I consume a lot of Starbucks. Yes, it’s overpriced and arguably overrated, but I still get a minor dopamine rush when I’m handed a fresh drink from the drive-thru window. Upon writing that, I realize this might just be a symptom of my caffeine addiction. Regardless, my frequent visits have left me with a mental list of go-to drinks I decide between each time I pull up to the window. Unfortunately, there are times when none of them sound appealing, and I just wish for something new. And yes, I’m aware of how futile of a problem it is to have, but it exists nonetheless.
I believe the company itself is partly to blame for this. In the past year or so, I’ve noticed a trend in Starbucks’s “new” seasonal menus: most of the drinks aren’t actually new. Instead, a pattern has emerged in which they release drinks with customizations that you could have already ordered if you had the creativity. There are a few outliers, but not enough to create a noticeable change in their menu.
This year’s fall drinks came out on Aug. 24, and the same pattern was apparent. The infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte returned, as well as the Apple Crisp Oat Macchiato and the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. The two new drinks were the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Shaken Espresso and the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte. The Iced Apple Crisp Oat Shaken Espresso is new, but we’ve had the flavor before in the macchiato version. The Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte is an example of Starbucks releasing pre-existing drinks, but at least this time they marketed it as such and acknowledged it as both a barista and fan-favorite.
As for their most recent summer drinks, disappointment struck when they came out with frozen versions of their three Refreshers flavors. Blending these drinks with ice was already an available customization option, and I was hoping for the possibility of a new refresher flavor after reminiscing on all of the ones they’ve discontinued in the past. There used to be the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher, the Kiwi Starfruit Refresher, and beverages made with coconut milk such as the Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink, the Iced Golden Ginger Drink, and the Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink. Other cold drinks that have been left in the past include their Iced Guava White Tea and their Iced Blueberry Black Tea, which was my favorite drink until I was forced to leave it behind.
Another more recent example of this was when tragedy swept the nation after their raspberry syrup was discontinued. You’d think all of these cuts would be making way for new, innovative flavors to be added to their menu, but it seems that all they’ve come up with is their Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher from last year. With all that being said, we have seen new cold brew flavors and a limited-time Frappuccino or two.
The lack of creativity in the context of new Refreshers and iced teas has left customers such as myself wanting more. However, the next seasonal menu will be the winter and holiday drinks, so I hope we can see some new drinks, some older drinks returning from several seasons ago, and of course, the classics that return each year, being reflected in the upcoming launch this November.
