Update, April 5, 2023: After months of tinkering, Starbucks is finally ready to bring a pre-blended, ready-to-drink version of its cult favorite Pink Drink to grocery stores—and according to the press release, it will be available nationwide as early as next week.
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The new Pink Drink beverage hitting shelves in April contains strawberry, açaí, coconut milk, and fruit juice, just like the customized beverage that’s been on the permanent Starbucks menu since 2017. Alongside that release, the coffee chain is also debuting a Starbucks Paradise Drink, which, similar to the Pink Drink, contains coconut milk mixed with pineapple, passionfruit, and fruit juice.
Additionally, Starbucks will be launching some new coffee-based RTD beverages. Here’s how the press release describes them:
- Magnificently Mini: The iconic bottled Frappuccino® chilled coffee beverages Starbucks fans know and love are now available in a perfectly miniaturized version. The new Frappuccino® Mini chilled coffee drink comes in two classic Starbucks flavors, Caramel and White Chocolate Mocha.
- Starbucks® Espresso Americano in Black Unsweet and Milk & Sugar, as well as returning favorite Starbucks® White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino® chilled coffee drink.
The brand also teased that a collaboration with a fashion designer will be coming later this spring to celebrate the launch, so fans of swag should keep an eye out for some likely tropical merch.
You’ll be able to find these drinks at grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations—pretty much all the places you can currently find the glass bottles of pre-mixed Frappuccino—for a suggested retail price of $3.67 per 14-oz. bottle.
Original post, September 26, 2022: Among the revelations at an eventful Starbucks Investor Day, which also yielded the announcement of updates to the brand’s loyalty program, was the announcement that a ready-to-drink packaged Pink Drink is coming to a grocery store near you. Cue cheers from the coconut milk drinkers longing to stock their refrigerators with this pastel concoction.
What is the Pink Drink?
The Starbucks Pink Drink is very similar to the brand’s Strawberry Açaí Refreshers in that the base of the two drinks are the same. A Starbucks Pink drink contains the same strawberry flavors and pieces, passion fruit, and açai as the refresher but instead uses coconut milk to give it the creamier and notable color.
The drink itself actually started out as a secret menu item and frequent customer customization before it made its way onto the regular menu. In 2016, the Pink Drink earned its name by gaining popularity on social media as a hack. By 2017, the brand recognized the demand for the beverage and announced it would be added to the year-round menu.
Where to get the RTD Pink Drink
A Starbucks representative confirmed to the The Takeout that the brand will launch the Pink Drink “as a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage, coming soon to grocery stores nationwide.” Unfortunately, Starbucks does not have a launch date to share just yet, but knowing the launch will be not just in select locations is at least a little comforting for those who can’t wait to get their hands on this pink beverage.
The Pink Drink will join a sea of coffee-based grocery store items Starbucks already offers, including Frappuccinos, cold brew, nitro cold brew, Double Shot Espresso energy drinks, and Starbucks Baya Sparkling Energy Drink. Aside from the Baya Sparkling drink, the Pink Drink will be one of the only non-coffee focused beverages the brand offers on grocery store shelves.
Although a coconut milk-based beverage is not at the top of my desired additions to Starbucks’s grocery store line up, this upcoming launch makes me hopeful that the brand will look to make other items part of its grocery store offerings. Could the Sous Vide Egg Bites or the Turkey Bacon, Cheddar & Egg White Sandwich make an appearance in the frozen section at Costco one day? Fingers crossed.
