Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade

A Fair & Honest Energy Drink Review

Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade Retail Package Description

Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade comes in a pink and metallic swirl can with some darker outlines of fruits (which I assume is a lemon and a strawberry). The can reads, from top to bottom, "Strawberry Lemonade", "with other natural flavors", "Starbucks", "Refreshers", "natural energy from green coffee extract", "real fruit juice", "b vitamins", "ginseng", "fruit juice from concentrate", "sparkling green coffee energy beverage", "12 fl oz (355 ml). There's also a badge-looking "60 calories per can".

On the back of the Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade can, it reads, "Energy, meet refreshment. Sparks (or at least sparkling juices) fly when energy and refreshment come together in a lightly carbonated blend of juices, vitamins, ginseng and green, unroasted coffee beans. It's a delicious strawberry lemonade flavored energy boost, without any coffee taste."

Caffeine Addict's Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade Review

I'm not one of these guys riding around in their VW van that has a "friends don't let friends drink Starbucks" bumper sticker, but I'm also not the guy golf clapping at his kid's soccer game because he doesn't want to spill his Starbucks. I've always had a moderate view of Starbucks and their products. I'm distinctly more fond of their bottled and can beverages. I feel Starbucks canned doubleshot drinks are every bit as good as Java Monster products, and sometimes you can get them cheaper than Java Monster, as I often see Java Monster in the $2.29-$2.59 price range.

Going into this review, I'd not been distinctly disappointed with any bottled or canned Starbucks product. That all changed with Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade. Let me start with the short list of positives.

Has only 60 calories per can
It contains real fruit juice
Seems to be at least partially sweetened with stevia

Now, for the laundry list of criticism.

I've drank Korean Ginseng Drink, which is pretty much just ginseng root in some sugar water. I may be crazy, but I feel like the ginseng is very pronounced in Starbucks Refreshers. Additionally, I find ginseng to be pointless and ineffectual, so they just added bad taste, for no practical purpose. The back of the can touts, "It's a delicious strawberry lemonade flavored energy boost, without any coffee taste". Clearly Starbucks is ok with lying directly to your face, or "delicious" would not appear in that sentence. I can confirm that there's no coffee taste, but I'd much prefer coffee to the pestilence flavor they settled on. For something with "lemonade" in the name, there's a distinct and complete lack of lemon flavor. I can taste some strawberry, but despite it being natural strawberry flavor, it tastes very artificial. In short, I think Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade tastes foul.

This is a 12oz. Drink for $1.99, unfortunately, I wouldn't give you plugged nickle for it, so it's not a great value at any price. After paying $1.99 for it, I feel like going home, curling up in the fetal position and thinking about the worst things that have ever happened to me, so I will feel better comparatively. Unfortunately, because of how moderately effective this product is, I'll probably wind up falling asleep in short order.

Energy Junkie's Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade Review

In my short stint of reviewing energy drinks, I've had few products as disappointingly-flavored as Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade. The name and label had me imagining a tart, delicious sparkling soda, perhaps something that would leave me puckering from the delightfully sour lemonade flavor. Of course, this was a fool's hope. What I actually got was a watered down, almost flavorless beverage that tasted just "off" enough that I checked the date on the can. Whoever formulated this, most certainly did not suggest it should be called "lemonade", and whoever decided to call it "lemonade" should be brought to justice. I'd call this, "strawberry yogurt cup rinse water" flavor, perhaps with subtext, "now with nasty old tea flavor". I'm guessing that green coffee bean extract tastes something like green tea extract, as I could have sworn as I was drinking this, that it was green tea with a thimble of additional fruit flavors (none of which I would have accused of being lemonade flavor).

As for energy, I guess green coffee bean extract has some caffeine, as I did not experience any caffeine withdrawal symptoms after drinking only Starbucks Refreshers. That's the extent to which Starbucks succeeded with this drink, I didn't get a headache. It's otherwise a total waste. Had they just added some flavor, I probably would have at least enjoyed drinking it, but this is certainly the most lifeless Starbucks product I've ever drank, and it's fairly bland in comparison to anything but water.

No way I'm paying $1.99 for another one of these. I'd rather buy Charlotte Bobcats tickets, of which I should be able to get 3 courtside for $1.99.