Starbucks’ summer menu will reportedly feature boba-inspired drinks

Starbucks is gearing up to release its first boba-inspired drink for summer 2024

Starbucks is gearing up for summer by rolling out its own version of everyone’s favourite pearl thirst quencher.

The American coffee company will debut its first boba-inspired drink with chewable balls, or “pearls”, as part of its summer 2024 menu beginning 6 May. Starbucks customers can also expect to order a new “zero to low-calorie handcrafted energy beverage” and more sugar-free energy drink options in the near future, CEO Laxman Narasimhan said in an earnings call on 30 Tuesday.

Boba, also known as bubble tea, is a Taiwanese drink typically made with milk, tea, and chewy tapioca balls. Boba, which is made using tapioca starch, comes in a variety of flavours and is usually served cold.

In addition to boba-style drinks, Starbucks employees and fans have teased several other drink items rumoured to be part of the chain’s summer menu. Popular food blogger @markie_devo shared a snapshot of the rumoured summer menu items, including three boba-style refreshers and one cold brew beverage.

The new Summer-Berry Refresher - described by the influencer as a “blend of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavours mixed with water, lemonade, or coconut milk and shaken with ice” - features raspberry-flavoured boba pearls that burst in your mouth. According to reports, the cold beverage will be available as a Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher and Summer Skies Drink Refresher.

On TikTok, one Starbucks barista filmed themself craft the Summer Skies Drink made with coconut milk and red, raspberry pearls at the bottom of the drink. “Not too sweet, perfect taste. Blueberry / blue gusher / blue jolly rancher tasting. The raspberry pearls smell like a juicy drop pop!” they captioned the video.

Another Starbucks employee shared footage of themself making a matcha iced tea with raspberry boba and strawberry cold foam at the top.

Along with the boba-style drinks, the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew is expected to return to Starbucks for its summer 2024 menu. As for sweet treats, a new orange cream cake pop is rumoured to be featured on the menu - cream cake mixed with buttercream, dipped in chocolate icing, and finished with an orange slice design. The Pineapple Cloud Cake, which the influencer described as an airy cake layered with pineapple cream and pineapple fruit topped with a drizzle, will also reportedly be part of Starbucks’ summer menu.

Earlier this month, Starbucks debuted three new spicy lemonade refreshers - Spicy Dragonfruit, Spicy Pineapple and Spicy Strawberry - along with a Spicy Cream Cold Foam for its spring menu. According to the company, the spicy drinks “bring together the sweetness of a Starbucks Refreshers Beverage, the zest of lemonade, and the heat of Starbucks Spicy Chili Powder Blend” inspired by the “swicy” trend - which combines sweet and spicy flavours.