Kicking off into a new season and spring blooms, Starbucks released their new seasonal drinks. Inspired by the season of vivid colors and blossoming flowers, their selection of spicy to floral drinks have created quite the debate and excitement with Starbucks’ unique take on their drinks. 

Spicy dragon fruit lemonade refresher : 

Despite my initial excitement, the new Spicy Dragon Fruit Refresher from Starbucks fell short of expectations. The vibrant reddish purple color of the refresher was definitely worrisome as it looked like it came from a cartoon. The fusion of sweet dragon fruit and spicy chili didn’t mesh well together. Instead, the chili’s heat drowned out the mild sweetness of the dragon fruit base, resulting in an overly spicy aftertaste. Additionally, the texture of the drink felt uneven, the clumps of chili shifting the focus further away from the taste of the drink. Unfortunately, the Spicy Dragon Fruit Refresher left me with nothing but missed potential. I would not recommend this drink to others as it only left me with a mouthful of disappointment. 

Iced lavender cream oat milk matcha 

I was most excited for the Iced Lavender Cream Oat Milk Matcha, perceived as an elevated version of Starbucks iconic matcha latte. Coming in with high expectations, the drink lived up to its hype. Upon first glance, the pastel purple of the cold foam and grass green color of the matcha was definitely picture perfect. With each sip, the drink left hints of lavender which paired perfectly with the mellow notes of the matcha. The two were a perfect match as the lavender did overpower the taste of matcha. What truly distinguishes this beverage, however, is its resemblance to the nostalgic taste of fruity pebbles cereal, leaving the drinker with a hint of nostalgia from his or her childhood. The Iced Lavender Cream Oat Milk Matcha is definitely the perfect choice for anyone looking to try something new. 

Spicy cream cold foam 

As someone who typically shies away from the bold flavor of coffee, I was hesitant to try the new Spicy Cream Cold Foam from Starbucks. When receiving my drink, it looked like your typical cold brew. Unfortunately, my apprehension was justified as the drink failed to live up to my expectations and left me with a bitter taste of letdown. While the spicy cream cold foam added an interesting twist to the beverage, it fell short of masking the strong flavor of coffee. Additionally, the cold foam was too heavy and dense, worsening overall drinking experience. Overall, I would not recommend this drink because of the disharmony of the spicy cold foam to bitter coffee.