Starbucks' New Blended Energy Refreshers And Matcha Lemonade Were Made For Instagram 1st And Drinking 2nd

It's that time again — everyone's favorite mega coffee chain (Starbucks) has released a new lineup of summery drinks, each designed to give you enough energy to check off everything on your summer bucket list. And, even better, each will make for an instantly aesthetic, Instagram-worthy post. Only one question remains: Are they actually good?

I walked down the block to my local Starbucks early on release day, July 14, to see whether the four drinks were buzz-worthy. The lineup is quite a mouthful: There's a Blended Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher, a Blended Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher, a Blended Pink Energy Drink, and a Blended Matcha Lemonade. It's certainly a summer-forward release and a fitting prelude to the recently announced orange drink line debuting at the end of July 2026. After tasting each drink, my feelings about this release were somewhat mixed — keep reading to see what I thought of them. 

I'll always hold Starbucks to very high standards. I don't give many passes to giant corporations — they have enough resources at their disposal to create truly outstanding innovations. That's not to say that Starbucks never impresses me; for example, I was quickly enamored by its Pecan Oatmilk Cortado, an autumnal 2025 launch. 

The drinks marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive as ready-to-drink canned beverages continue to enter the scene, and in order to be a worthy player (especially in this economy), the standard Starbucks needs to reach is set ever-higher with each new release. I kept this in mind as I tasted through the drinks. I'll preface the below review by saying that none were bad at all; still, I'm going to be a very harsh critic when determining whether these are worth your hard-earned dollars. 

Starbucks' Blended Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a blend of mango, dragonfruit, and lemonade. As expected, it certainly has that eye-candy vibe that draws so many to the chain in the first place, and I have no doubt that lots of eager consumers will be buying this one for its looks alone. 

I was impressed by how well Starbucks got the dragonfruit flavor to come through here. Dragonfruit tastes pretty mild, so the fact that it was so punchy here was a little surprising. The mango and lemonade, meanwhile, both took a backseat. I will say, if you've never had dragonfruit, it's also a particular flavor — it's neither neutral nor vaguely fruity, and I don't see this drink being as universally appealing as the chain may have wanted it to be. If you like dragonfruit, you'll be a fan, but if you're on the fence, I'd choose one of the following. 

This light, peachy drink has flecks of strawberry throughout that make it instantly beach-worthy. As with the previous, it has undeniable visual appeal. I'm a huge mango fan, so I hoped this drink had more mango flavor than the last — and mango and strawberry is always a winning combo, so I had high expectations for this one.

Again, the drink definitely wasn't bad. It was bright and very summery, and I got more mango than in the Blended Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher; however, I didn't love that the mango overpowered the strawberry. Overall, the drink wasn't as punchy or fruity as I thought it would be. Did the lemonade mellow it out too much, or are my expectations too high? Whatever the problem, each sip left me wanting more, and if I'm spending big bucks on a little treat, I want it to be fully satisfying. 

Starbucks' famous Pink Drink just made its debut as a blended bevvy, and honestly, we love to see it. This was probably my favorite drink of the lineup, and I'd definitely order it again. But as with the last drink, I was still left wanting more after every sip I took. 

I loved the coconut milk in this drink; it gave the beverage a really dessert-y appeal that instantly endeared me to it. My first impression upon sipping it was actually really good. It was only as I drank more that I found it a little lacking, and I actually had to look up what was in it to identify what I was tasting. The strawberry and açaí blend wasn't full enough to satisfy me. Perhaps that's on purpose, and this drink isn't supposed to knock you off your feet, but if I'm looking for something refreshing to drink when I'm outside, I want it to be more boldly flavored than this.

I'm very particular about my matcha. I typically like it iced, unsweetened, and with oat milk. I've never had a matcha-lemonade combo before, and I actually have a lot of positive things to say about this one, even though it's not my personal cup of tea. I can say definitively that if you're still trying to hop on the matcha train, this would be a great place to start. 

As it turns out, matcha and lemonade make for a pretty beautiful pairing. This drink was still plenty earthy, as you'd expect from matcha, but the lemonade brought a really bright acidity that mellowed out some of matcha's grassier notes. I was happy that the drink wasn't at all too sweet; it definitely fit the "refreshing" vibe that this menu was clearly going for. If I were more into matcha, I'd probably have found this hard to put down. Still, I can appreciate it for what it is.

I'm not going to advise you not to try any of these drinks; again, they were good, but they didn't blow me away. Because I hold the chain to higher standards than most, I was harsher with this critique than I may have been otherwise. I don't think any of the above will disappoint the average consumer, but if you're expecting to find a flavor bomb within any of the cups, I may advise you to look elsewhere.

Another thing I'll say that I didn't really touch on above is that the texture of the blended drinks is spot-on. If you worry about your blended drinks being too icy, don't be — that's not a pitfall this menu faces in the slightest. So, if you want something cute and picture-worthy that'll be fun to sip while it lasts, go for it. Just don't say I didn't warn you if you're a little underwhelmed. 

Prices will vary depending on your location, but at my store in Portland, Oregon, a tall Blended Matcha Lemonade cost $5.25, while the three other drinks cost $5.95. A tall Blended Matcha Lemonade has 100 calories; the Blended Pink Energy Drink and Blended Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher have 110 calories each; and the Blended Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher has 120 calories.

The chain only says that the Blended Matcha Lemonade will be around for a limited time. As for the others, only time will tell for sure — my best guess says they'll be around at least for the summer, and if they get a particularly positive response from consumers, possibly longer.