Starbucks adds 3 new frozen drinks to its permanent menu

History of Starbucks

Starbucks opened its first coffee shop in 1971.

SEATTLE - Starbucks is adding three new frozen drinks to its menu this summer, but the icy beverages will stay long past the warmer months.

The coffee giant on Tuesday unveiled three new Frozen Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers beverages: Frozen Strawberry Açai Lemonade, Frozen Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade, and Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade.

Starbucks said the new beverages, which are available now in stores across the United States and Canada, were inspired by customer and barista creations from other Starbucks Refreshers.

"Since Starbucks Refreshers Beverages joined the menu in 2012, our customers and partners (baristas) have creatively customized their beverages, such as adding coconutmilk, lemonade or blending with ice," Matt Thornton, senior beverage developer at Starbucks said in a statement.

The three new flavors are blended with a swirl of strawberry puree and pieces of real fruit.

The three new Frozen Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers beverages are pictured: Frozen Strawberry Açai Lemonade, Frozen Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade, and Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade. (Photo credit: Starbucks)

Specifically, the Frozen Strawberry Açai Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers beverage is "reminiscent of a classic strawberry lemonade, with an icy twist, combining the flavors of sweet strawberry and acai notes blended with lemonade, real strawberries and ice."

The Frozen Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade Refreshers drink was designed to look like "sunset in a cup," with pineapple and passionfruit blended with diced pineapple and lemonade.

The Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers beverage features flavors of sweet mango and dragonfruit blended with real pieces of dragonfruit, lemonade and ice.

Starbucks said its Refreshers drinks have become the fastest-growing beverage category at company-operated stores in the U.S.

See how the Starbucks reusable cup process works

Starbucks said it would like for its customers to use more reusable cups as the company gets away from single-use paper cups. (Credit: Starbucks)

In May, the company added a new Chocolate Java Mint Frappuccino and a White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew to its summer menu. It also sparked a debate after introducing new machines to select locations that make nugget ice instead of cubed ice.

The change — albeit very small — apparently infuriated some customers who claimed the new nugget ice melts faster and can even dilute drinks, according to a Reddit thread. Others seemed ecstatic over the nugget ice, which is less dense than cubed ice.

A spokesperson for Starbucks told FOX Business in May that its machines — which are part of the company's plans to cut its water footprint in half by 2030 — allow "partners to focus on delivering the Starbucks Experience while hand-crafting the same delicious, high-quality iced beverages our customers have come to expect from Starbucks."

This story was reported from Cincinnati.

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