Updated September 2026. Prices vary by location.
Starbucks summer drinks 2026 centered on the Tropical Butterfly Refresher, horchata espresso, Blue Coconut, S’mores, blended Refreshers and Orange Cream. This guide covers every launch, the best picks, caffeine, nutrition and ordering tricks, based on Starbucks announcements and hands-on reviews.
Quick Answer
The best Starbucks summer drink of 2026 is the Tropical Butterfly Refresher for flavor and looks, and the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso is the best coffee pick. The menu debuted May 12 and grew in waves through July 28.
Starbucks Summer 2026: Top Picks
What Are the New Starbucks Summer Drinks 2026?
Starbucks rolled out its 2026 summer lineup in stages instead of one big drop. New drinks arrived May 12, then four more waves followed through late July. This table shows what came out and when.
Major Starbucks Summer Drink Launches
| Date | New drinks |
|---|---|
| May 12 | Tropical Butterfly Refresher, Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher, Butterfly Drink, Horchata Frappuccino, Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso (returning) |
| June 16 | Blue Coconut Refresher, Iced Blue Coconut Matcha |
| July 1 | S’mores Frappuccino, S’mores Cold Brew, Iced S’mores Chai |
| July 14 | Blended Energy Refreshers, Blended Pink Energy Drink, Blended Matcha Lemonade |
| July 28 | Orange Cream Cold Brew, Iced Orange Cream Matcha, Iced Orange Cream Chai, Orange Cream Frappuccino |
Tropical Butterfly Refresher
The centerpiece layers guava and passionfruit flavors over mango-pineapple pearls, with a butterfly pea flower infusion adding the purple color. You can choose lemonade or coconutmilk, plus your preferred caffeine level and B vitamins.
Tropical Butterfly Lemonade
This version swaps the water base for lemonade, which adds tartness and cuts through the sweet guava. Reviewers described a crisp finish that makes the drink easy to finish.
Butterfly Drink
The Butterfly Drink uses coconutmilk in place of water, turning the color a soft lavender. The Takeout found it smoother and less sugary tasting than the other launch Refreshers. A grande measured about 120 calories.
Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso
Returning by popular demand, it pairs Starbucks Blonde Espresso with horchata syrup, shaken over ice and finished with oatmilk. Expect cinnamon, vanilla and toasted rice notes.
Horchata Frappuccino
New this year, the Horchata Frappuccino carries the same cinnamon and vanilla character in a blended, dessert style cup. Anyone who wants louder cinnamon can ask for a pump of Cinnamon Dolce syrup, a tip from a PureWow editor.
Blue Coconut Collection
Arriving June 16, the Blue Coconut pair gets its ocean color from blue spirulina. The Blue Coconut Refresher mixes coconut, strawberry and açaí flavors, while the Iced Blue Coconut Matcha adds mango flavor and toasted coconut cold foam.
S’mores Beverages
The S’mores Frappuccino returned after six years away, joined by a S’mores Cold Brew with Marshmallow Cold Foam and an Iced S’mores Chai. Starbucks Rewards members got early access on June 30, and nationwide sales began July 1.
Blended Energy Refreshers
Mid-July added blended Refreshers with real fruit pieces, including Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade and Mango Strawberry Lemonade. A coconutmilk based Blended Pink Energy Drink joined them.
Orange Cream Collection
Landing July 28, the Orange Cream lineup pairs tangerine and mandarin flavors with sweet vanilla. Starbucks’ beverage team tested sour Seville and blood oranges before settling on that blend, then applied it to coffee, matcha, chai and Frappuccino.
Best Starbucks Summer Drinks 2026
My Top Picks
These picks draw on published hands-on reviews from PureWow, The Takeout, Food Republic and Tasting Table, plus Starbucks’ own menu details. Taste is personal, so each pick names the type of drinker it suits best.
1. Tropical Butterfly Refresher
Best for fruit lovers. Stir it with a straw, because the first unmixed sip tastes mostly of butterfly pea flower and can seem bland.
2. Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso
Best all-round coffee. Blonde Espresso keeps the roast gentle, so cinnamon and toasted rice stay in front.
