Over the weekend, I was rotting in bed when an Instagram Reel from Starbucks showed up in my feed with a hack for a Starbucks Lavender Pink Drink. It’s no secret that I am obsessed with Starbies and always on the hunt for secret menu sips, viral coffee orders, and customization hacks, and that I’m lowkey obsessed with both the new Starbucks Refreshers and the chain’s springtime flavors. Plus, the fact that this drink came straight from the source? Sign me up.
What is on the Starbucks spring menu?
ICYMI, the Starbucks spring menu hit stores nationwide in late February, featuring both new and returning favorites. In addition to brand new Starbucks Iced Cherry Chai bev that brings all the best flavors of spring to your cozy Chai latte, the coffee company also brought back the barista- and fan-favorite lavender flavor. While signature menu items include the Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha, the Iced Lavender Latte (which is also available hot), and the Lavender Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage, the return of lavender at Starbucks also means that Lavender Cream Cold Foam is here and ready to be added to just about any drink on the menu.
How do I order the Starbucks Lavender Pink Drink?
Starbucks’ Instagram Reel shows off a barista making a Pink Drink with Lavender Cream Cold Foam, and this Starbucks secret menu item could not be any easier to order. All you have to do is ask the barista for a Pink Drink in your beverage size of choice, and add Lavender Cream Cold Foam. Voila.
While the original Starbucks Reel recommends asking for the Pink Drink without the freeze-dried strawberries, I totally forgot to do that, and tbh I’m not sure it made a difference. So if you like the strawberry topping in your fruity refreshers, great! If freeze-dried berries aren’t your thing, though, you can easily customize and ask the barista for “no strawberries.”
Is the Starbucks Lavender Pink Drink good?
Strawberry isn’t my favorite flavor, so if I’m ordering a Starbucks Refresher, it’s probably the Dragon Drink (pro-tip: add vanilla syrup) or the new Blackberry Sage Refresher. But, I do love adding coconut milk to my refreshers and I especially love Starbucks’ lavender drinks, so I was excited about the prospect of the Lavender Pink Drink. Cue instant disappointment.
First off, the texture. It drives me nuts when there’s clumps of anything in my drink, and as a lactose-intolerant girlie, this tends to be the case with non-dairy milk more often than I’d like. I started by giving the drink a good shake so that I could at least try to make the bev a little more homogenous while also evenly distributing the lavender flavor and cold foam throughout.
When I took a sip, my first thought was “berry smoothie.” The drink was extra creamy thanks to both the fatty coconut milk and cold foam, and the fruity flavors of the strawberry, acai, and coconut all paired well together. My second thought was “absolutely not, please get this drink out of my mouth immediately.”
I don’t know what it was, but something about the floral lavender flavor gave this drink a super sour taste. I understand that lavender is an acquired taste, but it’s one that I really enjoy (especially in coffee and matcha), so I was really thrown off by just how icky I found this Pink Drink. I likened it to a berry smoothie made with expired milk or really sour Greek yogurt.
Just to make sure it wasn’t a me problem, I took a sip of the lavender cold foam off the top. Amazing, stunning, beautiful, delicious. I absolutely love Starbucks’ lavender, and can confirm the cold foam absolutely wasn’t the problem — it was just the two menu items mixed.
To really double down, I had my boyfriend take a sip. He likes strawberry flavor more than I do, and confirmed that something about the combo simply does not work. It’s safe to say that we’ll both stick with our Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha and Pink Drinks separately from now on.
How much does the Starbucks Lavender Pink Drink cost?
If you follow the video hack and order the Grande, the Starbucks Lavender Pink Drink will set you back about $7.50. If you like the Pink Drink, the cold foam only adds an additional $1.25 to a $6.25 beverage.
If you’re a Pink Drink stan who likes lavender, the added cost for the customization really isn’t too bad. Plus, the combo really does emulate a creamy smoothie, but maybe save your money and stick to a more neutral cold foam – like vanilla or sweet cream.