Does Starbucks sell boba? I tried the new Summer Skies drink — and I have a few notes
Endia FontanezWhen Starbucks announced a line of new bubble tea drinks for the summer, my curiosity was piqued. I'm an avid fan of bubble tea, also called boba, which originated in East Asia, but has gained widespread popularity in the U.S. So I knew I had to try it.
The coffee chain announced three new drinks — Summer Berry, Summer Berry lemonade and Summer Skies — all made with raspberry boba pearls at the bottom.
I've had Starbucks refreshers before, often made with real fruit pieces like strawberries and blackberries. But boba is different, providing a sugary pop of flavor more akin to biting into a piece of candy.
If you're unsure whether to try the new Starbucks boba drinks, worry not. I'm something of a boba connoisseur, and I taste tested the Starbucks version, so you don't have to.
What do Starbucks' boba drinks taste like?
I ordered the Summer Skies refresher, which is made with coconut milk and, according to the website, blends raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors.
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The first sip was an immediate hit of sweet, with the raspberry flavoring and the coconut milk as the most overpowering flavors. If you like coconut milk, this is likely not a problem. I'm indifferent to it. A bit more stirring with my straw and the other flavors started to come out, making for a familiar berry taste that reminded me of the mixed berry flavor of Yoplait yogurt.
The drink was not what I expected. Maybe my judgement was clouded by my affinity for more traditional boba shops. Those who know me know that I cannot resist a classic taro milk tea with tapioca pearls or my personal favorite: strawberry milk tea with strawberry boba. The Starbucks drink was like neither. Maybe it was the coconut milk that threw me off. That said, the Summer Berry refresher and Summer Berry lemonade boba drinks contain no coconut milk.
The raspberry boba pearls themselves were genuinely good and added an element that took the drink from skippable to worth trying.
However, there was a delay in actually tasting the boba due to practicality issues with the design of the Starbucks cup itself, which is what caused my initial "less than impressed" reaction.
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Starbucks boba is good in theory, but impractical in practice
Normally, when I order boba tea I am used to a tight, sticker-like lid that makes the drink spill-proof enough to shake, at least before putting the straw in. Starbucks cups do not come with these types of lids, so I couldn't shake up the drink. I did my best to stir the boba pearls around with a straw.
The non-spillproof lid, it turns out, is not the only issue of impracticality with Starbucks' boba drinks. I admittedly spent a couple of embarrassing minutes inside a packed Starbucks trying and failing to suck up a boba pearl through my too-skinny straw before realizing it was impossible.
If you frequent boba shops, you are likely used to the large, wide straws that allow boba to pass through. After asking the barista for help, I discovered that Starbucks does offer larger straws upon request, however they do not fit through the small sippy cup-sized hole on the drink's lid, so I had to take the lid off to use it.
These may seem like minor gripes. But when I think of Starbucks, I think of on-the-go drinks I can enjoy in the car while running errands. The busy drive thru and the extremely popular mobile order option tell me I am not the only person who feels this way. Obviously, an open cup with an enormous straw sticking out of it is not ideal for a moving vehicle taking sharp turns or going over potholes.
How to try Starbucks' new summer boba drinks
The new Starbucks summer lineup includes Summer Berry lemonade, Summer Berry refresher and Summer Skies refresher with coconut milk. All three drinks are available at all Starbucks stores for the summer, while supplies last.
A 12-ounce tall Summer Skies Drink Starbucks Refresher is 100 calories, has 19 grams of sugar and 2 grams of fat and cost $5.95 at the Surprise Starbucks location.
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Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on X, formerly Twitter.
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