3. Iced Blue Coconut Matcha
Best for matcha skeptics. Mango softens the grassy edge, and the toasted coconut foam adds a roasty finish.
4. S’mores Cold Brew
Best coffee flavor among the sweet drinks. It is far less sugary than the Frappuccino and keeps a bold coffee taste.
5. Butterfly Drink
Best gentle sweetness. Coconutmilk rounds out the tropical fruit for a softer, creamier sip.
6. Orange Cream Cold Brew
Best for citrus beginners. The orange stays mild under the foam, so the coffee still shows.
7. S’mores Frappuccino
Best dessert in a cup. A tall is plenty, and a salty snack alongside balances the sweetness.
Tropical Butterfly Refresher and Butterfly Drink
Tropical Butterfly Refresher Ingredients
- Guava and passionfruit flavored Refresher base
- Mango-pineapple flavored pearls
- Butterfly pea flower infusion
- Water, lemonade or coconutmilk (coconutmilk makes it the Butterfly Drink)
- Green coffee extract for caffeine
The purple layer is pigment, not flavor, and butterfly pea color shifts toward pink in acidic lemonade.
Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher
Choose this version if you like tart drinks. Lemonade balances the guava and passionfruit sweetness, and a tall tested at 90 calories and 21 grams of sugar.
Nutrition Snapshot
| Drink | Size | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Butterfly Refresher | Grande | 90 | 20 g sugar, 45 mg caffeine |
| Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher | Tall | 90 | 21 g sugar |
| Butterfly Drink | Grande | 120 | Coconutmilk base |
Starbucks Horchata Drinks 2026
Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso
Order this if you want real coffee flavor from the summer menu. PureWow called it the most balanced drink of the season, though its cinnamon notes feel more like fall than July.
Horchata Frappuccino
The Horchata Frappuccino is the blended choice for dessert instead of espresso. It suits milkshake fans more than coffee purists, since The Takeout found the 2026 menu leans sweet and fruity.
Blue Coconut Starbucks Drinks
Blue Coconut Refresher
Despite the name, coconut is mild here, and strawberry and açaí lead. Lemonade adds tartness, while coconutmilk makes the drink smoother. A grande was priced at $6.45 in PureWow’s review.
Iced Blue Coconut Matcha
This matcha blends mango flavor with blue spirulina and toasted coconut cold foam. PureWow’s reviewer, who normally dislikes matcha, named it the best new matcha of the season. Grande price was $6.45.
Starbucks S’mores Summer Drinks
S’mores Frappuccino
It blends vanilla syrup, coffee, milk and ice over marshmallow whipped cream and milk chocolate sauce. Starbucks brought it back after six years because customers and baristas kept asking for it.
S’mores Cold Brew
Cold brew gets marshmallow syrup, marshmallow cold foam, chocolate drizzle and graham cracker bits. Give it a light swirl so the foam flavors the whole cup. A grande was $5.45 in one review.
Iced S’mores Chai
One reviewer found chai spice overpowered the marshmallow flavor. Brit + Co listed about 360 calories and 48 grams of sugar. Order it only if you already love chai and want a sweeter version.
Starbucks Blended Energy Refreshers
Blended Energy Refresher Choices
- Blended Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher
- Blended Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher
- Blended Passionfruit Guava Lemonade Energy Refresher
- Blended Pink Energy Drink (with coconutmilk)
- Blended Matcha Lemonade (limited time)
PureWow ranked the Passionfruit Guava version second among all new summer items, describing it as a lighter, fruitier take on pink lemonade.
⚠️ Energy Refresher Note
Blended Refreshers can be made caffeine-free, light or Energy. PureWow reports Energy adds roughly 105 mg of caffeine per grande. Check the app before an afternoon order, because fruit drinks rarely signal their caffeine.
Starbucks Summer Matcha Drinks 2026
Matcha Choices for Summer
Summer matcha splits into two camps: creamy iced versions topped with flavored cold foam, and a blended lemonade that trades cream for tartness.
Iced Blue Coconut Matcha
Mango and coconut foam mute the grassy edge.
