The weather is beautiful. Spring is in the air. And I need a drink to sip while appreciating the warmer days.
Summer has fruity lemonades, fall has pumpkin spice, and winter has a variety of festive holiday drinks, so what does spring have? Spring should not be overshadowed by summer like it is every year, and spring shouldn’t have to tag onto summer’s drinks, either.
Luckily, Starbucks has solved this problem with its spring menu.
Iced Chai with Lavender Cream Cold Foam
The lavender flavor has returned after debuting last spring, and I could not be more grateful. Adding the cold foam to every chai was my favorite spring pastime, and while I haven’t been getting cold foam every time and have been getting Starbucks less in general lately, I can confirm that it is just as perfect this spring. Also, I got it with oat milk.
To those who do not like floral flavors, such as lavender, I obviously don’t recommend this drink. I’ve had friends who have told me they thought the Lavender Cream Cold Foam tasted like soap. But this is my review, not theirs, and I’m telling you it’s perfect. Not only does it make the drink very smooth as the foam gradually melts into the chai, but it also looks perfectly purple as the cold foam is the shade of lavender as well. To me, this is springtime in a cup—a blend of the chai’s wintry spice and the lavender’s blooming floral flavor.
Iced Cherry Chai
When I saw the announcement of this brand-new drink, I could not wait to try it. An iced chai with oat milk is my go-to order, and adding cold foam always elevates the drink to a new level. However, I have not been very adventurous lately, and that led to me sticking with my normal drink rotation rather than trying this one for long after its release. I finally got around to it a few days ago, but I admit, even then, I was only taking a couple of sips from my friend’s drink (Thank you, Evelyn).
The first flavor that hit me was not cherry or chai, but just the flavor “sweet.” I am not a dissenter of extremely sweet flavors, so it wasn’t necessarily a negative first reaction. The main issue that Starbucks’ flavors face is their intensity, varying from extremely strong ones that I wish were more like hints to the promise of vanilla that I can’t really grasp at this chain. However, the Cherry Cream Cold Foam hit the mark, perfectly complementing the chai and lingering as a dash of flavor throughout the drink after the cold foam is mostly gone. The cherry tastes very artificial, but it’s hard to complain about that considering it is artificial and therefore, expected.
The cherry on top of the cherry chai is the Cherry Crunch Sweet Topping that is supposed to be sprinkled atop the cold foam, but the drink I received only had the cold foam. Maybe they were out of the topping, maybe they forgot, but nonetheless, the drink was still satisfactory without it.
Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher with Lavender Powder/Cherry Sweet Powder
In the same conversation about how the lavender cold foam tasted bad, I was recommended to add Lavender Powder to a Strawberry Açaí Lemonade, and later, I saw various people online trying the same with the new Cherry Sweet Powder. Sometimes, the best part of new Starbucks menus is the new customization options rather than the official new drinks; this is one of those times.
I first tried it with the Cherry Sweet Powder on one of the warmest days of this year so far, and it flawlessly matched the vibe. When I ordered this drink on the Starbucks app, it automatically added three scoops of the powder to a Grande, which I deemed excessive and lowered to two. Even with my adaptation, the cherry flavor was overpowering, and I would recommend only ordering one scoop. The drink grew on me as I had more sips and got more accustomed to the intensity of the cherry flavor.
As for the Lavender Powder, I also did two scoops, and this time, it was the correct choice. The lavender brought a similar fruity taste but with less aggression, and it was by far my favorite. Without a regular Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher to compare it to, it was initially difficult to discern the difference, but I could tell that there was one. I would 100% order this again, as it elevates the drink while staying true to its fruity, refreshing nature.
I go to Starbucks far more than I should, and with the new variety of options that the spring menu has presented, I am only inclined to go more; especially with schoolwork and exams ramping up. I’m excited for summer, but until then, I will bask in spring with these drinks in hand.
