Melon Pearl Refresha (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

Today has been hot. Too hot. I love a pleasant sunny day, but once the temperature tips over 30°C it just becomes uncomfortable. To cool off, we headed to Starbucks for something chilled and refreshing. I chose a drink from their Refresha range: the Melon Pearl Refresha.

When it arrived, I was struck by how pretty it looked, more striking in person than in the photo. The drink had a gorgeous two-tone effect: a red base from the melon pearls and a summery orange layer on top, like a sunset in a cup. The straw was extra wide, perfect for slurping up the pearls.

Flavour-wise, this drink was exactly what I needed. Ice-cold and wonderfully sweet, the melon taste was spot on for such a hot day. The pearls themselves are clearly the novelty factor, tapping into the same trend as bubble teas. They added a fun twist, once they made it through the straw, they burst in your mouth with a little explosion of melon flavour, giving an extra hit of sweetness.

Overall, the Melon Pearl Refresha was a brilliant pick-me-up on a sweltering day: refreshing, tasty, and a bit of fun too.

Pink Coconut Refresha Drink (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

We were on a road trip and stopped off to grab something refreshing for the journey. I went for the new drink being advertised, the Pink Coconut Refresha, which just looked so summery. To be honest, it was the picture that sold it to me: bright pink, with strawberries floating in the cup. I knew there was coconut involved, but I wasn’t entirely sure what else was in it until I got home and looked it up! (It’s a mix of strawberry and açai flavours, green coffee extract, and strawberry slices.)

The drink arrived packed with ice and plenty of sliced strawberries, and it looked lovely in the cup, a real summer treat. The flavour didn’t disappoint either. It was sweet and fruity, bursting with strawberry and berry flavours, and the creamy coconut came through nicely. It was absolutely spot on for a warm day, and I enjoyed every sip.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t pick up on the green coffee element at all. If it was there, I couldn’t taste it. That didn’t matter, though, because it was still a delicious, refreshing drink for a sunny day out exploring.

Lavender Velvet Latte (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

We stopped for coffee at the motorway services during the Easter break, and as usual, I went for whatever the current ‘special’ drink was. I have to admit I was a bit surprised they’d gone with a floral flavour, but I ended up ordering the Lavender Velvet Latte. I like lavender, it makes a lovely soap or bubble bath, but it’s not something I usually go for in food.

I watched as the barista made my drink. The base coffee had lavender and vanilla syrup, and there was more lavender in the cold foam on top. I’m not usually a fan of drinks with a cold foam topping, but they seem to be popular at Starbucks, and I wanted to try it as it was intended.

When it arrived, I took a little sip of the foam and could definitely taste the lavender. The topping was cooler, of course, but the flavour itself was delicate and thankfully not overpowering. Once I got to the main part of the drink, the flavour was stronger and sweeter. I know Parma Violets are technically violet and not lavender, but it still reminded me of them.

There was a smoothness to it, probably from the vanilla or the oat milk, that helped balance the floral notes. Overall, the Lavender Velvet Latte was okay. It’s not too garish or strong, but now that I’ve tried it, I think once was enough.

Starbucks Frappuccino Sip on Sunshine Iced Coffee (Sainsbury's) By @Cinabar

Today was unusually sunny for April, so I treated myself to something refreshing from the shop. I spotted this limited edition Starbucks Frappuccino Sip on Sunshine Iced Coffee and it ticked all the boxes. The name is cheerful, I like the “sip on sunshine” bit, and the flavour is a mix of toffee and honey. The bottle also has a lovely summery design that caught my eye.

I cracked it open during my break and gave it a try. It’s a smooth, creamy coffee drink that isn’t overly sweet, which was a pleasant surprise. The honey is noticeable but subtle, and the coffee is mellow rather than strong. Altogether, it made for a very enjoyable afternoon pick-me-up, even if I did spend the rest of the day stuck in front of spreadsheets.

Pistachio Velvet Latte (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

I have a feeling this Starbucks Pistachio Velvet Latte is going to be a very popular drink. When I ordered mine, the barista behind the counter immediately put up a "sold out" sticker for the pistachio drinks. I double-checked, and they confirmed I had snagged the last one—the syrup, which was meant to last their entire campaign, had already run out halfway through. I was just in time!

The drink consists of a hot espresso, white chocolate pistachio syrup, and oat milk, topped with a cold milk foam flavoured with pistachio. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about cold foam on a hot drink, but I’d committed to it, so I went with it.

