We Tried Starbucks’ Blended Refreshers (And We’re Confused)

The launch of the Blended Energy Refreshers at Starbucks has been long anticipated. I mean, it seems like a no-brainer, right? All you do is take the exact drinks that we already love, chuck it in a blender, and bam―you’ve got a brand new drink that’s somehow even more refreshing.

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The three flavors that launched with this collection are the Blended Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher, the Blended Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher, and the Blended Pink Energy Drink. Sounds like a pretty star-studded lineup to me. So naturally, we had to see if that was really the case. Here’s what we thought about the newly launched Blended Energy Refreshers from Starbucks.

Blended Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher

This was a really good showing of how refreshing a blended version of the Refreshers could really be. It’s light, and (shockingly) not too sweet at all. It’s the one I wanted to keep drinking, with its refreshing blend of a summer berry and tropical fruit. The lemonade gives it a nice brightness, too. I could easily order this one again, but I don’t know if it actually trumps the stereotypical refresher. Because of the blending, it does dilute some of the flavor, so depending on what your flavor potency desire is, you could go either way.

Rating:

7.5/10

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Blended Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher

This refresher was strange because it somehow took the best refresher (in my opinion) and turned it into something that didn’t have enough flavor. I mean, it was a common theme, but for all of the blended refresher, the blending diluted the intensity of the flavor, which, again, isn’t the end of the world. But, especially once the frozen part of the blended drink melted, it really made it so that it just lacked the sweetness and flavor that really makes us drink great. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still pretty refreshing, but the flavor definitely took some getting used to.

Rating:

6.5/10

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Blended Pink Energy Drink

As soon as this one starts to melt, it all it gets icky… like, really icky. I like the basic pink drink that you can get not blended. I think it’s a creamy alternative to the Strawberry Açai Refresher, and honestly it’s pretty nostalgic at this point… anyone else remember when it was a secret menu item? But, again, since the blending dilutes the standard drink it makes this one pretty bland―even before it starts melting. After that, it just tastes like they poured water into coconut milk with the faintest hint of strawberry. And, the thing is, you can’t escape the dilution. As opposed to regular chunks of ice, the blending makes it so fine that it dilutes in a matter of minutes.

Rating:

3/10

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