I may be slightly biased as a Starbucks addict, but it seems like Starbucks is coming out with bangers every few weeks. You have not lived until you've tried the cookie butter bar, and no Starbucks trip is complete without the avocado spread. Amazingly, Starbucks went meta and brought the Pink Drink off the Secret Menu and onto the official one, and everyone went crazy. But now they're taking it one step further by adding a brand new Starbucks Ombré Pink drink to its year-round menu, officially available in stores on May 31 and through the app on June 1.
What exactly is this drink, you may be wondering? It's a play off the OG Pink Drink (which is a Strawberry Açaí Refresher made with Coconut Milk instead of Water), and it's 10x prettier than the already stunning classic. The new Starbucks Ombré Pink drink adds a mixture of the Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers drink and the Teavana Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea to the Pink Drink for a fruity twist and, more importantly, an aesthetically pleasing ombré effect.
This drink is not for the weak of heart, though. The pink drink is notoriously sweet, and this time Starbucks added two more fruity flavors to the concoction — lime and passion tango. I am expecting a sugar high (and crash) after this drink, but it's so pretty that I cannot resist it — the things we do for the Insta.
Look at how beautiful it is!
That lime twist, though.
So bougie.
Hopefully the baristas like it more than the Unicorn Frappuccino.
My Ombré Pink Drink Experience
With much excitement, I decided to try the drink for myself. It might have been because it was its first day on the menu, but it was a little hard to find with the first stores claiming not to carry it. But at last, I finally found one.
Upon receiving my drink, I was shocked to see how much of it was just coconut milk. I was expecting the base to have the same pink tint of the OG Pink Drink. It was still beautiful, just different.
I took pictures for about 5 minutes before I took a sip, and I shamelessly walked outside for some better lighting. Don't judge me: This drink is absolutely stunning and deserves to be captured. The colors popped immediately and it felt like Insta gold. After mixing the drink, it looked like a more muted Pink Drink; think less cotton candy and more rose.
Finally, I drank the concoction, and honestly, it was kinda underwhelming. I think that the large presence of coconut in the drink helped with the composition of the photo, but hurt the end result. It tasted like a strawberry coconut water, and it was sadly nothing to write home about. It wasn't bad, but it was nothing compared to the Pink Drink.
I hoped that it was just me, that my friend would be more hyped about it, but nope. She noted a high level of fruitiness, but took one sip and felt the same way.
My friend described the whole experience as "exactly what's wrong with our society," and I kind of agree. This drink has SO much hype, for not much payoff. It felt like I was drinking a mediocre beverage for a quality Insta, and that is not how food should be enjoyed.
Order the drink if you love coconut milk, but if not, it's not worth the time, effort and money for just a pretty picture.