When it arrived, I loved the pale green swirl peeking through the foam, it looked awesome. My first sip was tepid, which was disappointing, but the flavour was sweet, nutty, and milky. Thankfully, as I drank further down, the temperature improved, and the white chocolate and pistachio notes really shone through. The flavours were well balanced, with a lovely nutty creaminess that complemented the coffee perfectly. The drink was also thicker than a regular latte, giving it a luxurious feel, and I really enjoyed it.

Pistachio is shaping up to be one of the big trend flavours for 2025, so I’m intrigued to see what other products emerge throughout the year.

Starbucks Crème Brulée Cold Brew ( @welcomebreak @StarbucksUK ) By @Cinabar

I do not go to Starbucks as much as I used to; I guess working from home more has contributed, but I thought it was time to see what they had new for the summer. We were on our way back from a long journey on Sunday evening, and we stopped on the M40 at Welcome Break services and popped into Starbucks. The first impression wasn’t great. The setting could have been pleasant; there was a mix of comfy chairs and proper seats, and there was a big window looking over the carpark. The place was untidy; there were old cardboard boxes piled up on a couple of tables, and the tables were all untidy and not very clean. I ordered a small Crème Brulée Cold Brew, and Spectre, a man of tradition, had a cup of tea. Somehow, these two drinks came to nearly £9. 

We waited for the person to make the drinks, and he knocked the plastic lid off mine onto the floor, then used it anyway to put it on top of my drink. Spectre went to get milk, and one jug had dried milk stains up and down it, so he chose the other option as the most clean. We found the cleanest-looking table, but it still had a drink rim mark on it, and then we had our drinks. I took off the lid and used a plastic straw because I’d seen the lid bounce on the floor. 

The drink itself was lovely. The coffee part was cold, dark, and refreshing, with a good, strong coffee base. The topping was yummy, sweet, creamy, and loaded with vanilla; it was a delight. I very much enjoyed the drink. It is a lovely summer treat, not too sweet, and a nice twist on an iced coffee with a good contrast of the two flavours. It is a little pricey, especially given the rest of the visit, which really made me not want to go back. I didn’t enjoy the Starbucks experience at all; they really were letting down the service station by being so untidy and not cleaning up. 

Starbucks Chocolate Marshmallow Flavour Smores Limited Edition Frappuccino (Iceland) By @Cinabar

And the prize for the longest name of a product so far this year on the blog goes to Starbucks Chocolate Marshmallow Flavour Smores Limited Edition Frappuccino. When the weather is a bit warmer, I do like to buy iced coffee for home. This is probably one of the new drinks for spring, and although the weather might not be there, I still couldn’t resist buying it. I decided to have this at lunchtime as a pick-me-up while working from home. I leave all my admin to Friday, which isn’t the most motivating thing for the end of the day.

Anyway, I poured the drink out and filled my smaller glass. I gave it a taste, and the flavour was rather good. There was a good base of an iced coffee and a nice thick texture. The flavour has a hint of chocolate and a nice sweetness running through it. I’m not sure I could categorically pick out the Smores element (toasted marshmallow), but there was a sugary goodness and a bit of a bitter edge (burnt marshmallow) or a bit of a biscuit taste, but either way, it was one yummy drink. 

Starbucks Dark Chocolate Mocha (Sainsbury's) By @Cinabar

It might not quite be warm enough for this, but I have started on the iced coffee. I saw this flavour, and although the weather might not be hot enough, I found it jumping into my basket. I picked up this Starbucks Dark Chocolate Mocha up at the supermarket, and although it is made by Starbucks, it is a drink for home or commuting.

I chilled it and then had it as an afternoon treat as a bit of a pick-me-up. The straw is cardboard, which is good, and I think all the materials (except maybe the wrapper the straw was in) recycle, which is a bonus, but with the foil lid and then a secondary plastic lid, there is still quite a bit of packaging.

The flavour of this Starbucks Dark Chocolate Mocha was lovely, the dark chocolate with the coffee was a real winner for me. Sometimes these drinks can be quite sweet, but this one was well balanced, rich cocoa and a touch of salt just made this a lovely taste combination. It was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up, especially on a Monday in a week when there isn’t even the decency to have a public bank holiday.

Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I am still trying out various interesting coffees that can be made at home. This one is from the Starbucks line, but it can be found at the supermarket. Here we have Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte; there are five sachets in the box.

So, here's my usual disclaimer: cinnamon is my favourite spice, so this was obviously a must-have for me.

I boiled the kettle, and this drink mixed up nice and easily with the hot water; there were no lumps, and it developed a nice-looking froth on the surface too.

