Starbucks' Lemonade Is Anything But Refreshing. Here's Why

Let's be honest: Starbucks is a magical caffeinated world that grants coffee aficionados the opportunity to craft the coffee of their dreams. But, it also happens to be a great place to get non-coffee related beverages. In fact, there are at least 17 caffeine-free Starbucks drinks for you to try, and lemonade is typically an appealing option during the hot summer months.

At Starbucks, lemonade is usually paired with one of its refreshers or teas, but it can also be ordered by itself. Yet, most people prefer to try several TikTok-approved Starbucks lemonade hacks. And there's a reason why you rarely see people leave the beloved coffee chain with an ice-cold lemonade: It lacks everything that makes lemonade one of the most refreshing drinks in the summer.

This lemonade is so unappetizing that after ranking and trying 10 fast food lemonades, our team ranked Starbucks's lemonade the absolute worst. Instead of being perfectly tart and sweet, this lemonade fully embraces the tartness of lemons. So much so that the only flavor you get is an off-putting metallic one. And that aftertaste will linger on your tongue after just one sip. This lemonade is so sour that it will immediately make you pucker as if you took a big bite out of a fresh lemon wedge. Even though there are 19 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce cup (that's a tall on the menu), there isn't a whisper of sweetness in this drink. It's as if the lemon juice completely destroyed all traces of the sugar and declared itself the only ingredient. Unfortunately, nothing can rectify the harsh tartness of this lemonade.

The specific lemonade Starbucks uses can't be replicated because it isn't sold in stores. However, it's made with only four ingredients: lemon oil, lemon juice, sugar, and water. But one of these ingredients isn't commonly found in lemonade, and it's lemon oil. Considered an essential oil, it comes directly from the skin of lemons and is known for being very concentrated. Whether you're using it topically or for aromatherapy, lemon oil needs to be diluted before using. So, a little goes a long way. Yet, it feels like Starbucks wasn't aware of that and included too many drops. That's why the tartness couldn't be balanced by the sugar or diluted by the water.

Since traditional lemonade is quite refreshing and perfectly sweet and tart with only water, sugar, and lemon juice, Starbucks should eliminate lemon oil from its lemonade. After all, lemon oil is a strange ingredient to add to lemonade because it's also an ingredient in cleaning products. If it has antibacterial and antifungal properties and is strong enough to kill germs, maybe we shouldn't be drinking it.

Regardless of the size you order, the sugar content increases with each size; the sugar isn't enough to subdue the overwhelming tartness. Priced at roughly $3 to $5, for sizes ranging from 12 fluid ounces to 30 fluid ounces, this lemonade truly isn't worth the price. You're better off spending a few extra dollars to add tea, a refresher base, or fun add-ins like fruit juice or honey to your Starbucks lemonade. That way, it's more palatable and doesn't make you wince every time you take a sip.