A comprehensive review of Starbucks’ 2026 summer menu

Elizabeth Geib and Trudy Ragsdale • 6,163 Views

June 4, 2026

Starbucks’ summer lineup introduces several new tropical products alongside returning fan favorites with unique twists. The collection focuses on bright summery colors and flavors, sticking to the depicted theme of easygoing tropics and beachy ambiances.

Starbucks once again steps into the seasonal spirit as the start of summer rolls around. With the release of five new drinks and one dessert item, the coffee brand once again continues its tradition of announcing a new batch of themed products as a season begins. Just around-the-corner, with the end of a school year bringing about a sense of joy and relief, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) students are able to enjoy these sweet treats and drinks as a reward for their last finals week.

The new arrivals include the following: Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher, Horchata Frappuccino Blended Beverage, Pink Cannon Ball Energy Drink, Butterfly Drink, Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso and Unicorn Cakepop.

Starbuck’s 2026 summer menu

Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher

Starbucks’ Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher is a unique twist on the original Butterfly Drink. This version of the Butterfly Drink adds a splash of lemonade, replacing the original coconut milk, creating a sweeter, more tart-like flavor. (Elizabeth Geib)

Our Rating: 6.5/10

The Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher was visually enticing to look at. The sunset-like hue of purple and pink, with orange and yellow popping boba, created a nostalgic, summery vibe. This color scheme led us to prepare for a fruity and tropical rainbow of flavors. However, when it came to actually tasting the drink, it was a little bit of a disappointment. The highlight of the drink was definitely the yellow popping boba, which tasted like a piña colada. That being said, the base of the drink unfortunately tasted a little sour and chemically – the fruity and colorful flavors that we expected were not delivered.

Horchata Frappuccino Blended Beverage

Inspired by the traditional horchata drink, Starbucks’ Horchata Frappuccino combines the original base of cinnamon and vanilla with a strong blonde espresso. Topping the Frappuccino base is a fluffy dollop of whipped cream. (Elizabeth Geib)

Our Rating: 7.5/10

The next drink we tried was the Horchata Frappuccino Blended Beverage, which was a mix of emotions. At first glance, the drink looks appetizing and cozy, but after the first sip, we realise the seasoning is slightly overpowering. Rather than tasting like Horchata, it tasted more like a holiday candle. The drink was missing the creamy and sweet aspect of a typical Horchata drink, but it did replicate the classic cinnamon flavor very well.

Pink Cannon Ball Energy Drink

The Energy Pink Drink combines the original flavors of the popular Pink Drink with the new, growing line of caffeinated energy beverages. The new beverage features the same base of strawberry and coconut with a new addition of the energy blend. To top it off, real freeze-dried strawberries are sprinkled on top. (Elizabeth Geib)

Our Rating: 8/10

Our favorite drink that we tried was the Pink Cannon Ball Energy Drink. The drink mimics two very popular drinks on the Starbucks menu, the Pink Drink and the Dragon Drink. On top, there was a blend of freeze-dried dragon fruit and freeze-dried strawberries. The mix between the Dragonfruit Refresher and the Strawberry Acai Refresher creates a purple-to-pink ombre effect, which sets the expectation for a sweet and refreshing energy drink. It felt comforting and familiar to taste the Strawberry Acai Refresher and the Dragon Fruit Refresher – resulting in a perfect blend of the two that harmonize and blend perfectly into something new. However, although it's comforting and familiar, it wasn’t anything new or different, making it not as exciting as the other new drinks.

Butterfly Drink

The new tropical Butterfly Drink features various flavors of passionfruit and guava, contrasting the intensity of its mango-pineapple flavored pearls. Alongside the flavors, the butterfly pea flower infusion adds to the experience through its visual aesthetics. (Elizabeth Geib)

Our Rating: 5/10

The Butterfly Drink was definitely not our favorite; the flavor disappointed, and even the physical presentation was not impressive. The purple-to-pink was pretty, but it was ruined by the strange contrast with the orange popping boba at the bottom. Looking at the drink made us feel unsure what to expect for the flavor profile. At first sip, it was underwhelming. It tasted like a watered-down version of the Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher, with the only thing saving it being the orange popping boba. The burst of the boba saved our taste buds from complete disappointment.

Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso

The Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso is a unique fusion of cinnamon, vanilla, blonde espresso and rice flavors, followed up with the Starbucks handcrafted oatmilk. The drink is titled by Starbucks as a “refreshing, creamy pick-me-up.” (Elizabeth Geib)

Our Rating: 5/10

The final drink we tried was the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso. Visually, the beverage didn’t look like anything too special. The espresso consisted of dark tones of cocoa from the coffee base, blending into a creamy color from the milk. The drink contained notes of a bitter, dark-roasted coffee and a very light hint of the horchata peeking through. Due to the espresso's overpowering taste, the label of “horchata" seems to be a bit misleading. The coffee tended to subdue the other flavors, making the drink taste similar to a standard shaken espresso.

Unicorn Cake Pop

The Unicorn Cake Pop has a dense base of vanilla cake and frosting, coated with a white chocolaty icing and finished with an artistic design depicting a unicorn’s face. (Elizabeth Geib)

Our Rating: 9/10

Last, but certainly not least, was the Unicorn Cake Pop. The cake pop immediately caught our attention due to its unique design, which was definitely a standout feature. As for the taste, it was a delight. Inside the charming white chocolate unicorn was a perfect combination of moist yet fluffy cake with rainbow sprinkles mixed throughout. The flavor matched the fun appearance, making it one of the highlights of the summer menu.

The Starbucks Summer menu has a variety of unique drinks this season, ranging from tropical refreshers to coffee-based beverages. While some of the drinks lived up to our expectations more than others, each item brought something different to the menu and gave us the chance to try flavors we normally wouldn’t order.

Overall, our favorite items were the Pink Cannon Ball Energy Drink and the Unicorn Cake Pop. Both flavors stood out and left a strong impression on us. Although some of the other drinks didn’t quite match the expectations set by their appearance or names, the summer menu still offers plenty of options for customers looking to try something new. Whether you’re a fan of refreshers, coffee drinks or sweet treats, there’s likely something on the menu worth checking out.

What do you think?

About the Contributors

Elizabeth Geib, Writer

Class of ‘28 | First year journalist who loves cinnamon rolls, cats and rainy days.

Trudy Ragsdale, Writer

Class of ‘28 | First year writer and iced chai lover

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