I gave the drink a sip and absolutely loved the flavour. The combination of coffee, milk, and the sweet and warm taste of cinnamon creates a delicious and satisfying drink. It is sweet, but not overly so. This Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte is a warm and comforting drink that is perfect for cold weather or a cosy night in. The cinnamon flavour is well balanced, not overpowering the other ingredients and adding a nice aroma to the drink. It's a perfect drink to enjoy in the morning or as a pick-me-up during the day. Overall, a yummy spiced coffee that is a must-try for any coffee/cinnamon lover.

Starbucks White Mocha (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

Here is a new Starbucks drink, but this is one for home and not from Starbucks directly. I found this Starbucks White Mocha in the supermarket, but the flavour sounds wonderfully indulgent and a proper treat for a cold day like today. Inside the box are five sachets (which is annoyingly not an even number) that, when made, mix up simply with boiling water, so I put the kettle on.

 

The contents of the sachet mixed easily into the hot water; thankfully, there were no lumps, and it didn’t even need too much of a stir. As I was making it, I noticed a lovely froth forming on the top, which looked like a good sign. I gave the drink a taste, and the wonderful flavours of coffee and white chocolate were absolutely gorgeous. It tasted like a coffee made with white chocolate milkshake; it was sweet and creamy, and the flavour balance was perfect. This was a fantastic drink, silky and indulgent, and a true treat. When I picked this box of Starbucks White Mocha up, I don't think I realised just how amazing the contents would be. I can’t wait to have another.

Limited Edition Valentine's Berry Hot Chocolate (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

The poster advertising this new Starbucks Limited Edition Berry Hot Chocolate doesn’t actually specifically mention Valentines day, but their new hot chocolate is only available until next weekend, so has launched for a very brief time that does coincide with Valentine’s day week. The flavour is called Limited Edition Starbucks Berry Hot Chocolate but it is a much more delicate drink than you might expect from that title. The hot chocolate is infused with berry tea, an unusual start, and has a berry foam on top of the drink.
I was lucky enough to be at the front of the counter when the lady in Starbucks was making this Limited Edition Berry Hot Chocolate, and I saw how she made the foam. She placed a sachet of berry powder in the smoothie blender and and added milk and let it whisk, the amount in the blender went pink and doubled in size creating a mouse like substance. She poured this over the berry hot chocolate which had been made with hot milk and then sprinkled some berry powder on top. The drink was visually stunning. The temperature of the thick foam was cold, but the flavour was wonderful. It was quite zingy, especially when you tasted the powder topping, but otherwise it was fruity without being too sweet. The hot chocolate was delicate too, the strawberry taste was subtle, but the sweetness from he chocolate enhanced it. This is very different to the syrup filled hot chocolate they have at Christmas time, this is a mature gentle flavour that still manages to be soothing. It was a yummy drink, and one I think it is heart breaking (pun intended) that it has such a short shelf life.

Candy Cane Mocha (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

What better way to end the year than relaxing with a soothing hot drink, and so I decided to treat myself to something nice from Starbucks. This is the end of the seasonal menu for them, with the New Year beginning tomorrow I can’t imagine the menu being around much longer. Rather than my brain being set to January = Health, Im still on December = Indulgence, so what the heck I ordered a Starbucks Candy Cane Mocha.
The drink comes topped with cream, and strawberry sauce, the mocha itself is flavoured with peppermint. The picture on the board shows the drink looking spectacular in a glass mug, but in store they serve it in a pottery mug. I know they needed the red sauce to look like candy cane stripes, but strawberry and peppermint is a bit of a curious combination. I solved this problem by eating the cream first with the sauce, and having the drink second, crisis averted.
Peppermint, coffee and chocolate do all work well together and it turns out this drink is one of my favourites of the season. It is a shame to have discovered it so late into December, but it is a drink I will be on the look out for next year!
I hope you all have had a good 2018, and that you have a brilliant and Happy New Year!!!

Maple Rooibos Tea Latte (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

Well Starbucks have launched their autumn drinks menu and everyone will be very pleased to hear that the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back on the menu. This has become a bit of an iconic drink for Starbucks and it has quite a fan base. Starbucks has released another couple of drinks in parallel with this launch and they are introducing us to Maple, with a Maple Latte and a slightly more bizarre sounding Maple Rooibos Tea Latte. I went for the latter, and was served a drink made with tea, but with cream on top.I’m not sure how I feel about a tea latte, never mind one flavoured with Maple and topped with cream and maple sugar.
I gave the Maple Rooibos Tea Latte a sip and thought the drink tasted confused. The Rooibos tea is very strong, and has quite a tangy leafy taste, this didn’t work for me with the sweet autumnal taste of the maple. On its own I came away thinking that the Maple flavour would probably be quite nice, it is warming and slightly spiced and pleasingly sweet. I could imagine it in a milkshake or working happily with coffee. The Rooibos tea flavour needed something else, or possibly actually just to be left alone. My drink was okay to finish, but it just didn’t sit right for me. Have you tried it, what did you think?