Iced Orange Cream Matcha
Matcha sweetened with classic syrup and topped with orange cream cold foam, priced at $6.25. A reviewer likened it to a less sweet, fruity marshmallow.
Blended Matcha Lemonade
A limited time blended cup that pairs matcha with lemonade. It suits anyone who finds creamy matcha too heavy on a hot day.
Orange Cream Starbucks Drinks 2026
1. Orange Cream Menu
Orange Cream arrived July 28 in four forms, all built on tangerine, mandarin and vanilla flavors meant to recall a creamsicle. The chai and Frappuccino taste more intense than the cold brew and matcha.
Orange Cream Cold Brew
Cold brew topped with orange cream cold foam. PureWow found the orange muted by the foam, yet still preferred it to the chai and Frappuccino. A grande was $5.45.
Iced Orange Cream Matcha
Orange complements matcha’s earthy sweetness, and it ranked highest of the Orange Cream family in PureWow’s list.
Iced Orange Cream Chai
Spiced chai, milk and ice under orange cream cold foam. PureWow called it intense unless you are a devoted fan of oranges and cream.
Orange Cream Frappuccino
Orange and vanilla flavors blended with milk and ice, poured over whipped cream and finished with a swirl on top. A tall gives the nostalgia without overwhelming sweetness.
Best Starbucks Refreshers for Summer
Fruity Summer Favorites
Every Refresher can be made with water, lemonade or coconutmilk, at caffeine-free, light or Energy strength. Sugar is the trade-off, so compare sizes before ordering.
Strawberry Açaí Lemonade
A core Refresher with berry sweetness and lemonade tartness, for familiar taste over novelty.
Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade
Bright and tropical, and the blended version earned PureWow’s vote for boldest flavor.
Passionfruit Guava Lemonade
Guava and passionfruit with lemonade drive both the Tropical Butterfly Lemonade and the blended Energy Refresher.
Tropical Butterfly Lemonade
Best for color plus a tart finish. Stir once so the layers blend.
Blue Coconut Refresher
More berry than coconut. It works best with lemonade, which sharpens the strawberry and açaí flavors.
Mango Strawberry Lemonade
Tasting Table called these lighter and more fruit-forward than coconutmilk versions, and a reported store manager praised the mango syrup.
Best Starbucks Iced Coffee and Cold Coffee Drinks
Coffee Categories to Consider
The Takeout concluded the 2026 menu favors fruit over coffee, so choose deliberately. Shaken espresso brings roast, cold brew brings smoothness, iced latte brings milk, and Frappuccino brings dessert.
Iced Shaken Espresso
Starbucks says this format is its fastest drink to reach $1 billion in sales. Horchata syrup and blue coconut foam build on it.
Cold Brew
Smooth and slow steeped, it anchors the S’mores and Orange Cream foam drinks.
Iced Latte
The gentlest, milkiest format. Ask for fewer syrup pumps if you want to control sweetness.
Frappuccino
S’mores, Horchata and Orange Cream versions arrived, all best ordered in a tall.
Orange Cream Cold Brew
Mild orange lets the coffee still come through.
S’mores Cold Brew
Richer, slightly bitter chocolate and stronger coffee than the Frappuccino.
Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso
The smoothest roast of the season, thanks to Blonde Espresso.
Starbucks Summer Drinks by Flavor
Match your craving to a flavor family first, then pick the format. This table sorts the 2026 menu that way.
| Flavor | Drinks |
|---|---|
| Tropical fruit | Tropical Butterfly Refresher, Butterfly Drink, Blended Passionfruit Guava |
| Coconut | Blue Coconut Refresher, Iced Blue Coconut Matcha, Blended Pink Energy Drink |
| Cinnamon and vanilla | Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso, Horchata Frappuccino |
| Campfire sweet | S’mores Frappuccino, Cold Brew and Chai |
| Citrus cream | Orange Cream Cold Brew, Matcha, Chai and Frappuccino |
| Berry and mango | Blended Mango Strawberry and Mango Dragonfruit |
Starbucks Summer Drinks: Caffeine and Nutrition
Fruit drinks are not caffeine-free by default. The Refresher base gets its caffeine from green coffee extract, so a light-caffeine order still contains about 45 to 50 mg per grande unless you ask for caffeine-free.
| Setting | Approx. caffeine (grande) |
|---|---|
| Caffeine-free | 0 mg |
| Light (default) | 45 to 50 mg |
| Energy Refresher | About 125 mg |
| Blended Energy | Extra 105 mg |
Figures come from The Takeout and PureWow and differ by drink, so confirm in the app. On sugar, Refreshers run about 20 grams in a grande, while the Iced S’mores Chai reached 48 grams.
