The Apricot-Infused Starbucks Drink That Was Exclusive To China
As much as Starbucks is known for its coffees, its Refreshers are also a popular menu item. From the iconic Pink Drink to the secret menu Sour Patch Refresher, there are plenty of fruity options to choose from. Every Refresher is made with either iced tea, lemonade, or coconut milk, but unsurprisingly, none use an iced coffee base. A fruit-flavored coffee drink has yet to make it to Starbucks in the United States, but it did at one point exist at the chain's Chinese locations.
According to The Spruce Eats, Chinese Starbucks once offered an Apricot White Chocolate Mocha. White Chocolate Mocha is a signature Starbucks menu item, but this version was flavored with apricots, and also contained cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sweetened whipped cream. Per Brit+Co, the hot beverage was released alongside two others — a Golden Walnut Cookie Latte and Teavana Peach Blossom Green Tea Latte — for a limited time during Chinese New Year in 2018. The ingredients that were chosen for each drink are associated with bringing good luck and fortune in celebration of the holiday.
Starbucks China now sells another fruity coffee drink
The Apricot White Chocolate Mocha was only on the Starbucks China menu from early 2018 through March of the same year, Brit+Co reported, but the limited edition offering was eventually replaced by another fruity coffee drink. The Chinese menu now features a citrus-flavored cold brew inspired by a whiskey sour cocktail. The drink contains maple whiskey cold brew and is sweetened with lemon and cherry.
Starbucks fans in the US unfortunately won't be able to find any fruit-infused coffees on the menu, at least for the time being. But if you're itching to see what the fuss is all about, you can easily customize a White Chocolate Mocha to be fruity. On the online menu, there's the option to add in different syrups, and while there's no apricot available, there is a raspberry one that may be able to give you a taste of the fruitier coffee drinks on Starbucks's Chinese menu.