Blueberry Cheesecake Crème Frappuccino (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

The weather and sunshine don’t seem to be going anywhere, so I’m yet again looking for a cold drink for a treat on the Starbucks menu. I have to admit that I don’t usually go for the Frappuccino style drinks at all, I find them too cold. I mean I either don’t have time for the ice to melt so end up leaving lots, or forcing it and ending up with an ice cream headache. Having said all that these are extraordinary times for a British summer and even I am happy to have a drink that is extra cold. On the menu were the new cheesecake flavour drinks, and I chose the Starbucks Blueberry Cheesecake Crème Frappuccino.
The drink is purple in colour and looks very vibrant, it was also topped with cream, and a biscuit crumble. I started by trying the cream and biscuit crumble together and it was rather delicious, the cream really enhanced the biscuit crumb flavour. You can have the drink as a lighter edition without this topping.
The drink itself was creamy and had a not to sweet blueberry taste. The fruitiness was well balanced, and the creamy background flavour made it feel like a blueberry milkshake, or dessert in a glass. Pure yum. With the the weather the way it is currently I have a new found love of Starbucks Frappuccino drinks and will be back to try out the other flavours.

Strawberry Teavana Black Tea (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

Given the continuing heat here in the UK, hot drinks from Starbucks as a treat have dropped a little further down my priority list. I am well aware that there are some people who feel that hot drinks are more refreshing on a hot day than a cold, but I am not in that club. I am also aware that my lack of caffeine from coffee recently seems to have induced the odd headache, which is a bit worrying really. Seriously I only usually have the odd coffee at work, okay possible around five, plus the one I have with breakfast in a morning, plus the one after dinner in an evening…. Oh, its bad isn’t. That aside I have been drinking very little coffee the last few weeks, but I still have every intention of getting back to it when it becomes cooler. In the meantime I thought I’d see what new cold drinks Starbucks have that are new, ideally with a healthy serving of ice.
I spotted on the menu this new Strawberry Teavana Black Tea ice drink and decided to give it a try. The first thing to note was that I was asked if I wanted it sweet, I asked for clarification on what they meant and they said they had a sugar syrup they could add, but that it was still nice without. I decided to try it without as I was after a more authentic black tea experience. I watched them make the drink and as per the Teavana spec it was indeed shaken to mix.
The drink itself is deep strawberry red in colour, and looked very cooling, I was loving the generous portion of ice. I gave it a sip and was impressed with the flavour. It had a good strawberry taste that was sharp and zingy, but as promised not very sweet at all, it seemed to be similar to a more natural strawberry juice, which was rather refreshing. The lack of sweetness meant it tasted like a real fruit tea as the leafy flavour was also present. I thought this drink was just what I needed, refreshing with a good strawberry taste and not too sweet.

Starbucks Red Apple Rooibos Tea Latte (@StarbucksUK) By @cinabar

When I went into Starbucks, which was for a break on a busy Bank Holiday Monday, I was quite intrigued to see some new tea drinks. They have launched a range of Starbucks Tea Lattes, one of which is a Matcha Latte, which is one of my favourite drinks in the Japanese restaurant we go to. It is made with hot milk and Matcha powder, and is a delicious finish to the meal. However I was on the quest to try something new, so another drink that caught my eye was the Starbucks Red Apple Rooibos Latte and that is what I decided to order.
The drink was served in a nice mug with a dusting of delicious apple blossom topping decorating the top. I enjoyed the flavour of the latte. I think I had been worried that this would be one of the novelty over sweet and indulgent drinks from Starbucks, but this was far from it. The flavour was quite subdued, the apple was rich but very gentle on the sweetness and the Rooibos tea blended with it perfectly. I thought the two flavours went together impressively well, and managed to be both refreshing and soothing, the apple just shined through just enough. I was pleased with my choice of drink, and it is one I will go back for, but I’ll be trying the Match Latte next.

Molten Hot Chocolate (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

February has been a cold month, the kind where you get home and put the fire on to warm up. When I was out shopping I was looking for somewhere to warm up there too and thought I’d see if there was anything new in Starbucks. I was excited to see they had a new drink, Molten Hot Chocolate, and knew that would be perfect to warm me up.
The drink came topped not with regular cream, but with mocha infused whipped cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It looked like just what I needed. I gave a the drip a sip and found the hot chocolate was remarkably soothing. The flavour tasted like a proper hot chocolate, full of flavour and very rich. The cream added an nice mocha taste, which contrasted well with the drink. To be honest the hot chocolate had so much flavour it felt like dessert in a mug. Despite this when I finished my Molten Hot Chocolate I found loads of chocolate sludge at the bottom of my cup. Now if this had been mixed in I suspect the drink would have been even more intense if that is possible. I’ll have to go back for a second cup, just so I can test the theory of the completely stirred version!

