Many of you may know the popular coffee company called Starbucks. They serve an assortment of coffee, tea, refreshers, baked goods and more. But there is one beverage that soars above the rest: the strawberry açaí refresher.
Now although there is some debate on whether it is better with lemonade, peach juice or water; at its core it is still the star of the show. It is also quick and easy to make with it only consisting of three ingredients: ice, water and the base.
The base is made of water, sugar, white grape concentrate, citric acid, natural flavors as well as fruit and vegetable juice for the color. Before April 7 the base came with caffeine already built into it, but the company recently decided to remove it. Now the caffeine is something you can add at your own discretion.
This change caused a commotion because the caffeine syrup has left an unpleasant aftertaste in people’s mouths. Some argue it tastes like cough syrup, bitter and even chemically. Luckily even though the change was controversial due to the drink being a fan favorite, consumers soon realized that the drink tasted like the original as long as you got it caffeine free.
The option of caffeine free single handedly saved Starbucks’ income. The original taste of the drink is unmatched to anything on their menu. The refresher contains the perfect blend of sweet and tangy.
The first sip transports you straight to the Bahamas, with the sun illuminating your face, the sound of waves crashing in the background and the feeling of serenity. Its bright pink color alone brings a smile to your face. It is enjoyable in any season; it lightens up the winter and enhances the summer.
The strawberry açaí refresher also has no competition from other coffee brands, even though they have made a few attempts. Dunkin Donuts took eight years to try and create refreshers that compare and still failed. Their refreshers have been said to taste more artificial and the color is over the top, almost radioactive.
Although the hype around 7brew is still prominent today the options they have that are close to the Starbucks’ refresher are still not as popular. The flavor profile of the 7 Energy with blackberry & passion fruit and strawberry fizz/lemonade are the drinks that many say are close and are cheaper. However, many would argue that they would rather spend an extra dollar at Starbucks when craving a strawberry drink.
Therefore, the familiar and fruity strawberry açaí reigns supreme across the board because of its constant appeal and balanced taste profile. For many customers finishing a cup leads them to crave the next one.