Starbucks' Upcoming Orange Drinks Have Fans Wanting This Classic Refresher Back

When Starbucks unveils a new product, it likely hopes to spark excitement and anticipation among customers over what they can soon enjoy, not trigger feelings of nostalgia and frustration over what they no longer can. Unfortunately, the latter is exactly what happened following Starbucks' preview of several orange drinks set to join its summer lineup later this month. Numerous Starbucks devotees have asked why the coffee chain has not instead brought back the much-loved, much-missed Valencia Orange Refresher, which was taken off the Starbucks menu in 2015.

On July 28, Starbucks will be launching a variety of new Orange Cream beverages: the Orange Cream Cold Brew, Iced Orange Cream Latte, Iced Orange Cream Matcha, Iced Orange Cream Chai, and Orange Cream Frappuccino. The Orange Cream Cold Brew will infuse Starbucks' signature cold brew with a layer of citrus flavor, while the Iced Orange Cream Latte will combine Blonde Espresso with milk and notes of both orange and vanilla over ice. Orange and vanilla will also meet in the whipped cream-forward Orange Cream Frappuccino, while tea lovers can also look forward to the Iced Orange Cream Matcha and Iced Orange Cream Chai.

Although many Starbucks fans were enthused by the announcement, others have grumbled that there's a conspicuous absence in the orange-centric lineup. Writing on Instagram, one commenter complained, "They did this and couldn't even bring back Valencia orange refreshers." The sentiment reflects the strong hold this particular Refresher still has on those who remember it, many of whom can be found on Reddit. One Redditor even admitted, "I actually quit going to Starbucks when it was discontinued."

So, what was it about the Valencia Orange Refresher that inspired such devotion? One commenter in the r/starbucks subreddit called the drink "magical," claiming it was their "favorite of all time." The Refresher's unique combination of flavors might have been a large part of its appeal. Mildly caffeinated, the Valencia Orange Refresher featured potent and aromatic ingredients such as orange peel, jasmine, cardamom, and apricot, all served over ice with a slice of juicy orange. 

Despite being considered by some to be among the best drinks ever offered by Starbucks, the Valencia Orange Refresher was discontinued in July 2015 after just two years on the menu. The decision prompted outrage from many Starbucks customers, some of whom even petitioned — thus far, unsuccessfully — for its return. With no other option, many fans have instead attempted to recreate it, with copycat recipes commonly calling for orange juice, lemon iced tea, green tea extract, water, ice, orange slices, and optionally sugar or Splenda.  

While the Valencia Orange Refresher has yet to make a return, you can still discover a new favorite in our ranking of the 47 most popular Starbucks drinks if you're looking for an alternative to quench your summer thirst. However, if the thought of this beloved, bygone treat has you feeling the tug of nostalgia, you may instead prefer to mournfully reflect on our run-down of 15 Starbucks drinks that you likely won't see again.