New Caramelised Pecan Latte (#CaramelisedPecanLatte Starbucks) By @Cinabar

Well hello autumn. I actually like the in-between seasons, like autumn and spring Winter is cold but at least has Christmas, and I seem to spend summer hoping for a hot day and then get disappointed both with rainy days and ironically days that are too hot. The other seasons are just a bit more mellow. Autumn also means excuses for more comforting food and drink, and Starbucks have launched this New Caramelised Pecan Latte. What better way to start September.
I ordered the drink which I had been alerted to via an email, and the lady at the till had to ask someone about it and how to put it through the till it was so new.
My drink arrived topped with a mountain of cream and sauce and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. I started by eating some of the cream and sauce with a spoon, as the cream looked a bit dangerous to start sipping. I liked the flavour of the sweet sauce and cream together, it was very rich but wonderfully sweet and indulgent.
When the cream was at a safe level to proceed I gave the coffee a taste, and found it spot on. I was impressed because this part of the drink wasn’t too sweet, but its lush nutty taste was gorgeous. Who knew nuts and coffee would go so well together. I don't usually have sugar in my coffee so this more wholesome flavour worked perfectly for me.
In other exciting news the Pumpkin Spice Latte is also back, so I think I will have round two of welcoming autumn in with that later in the week.

Teavana Mango Black Tea Lemonade (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

I think it is safe to say Mango is my favourite fruit. Its sweet and juicy, so it is my first choice as a fruit to snack on, and I love anything mango flavoured. As the weather seemed to be getting over the rainy patch we’ve just had, I popped into Starbucks to find a chilled drink. I spotted a new drink listed on the menu, and knew what I was going to pick; Teavana Mango Black Tea Lemonade.
The drink is served over ice, which I much prefer to ice crushed drinks which are always too cold for me in British weather, with the exception of some very hot days.
The drink sounds like it is packing quite a lot of elements in, mango, tea and lemonade. The drink arrived, with my name spelt wrongly on the side, but looking like a pale orange colour. I gave it a sip to test it out. The mango flavour is the most dominant, and the fact that it isn’t too sweet is down the addition of the black tea and lemonade. Although the lemonade element isn’t fizzy, I enjoyed the sharper citrus flavour it gave, as it added a nice lemon tang. The black tea was more difficult to pick out, but there was hint of leafy bitterness just rising in as an aftertaste. This gave the drink a more mature flavour. Mostly though this drink is gorgeous mango and that over ice was wonderfully refreshing on a warm day. Think sunshine in a cup.

New Cappuccino Freddo (Starbucks) By @Cinabar

On a warm day, which was muggy rather than sunny, I decided to stop off at Starbucks and pick up something like an iced latte. I’m not a fan of the frappuccino style drinks, I don’t think we have the weather for them in the UK. They never seem to melt in time, and if rushed cause an ice cream headache. My summer drink of choice had always been a latte over ice, which is far more fitting for the average warmth of a British summer.
As I was standing in the queue at Starbucks I noticed their new drink being advertised, the Cappuccino Freddo, and after checking it wasn’t ice blended I decided to give it a try. This looked like a complicated drink to make. It started with espresso’s being poured over ice to cool them. There was a couple of pumps of syrup, but there was also the fun of chilling skimmed steamed milk to pour on top. I took the drink back to the table and gave it a sip. I had a sweetness overload, and really didn’t like the first sip at all. It was so very unpalatably sweet. I realise this was the syrup and that it wasn’t mixed in, I’m not sure if this was intentional, I wasn’t given anything to stir it with, but I couldn’t see why you’d leave it like that either. Thankfully after a few sips the sweetness hit wore off and I got a lovely rich dark flavour of the strong coffee from the espresso. This was much nicer, and it had a slight bitter edge which I much preferred. The more I drank of this the more creamy the drink became as the milk element blended in and the whole thing came together. I think this would be by drink of choice in Starbucks for the summer, but I will certainly be asking them to skip the syrupy stuff, I don’t like sugar in coffee so this had absolutely no positive impact on my drink at all. Was I supposed to have stirred it in anyway? Who knows, but the dark espresso to the milky finish was a lovely way to drink the rest.