The New Starbucks Summer Menu Includes Boba-Inspired Raspberry Pearls

07.05.2024 - 09:39 / bhg.com

Starbucks

Starbucks is on a bit of a streak right now: Within the last couple months, the company has added a fresh flavor to its menu with lavender-infused drinks, launched spicy refreshers, and (most recently) even brought back the beloved White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew. It’s still going, though: On May 7 Starbucks announced its summer 2024 menu, which includes—for the first time in the U.S.—fruit-flavored pearls.

The Starbucks summer 2024 menu includes a number of menu updates, including the return of the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew for its second year (and yes, it’s worth noting again!), an Orange Cream Cake Pop, a Pineapple Cloud Cake, and new seasonal drinkware. But the most striking addition is a trio of Refreshers beverages that include popping raspberry-flavored pearls, which bring a new texture to Starbucks drinks.

Starbucks

Fans of boba will appreciate the new raspberry-flavored pearls, which were inspired by drinks from around the world, specifically East Asia. These drinks—bubble tea, namely—have popularly included tapioca boba pearls for decades. Notably, the new Starbucks raspberry pearls are not made with tapioca, as boba pearls are, but they certainly mimic the playfulness that has made bubble tea so popular, and boba fans have been wondering whether Starbucks would add boba to its menu for years.

Per a press release from Starbucks, stores in the Asia Pacific region have offered drinks with similar popping beads for years: the Dark Caramel Coffee Sphere Frappuccino contained bursting coffee spheres, and the Peach Plum Pearls Oolong held plum-flavored pearls.

At U.S. Starbucks stores, the raspberry pearls are available in three new icy Refreshers beverages: The Summer-Berry