What Exactly is a Starbucks Refresher?
A Starbucks refresher is made with a fruit juice concentrate that is extracted from green coffee beans. The caffeine from the beans is what classifies the drink as “lightly energizing”. The base of each refresher can be mixed with different ingredients to create specific types of refreshers. Below we will go over the three types of refreshers Starbucks offers and the flavors you can get them in.
The Original RefresherThe Lemonade RefresherThe “Drink”
The Original Refresher
The original refresher is the base of the drink mixed with water. For instance, if you walk up to the register and ask for a Strawberry Açaí Refresher your drink will be half water and half strawberry açaí base, shaken with ice and freeze-dried strawberry pieces.
The Lemonade Refresher
Similar to the original, the lemonade refresher is exactly what it sounds like. When ordered, the drink will be half base and half lemonade instead of water. It is then shaken with ice and the dried fruit pieces that are called for in the recipe.
The “Drink” Refresher
And lastly, we have the “drink”. This refresher is made with the same ratios as the previous refreshers, the only difference is, instead of water or lemonade, it is made with coconut milk. Fun fact: every flavor of refresher made with coconut milk has the word drink in it. I.E. the Pink Drink, the Dragon Drink, and the Star drink.
What flavors of Refresher does Starbucks serve?
Currently, Starbucks offers three different flavors for their refreshers:
Strawberry Açaí (arguably the most famous on the menu)
Mango Dragon Fruit
Kiwi Starfruit
Starbucks is known for its highly customizable drinks. So much so, that you could start an order with a particular drink and customize it so much that by the end of the order, it may not even be the same drink. For instance, you could walk in and order a Venti White Mocha, with no white mocha sauce, two pumps of vanilla, two pumps of brown sugar syrup, one scoop of vanilla bean powder, almond milk, and no whipped cream. And the drink would still be rung up as a ‘white mocha’.
The same idea applies to the refreshers. When it comes down to it, as long as it is in stock behind the bar, it can be put into a drink. Because Starbucks has a very customer-forward policy when it comes to drink making, they have become known for crazy drink combinations and recipes invented by customers. Some of them are really fun and tasty, while others are questionable at best.
How to Order a Drink at Starbucks?
One of the most common phrases a Starbucks barista will hear at the register is, “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to order a drink from here.”
And for good reason. With the semi-complicated size names and the plethora of different drinks on the menu, it can be a struggle to get it right without stumbling over your words. As a former barista, let me assure you that sometimes we mess up our own orders. So, to help with that, I am going to give you the best way to order your drink and also a little cheat sheet on the sizes and their names.
The fool-proof ordering formula: (Feel free to copy and paste this into your notes for future use)
Size Drink Type (hot or iced)Drink NameSyrup and Milk ModificationsAny Other Modifications
Not only will this help you streamline your ordering process and relieve some anxiety at the register, but it’ll also greatly help your barista input your drink into the POS system and minimize any mistakes.
Starbucks Drink Sizes
Starbucks may be known for its expensive drinks and their “complicated” names, but one could argue they are most well-known for their sizes. Unlike most cafes and coffee shops, Starbucks has specific names for its drink sizes.
Here is what each one means:
Short (hot only) = X-Small (8 oz)
Tall = Small (12 oz)
Grande = Medium (16 oz)
Venti = Large (20 oz for hot and 24 0z for cold)
Trenta (select cold drinks) = X-Large (31 oz)
Final Thoughts
I hope this article gave you some insight into the Starbucks refresher and was able to help decode some of the Starbucks jargon for you. Most ordering anxiety happens at Starbucks because customers don’t know what they want, they don’t know how to order it, and they don’t know what’s in the drink they want to order. I hope this article was able to alleviate some of that stress and give you more confidence for the next time you order at Starbucks. Happy ordering!
Are refreshers good for kids?
Yes and no. Although most kids like the drinks because of their fruity flavor, if you’re trying to avoid caffeine altogether, I wouldn’t recommend this drink to you.
How much caffeine is in a refresher?
More than a can of soda and less than a cup of coffee.
What are refreshers made out of?
They are made from the juice of green coffee beans. This is what caffeinates the drink and gives it the unique flavor it has.
Does Starbucks have a decaf refresher?
No. Because all the refresher base concentrates are sent to the store pre-packaged, there is no way for a barista to make it decaf. In order for that to happen, Starbucks would have to find a way to decaffeinate the green coffee beans they use in production.
Does Starbucks have any decaf fruity drinks?
If you’re looking for a decaf fruity option, Starbucks does have a blended strawberry lemonade. Which is just lemonade, strawberry puree, and ice. They also have cold teas you can order such as the guava passion fruit tea. They also have a peach juice infusion which can be added to the passion tea or blended strawberry lemonade.