How to Customize Starbucks Summer Drinks
Useful Changes Include
- Choose water, lemonade or coconutmilk as the base
- Set caffeine to none, light or Energy, with optional B vitamins
- Order a tall or ask for fewer syrup pumps to cut sugar
- Add a pump of Cinnamon Dolce to horchata drinks
- Stir the Tropical Butterfly; lightly swirl the S’mores Cold Brew
- Blue Coconut Shaken Espresso: ask for blue coconut cold foam on an iced shaken espresso, if stocked
💡 Customization Tip
Use scheduled ordering in the Starbucks app, introduced May 11, to pick a pickup time up to an hour ahead. Availability varies by location, and cold foam drinks watery quickly, so time your arrival.
Starbucks Summer Drink Releases 2026
2026 Summer Timeline
| Date | What launched |
|---|---|
| May 12 | Summer menu debut |
| June 16 | Blue Coconut drinks |
| July 1 | S’mores drinks |
| July 14 | Blended Energy Refreshers |
| July 28 | Orange Cream drinks |
| August 25 | Fall menu, Pumpkin Spice Latte |
Most summer items were limited time and sold while supplies lasted, so some may already be gone. Check the app for what remains.
What Starbucks Drink Is Best for Summer?
No single drink wins, because it depends on what you want from the cup. These quick picks match each craving to one drink from the 2026 menu.
Most refreshing
Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher, for its crisp lemonade finish.
Best tropical
Tropical Butterfly Refresher.
Best creamy fruit
Butterfly Drink, thanks to its coconutmilk base.
Best coconut
Blue Coconut Shaken Espresso, whose subtle coconut foam topped PureWow’s ranking.
Best summer matcha
Iced Blue Coconut Matcha.
Best iced coffee
Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso.
Best cold brew
S’mores Cold Brew.
Best nostalgic drink
S’mores Frappuccino.
Best orange drink
Iced Orange Cream Matcha.
Best frozen fruit
Blended Passionfruit Guava Lemonade Energy Refresher.
Best chai
Iced Orange Cream Chai for citrus fans. One reviewer said the S’mores Chai tastes mostly of chai spice.
Best dessert-style
Orange Cream Frappuccino.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new drink will Starbucks have in 2026?
Summer added the Tropical Butterfly Refresher, Horchata Frappuccino, Blue Coconut drinks and Orange Cream drinks. Fall brought the Pumpkin Spice Latte on August 25, and a Black Cat Frappuccino is set for October 22.
What Starbucks cups will be available for the summer of 2026?
The Road Trip Collection (May 12), Miffy collection (May 19), Pink Drink-inspired merchandise (July 7) and Dandy Road Trip collection (July 28), including a $29.95 cold cup, all while supplies lasted.
What is the unhealthiest drink at Starbucks?
Dietitian lists usually name blended cookie or caramel Frappuccinos; a grande Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino has 480 calories and 55 grams of sugar. Size and customizations change the numbers.
What summer drinks are coming to Starbucks?
The 2026 summer rollout is finished. Fall drinks are next, and leftover summer items may remain while supplies last. Check the Starbucks app for current availability.
Conclusion
Starbucks’ 2026 summer menu rewards curiosity. Start with the Tropical Butterfly Refresher for fruit, the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso for coffee and the Iced Blue Coconut Matcha for novelty, then adjust base, caffeine and sweetness in the app.
Sources checked: Starbucks Stories announcements, PureWow, The Takeout, Food Republic, Tasting Table, The Impulsive Buy and Brit + Co.
