The Starbucks Summer 2026 Menu Just Dropped—And Its Rainbow Drink Tastes Even Better Than It Looks

• What's In It: vanilla confetti cake, white-chocolatey icing
• Price: $3.45

You may not be able to get the unicorn Frappuccino, but anyone jonesing for a dose of 2016-era nostalgia (or who has a toddler to pacify while indulging in an afternoon pick-me-up), you can order a unicorn cake pop. It's made with a vanilla confetti cake base, covered in "white-chocolatey" icing, which is every bit as sweet as you'd expect.

• What's In It: popcorn dusted with white cheddar cheese powder and protein isolate
• Price: $2.95

After bringing Khloud's Sweet and Salty Protein Popcorn to stores at the start of the year, Starbucks is expanding its partnership with the addition of the white cheddar flavor. Which, honestly, is the best Khloud flavor out there (and I've tried them all). Truffle and White Cheddar may be a close second...but it's really the sharp white cheddar that makes this snack stand out.

Psst: To promote the launch, Khloud founder Khloe Kardashian surprised fans at an LA Starbucks—and announced on Instagram Stories that the brand would be giving away 300 Starbucks Rewards points to 10,000 people so they could try a grande Tropical Butterfly Refresher and single-serving White Cheddar Protein Popcorn for free. If you want in, you'll have to check out her Stories and act fast (though Stories are only up for 24 hours, something tells me this giveaway will be scooped up even faster).

• What’s In It: A guava-passionfruit Refresher base, served over ice (and with coconutmilk or lemonade, if desired), and mango-pineapple pearls
• Price (grande): $6.45

I'll be honest: It's hard not to be delighted when the barista hands you this drink. It's so vibrant that it catches you off-guard, but what surprised me even more was the balance of flavors. Normally, I'm not a Refresher person; I can only handle a few sips, then it's too sweet for me. Especially the Summer-Berry lineup last year (which hasn't been added to the summer menu yet, though Starbucks has been known to add to its menus later in the season, so I wouldn't rule it out). This one, I finished within 20 minutes without even realizing it.

The drink is best sipped with a straw—and swirled, at the risk of muddling those layers of color. Otherwise, your first sip will be a Butterfly Pea Flower-heavy and a bit bland overall. Grab a straw, however, and your senses will wake up, fast, even if you opt for the caffeine-free version of the drink. The guava and passionfruit offers a fruit punch-like sweetness, which is only amplified the second you pop a mango-pineapple flavored pearl. You can customize it with coconutmilk (which makes it smoother and milder) or add a little tartness with lemonade (my preference).

You can also choose your level of caffeine and B vitamins. (The standard is "light caffeine," which adds 50mg per grande, or you can opt for an Energy Refresher, which adds 125mg for a grande. I opted for caffeine-free.)

• What’s In It: blonde espresso, horchata-flavored syrup, oat milk, ice
• Price (grande): $5.95

"This drink is super fall-coded to me, but tasty enough to sip in the summertime, too," PureWow contributor and former food editor Taryn Pire says. "I love the color and gentler, roasty notes of the blonde espresso; it makes for a smoother overall flavor, rather than a bold, bitter taste at the forefront. The espresso’s warm earthiness plays beautifully with the spices in the horchata flavoring."

When she first tried it last year, she was most impressed with the syrup, which had the cinnamon-meets-vanilla notes you'd expect, but there was also a distinct, "rice milk-inspired sweetness." It had a subtle nuttiness and a starchy, silky mouthfeel.

This year, Starbucks is expanding on its popularity, offering the drink as a Frappuccino as well. If you plan on ordering it, Pire has one suggestion: "To amp up the cinnamon notes, add a pump of Cinnamon Dolce syrup." You heard it here first.