Summer is almost here, and with it are new items being added and brought back to the Starbucks menu. On May 12, Starbucks is releasing part of its 2026 Summer menu. The Horchata flavor and Unicorn cake pop are returning, while the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher will arrive in stores nationwide.
What is the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher?
This colorful drink combines guava and passionfruit flavors in a gorgeous ombre-style pattern topped with a splash of butterfly pea flower. And don’t worry about missing the popping pearls from the previous Summer Berry drink. This new refresher comes with mango-pineapple popping pearls for a burst of flavor.
Customers can add the mango-pineapple popping pearls to any other refresher. So if you are feeling that you need a little more pineapple-mango in your strawberry acai, then you have a great solution.
I think the new Butterfly Refresher introduces a flavor Starbucks hasn’t explored before and is better than the previously loved Summer Berry. It looks like a sunset. The orange from the pearls mixes in with the red color of the passionfruit and the blue of the pea flower, which looks like the night sky. At first, I thought it was going to taste like the Passion Tango Tea that is already offered. Instead, I got a burst of sweetness. The butterfly pea flower has a more muted flavor, while the passionfruit is almost overwhelmingly sweet by itself. But the mix of the two together makes it perfect. My drink was gone quicker than it took to make.
Is the Starbucks Horchata back?
The Mexican-style creamy horchata is returning for a limited time with the Horchata shaken espresso and the new Horchata frappuccino. The Horchata Shaken Espresso is similar to the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso but replaces the brown sugar flavor with horchata and excludes the cinnamon. Like other Starbucks drinks, it can be customized.
What new food is on the Starbucks summer menu?
Do not worry about your favorite sandwiches leaving or your favorite cake pop getting changed. Instead, Starbucks is adding more sweet treats you can grab on your busiest days. The unicorn cake pop is back with its creamy flavor of vanilla-confetti cake dipped in white chocolate icing. And of course, there is a cute little face.
But if you are feeling more of a salty snack rather than sweet, Starbucks is continuing its partnership with Khloe Kardashian and her popcorn brand Khloud. The new flavor is white cheddar and offers seven grams of protein.
Is there merch?
Besides the snacks, what else can be expected? A new merchandise release titled the Road Trip Collection, which is inspired by open roads and everyone’s favorite Starbucks drinks. Not only does this release come with new water bottles, mugs and a tote bag, but also a blanket you can use for your next picnic.
But an even bigger change is coming to the mobile ordering system and app. Instead of picking up your mobile order five to eight minutes after you place the order, you can schedule it. Making it way more convenient for planning and making quicker stops on your Summer road trips.
This 2026 lineup offers something new for both longtime Starbucks fans and casual coffee drinkers who are looking for something different.