, but this wasn't my experience, at least at the time of writing this review. Rather, I asked for a lavender lemonade at my Starbucks location in central Florida, and the barista confirmed its availability, asking if I wanted a lemonade with lavender. I ordered a grande, and asked how many scoops of powder that would include. She told me a grande-sized lemonade would have three lavender scoops, while a tall would contain two, and a venti features four.
In terms of price, I paid $4.75 for a grande; a tall would have been $4.55, and a venti would have run me $5.25 — but prices can differ from store to store, so your lavender lemonade costs may vary. At my location, adding lavender powder is an 80-cent add-on regardless of what size drink you select, so the best deal is to go big with a venti. This way, you pay roughly 22 cents per ounce, whereas with a tall, you're paying about 38 cents an ounce. It's a pricey lemonade, to be sure.
Though it's tempting to call this drink a new forever favorite, try not to fall too hard, because according to baristas I've talked to in the past, there's a good chance that the lavender powder will be a seasonal offering. Come the arrival of autumn, lavender lemonade at Starbucks will probably be gone like those cool summer breezes.
Starbucks lavender lemonade taste test
The very first thing I noticed about this lemonade is just how pretty it is. Even though the lavender powder is a pastel purple, this drink is pretty pink, owing surely to the yellow lemonade and pale purple mixing together.
First sips revealed an ideal balance of flavors. The fruity-cereal flavor I experienced with Starbucks' Lavender Oatmilk Chill was absolutely nonexistent, and the drink instead had a lightly floral and tart taste to it. It's not overly lemony and definitely not too sweet, but just ultra-refreshing.
In a lot of ways, lavender lemonade reminds me of one of my favorite Starbucks tea drinks, Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade, but without the tea taste that sometimes gets in the way of the lemonade flavors really shining. However, if the lavender is a little too strong for you in this lemonade, or if you're especially averse to floral tastes, you may want to dial back the scoops by one for each size, for a total of one in the tall, two in the grande, and three in the venti.
Is Starbucks' lavender lemonade worth it?
In terms of cost, the lavender lemonade is a little pricey for a drink with no caffeine and consisting only of ice, lemonade, and lavender powder. I can go just down the road and get a whole gallon of delicious Publix lemonade for less than four dollars. But people who visit Starbucks know that the price is only one factor of the drink you're getting. It's an entire experience that feels just a little special. It's a treat.
If you're in the market for a fancy lemonade that may set you back a few extra pennies, this one is absolutely perfect. Not to mention, with the weather finally looking more beautiful across the country and warming sunshine starting to make its long-awaited return, it's the season for picnics and outdoor activities, and Starbucks' lavender lemonade is the ideal icy drink to celebrate an afternoon of fun in the sun.