I Tried Starbucks’ All-New Menu First—Here’s My Honest Review

I might have a new go-to order.

I may be among the outlier of people who enjoy an iced coffee any time of year, no matter the temperature outside. But, now that summer is in full swing—with record-breaking heatwaves to prove it—it’s safe to say that it’s iced beverage season.

To ring in the warm weather, Starbucks is launching two new drinks to keep you cool all summer long. Before you ask, yes, Starbucks did already release its summer menu—complete with Summer-Berry Refreshers, an Orange Cream Cake Pop, and a Pineapple Cloud Cake—but, unlike those limited-time offerings, this new menu will be available permanently.

Starbucks Launches Iced Energy Beverages

On June 25, Starbucks is introducing all-new Iced Energy Beverages as a new caffeinated alternative to coffee. While Starbucks has offered teas and tea-based Refreshers for years, these energy drinks are the first to stay on par with the amount of caffeine found in coffee.

The new Melon Burst Iced Energy and Tropical Citrus Iced Energy beverages are tea-based—though they can be made with lemonade or juice—and finished with a fizzy, sugar-free energy drink. Melon Burst is made with Passion Tango tea and a Melon Cucumber energy drink. Tropical Citrus is made with green tea and a Tropical Citrus energy drink.

The drinks contain between 180 and 205 milligrams of caffeine, which is about the same as the coffee chain’s Grande cold brew.

After Panera discontinued its Charged Lemonades following multiple lawsuits regarding the caffeine content, we’ll note that Starbucks’ new Iced Energy drinks aren’t even the most caffeinated things on the menu. Its 20-ounce Venti Blonde Roast contains 475 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than double the amount of a 20-ounce Iced Energy.

The Iced Energy drinks will only be available in the Venti size because they’re made with 12-ounce canned Melon Cucumber and Tropical Citrus “Energy Drink Mix” designed to be added to the tea, lemonade, or juice.

Starbucks Second Summer Launch

In addition to the Iced Energy drinks, Starbucks is also releasing its first-ever non-dairy cold foam made with oatmilk and soymilk, which customers can order in place of any cold foam or flavored cold foam on their favorite drink.

Lastly, the coffee chain is adding two new food items to its menu: an Egg, Pesto, and Mozzarella Sandwich and a Blueberry Streusel Muffin.

The toasted Egg, Pesto, and Mozzarella sandwich features an egg frittata, mozzarella cheese, and fresh pesto on Cheddar and onion bread. The new cinnamon streusel-topped blueberry muffin will replace the existing Blueberry Muffin on Starbucks’ menu.

I was among the first to try the new menu—here’s my honest review.

My Honest Review

First things first: I would not consider myself an energy drink drinker. If I want a boost of caffeine, I’m reaching for an iced coffee, not a Red Bull. There’s just something about an energy drink’s flavor that turns me off, so going into the tasting, I thought for sure I wouldn’t like these drinks. However, I was pleasantly surprised by them.

Because they’re tea-based, they don’t have that same artificial flavor I’ve come to expect from an energy drink. You can still pick out that fresh tea flavor, even under the fruity, carbonated energy mix. The tea also means they’re not overly sweet.

My favorite of the two was Melon Burst Iced Energy because I enjoyed its fruity flavors—and I’m a bigger fan of the Passion Tango Tea than traditional green tea.

I also tried the new dairy-free cold foam and couldn’t really tell the difference between the alternative milk version and the regular. If you love Starbucks’ cold foam but not the bellyache, you’re in for a treat with this offering.

My favorite new menu items were the food options. While I’ve never tried Starbucks’ blueberry muffin before, the new streusel-topped muffin is delicious. The crumbly sugar layer on top is, undoubtedly, the perfect upgrade.

The true star of the menu rollout, however, is the Egg, Pesto, and Mozzarella Sandwich. The pesto is unbelievably fresh and flavorful, and that cheesy bun should be added to every Starbucks sandwich.

I can’t say that my drink order is changing—I’m an iced coffee loyalist, after all—but my go-to Starbucks breakfast will certainly look different from here on out.

Read the original article on All Recipes.