By Elizabeth Daub

Coming in hot! Starbucks recently released its newest drink idea at Starbucks locations worldwide: Spicy Lemonade Refresher beverages that will definitely shake your taste buds.

Inspired by the “swicy” trend of combining sweet and spicy food, also known as “sweet heat,” Starbucks introduced three variations of the spicy lemonade refresher: spicy dragon fruit, spicy pineapple, and spicy strawberry. The drink bases are similar to those of other lemonade refreshers, such as the Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher, the Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher, and the Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade Refresher. The spice comes from Starbucks’ proprietary chili powder blend of three different chili pepper powders. 

Starbucks is constantly releasing new drinks. Just recently, in March, they released Lavender flavored drinks. These included Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha, Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte, Lavender Crème Frappuccino, and Lavender Cream Cold Foam. These drinks were definitely a hit. It doesn’t stop there; after I tried the new Spicy Refreshers, Starbucks dropped its new Summer-Berry Starbucks Refreshers Beverages with raspberry pearls. I personally go to Starbucks multiple times a week, and I rarely switch up my order from a Strawberry Acai Lemonade. But I was excited and intrigued by the concept of the spicy refreshers.

Before trying these beverages, I wanted to hear what a Starbucks employee thought of the new release. I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. I visited the Starbucks in the Regency Square Mall Shopping Center and spoke to Chuck, one of the baristas. When asked what he thought about the drinks overall, Chuck said, “I think that the drinks are good, but I think that they went a bit overboard on the standard for the scoops. I think that if they cut down on the scoops, they would be a lot better, and people would get them a lot more.” Chuck continued to explain, “On the other hand, me working here, I can make a suggestion on ways to order it, but as far as the standard way they come, it’s a bit much.” Chuck also continued to explain his appreciation for the idea and the attempt to make something different. He also appreciates that the drink “is not just sugar.” 

After speaking with Chuck, my friends and I began with trying the Spicy Strawberry Lemonade, described by the Starbucks’ website as “Sweet flavors of strawberry and açaí shaken with ice, real strawberry pieces, zesty lemonade, and Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend.” The standard grande (16 oz.) size is about 200 calories and is priced at $5.75. Immediately when trying it, we were struck by the spice. Annie Wilkins (‘27) said, “I didn’t expect for it to be that spicy,” and her sister Mary Wilkins (‘25)  explained how the drink was “burning her throat.” The overall flavors of the drink were delicious, and Grace Moerner (‘25) described it as “tangy.”

To me, the chili powder was overwhelming and superseded the lemonade as a whole. Rather than experiencing “sweet heat,” I felt like I could only taste the heat. The spices tasted similar to tajin powder, and Moerner compared it to “intense Mexican cuisine.” While rating these beverages, our 0-10 scale was based on all of our favorite drinks. A Strawberry Acai Lemonade was a 10, and our 0 was “would never drink it again.” Our average rating for the Spicy Strawberry was a 3.75.

Next, we drank the Spicy Dragonfruit, which is described as “Sweet flavors of mango and exotic dragonfruit shaken with ice, real dragonfruit pieces, zesty lemonade, and Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend.” The grande size for this variation has the same calorie count and pricing as the strawberry variation. Immediately after trying it, Mary exclaimed, “That’s way better than the strawberry.” The dragonfruit flavor and the spice pair much better than the strawberry flavor and the spice. Annie compared the burn of the drink to the “burn of a ginger shot,” which is a perfect comparison between the two, and it will definitely clear out your sinuses! We liked this one much more than the strawberry but still felt dissatisfied with the drink overall, and our ratings averaged 5.375. 

I believe that one’s spice tolerance plays a large role in one’s opinion on these beverages. While my average ratings were around a four, Annie’s were often around a 6 or a 7. Annie said, “I like spicy,” which explains her high ratings in comparison to the low ratings of someone like me, who cannot handle spice as well.

Finally, we tried the Spicy Pineapple, which is described as “sweet flavors of pineapple and passionfruit shaken with ice, real pineapple pieces, zesty lemonade and Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend.” We were most excited about the Spicy Pineapple but were struck by the most intense spice of the day. Immediately gagged by the spice, Mary exclaimed, “My mouth is numb!” Before trying the drink, we thought that the pineapple and spice would combine well, but we were wrong. Our average rating for these drinks was 1. The spice overpowered the lemonade, making it hard to perceive any flavors other than the chili powder blend. 

As Chuck explained earlier, a positive aspect of the drinks is that the amount of spice, fruit, lemonade, and base can all be altered to create a better drink. Chuck kindly made us his drink variation, a venti Spicy Dragon fruit with light lemonade, light mango dragon fruit, and only one scoop of the chili powder blend. This one blew the other ones out of the water. The spice was much more subtle, and it was easier to taste the combination of the sweetness of the fruit lemonade and the heat of the chili powder. Our overall rating for Chuck’s variation was 7.5, our highest rating yet.

When asked about the new drinks overall, Moerner explained, “I don’t think these drinks were the best idea, but people who LOVE spice would definitely like these more.” Annie continued, “I think it was a bigger hit than the lavender drinks, and I think it made a little more sense, but I feel like it could’ve been better.” Mary explained, “It’s too many flavors in one drink, that it is overwhelming.” The Spicy Refreshers are an amazing and unparalleled concept, but the execution of the recipes and the drinks themselves were not executed well. We all enjoyed trying the drinks, but none of us would not order them again. 

All photos by Elizabeth Daub.