I Tried Starbucks' New Energy Drinks Ahead Of Festival Season

Sometimes, you need more than just an iced coffee to get you through a mid-day slump. If your go-to caffeine boost is an energy drink, Starbucks has something new for you. Joining the brand’s ready-to-drink collection are three new Iced Energy cans in fruity flavors like Tropical Peach, Watermelon Twist, and Blueberry Lemonade.

Each sparkling RTD bev comes with 160mg of plant-based caffeine to provide a delicious boost of energy with zero grams of sugar. These $3 12-ounce cans can be found online, as well as in grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations.

I’m definitely more of an iced latte girlie and not a huge fan of energy drinks, but with festival season around the corner and summer weather on the way, I’ve been in search of something quick and easy to keep me going. When I saw that Starbucks had released these Iced Energy flavors on March 24, I had to try them for myself to see whether they’re worth adding to my grocery list.

Below is my honest review of the Tropical Peach, Watermelon Twist, and Blueberry Lemonade Starbucks Iced Energy cans:

I immediately became a stan of these Iced Energy drinks from my first sip. Unlike some other energy drinks that can be overly sweet and artificial tasting, Starbucks’ version tastes like a natural fruit juice. It’s still sweet, but the carbonation makes it refreshing.

The Tropical Peach Is Like A Carbonated Refresher

The Tropical Peach was my favorite of the three flavors because it’s light, delicious, and just what I needed for a warm spring day. If Starbucks had a peach refresher on the menu, this is what it would taste like. I will definitely be bringing a few cans with me to Coachella, because they’re easy to travel with, will keep me hydrated in the desert, and provide the energy I need to stay up through Lady Gaga’s set.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The Watermelon Twist Tastes Like Candy

Welcome back Harry Styles, because this watermelon energy drink will give you that “watermelon sugar high.” Usually watermelon-flavored things remind me of a Jolly Rancher, but this is much sweeter than candy. However, it’s still really delicious and I would drink this after I run out of the peach flavor.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Blueberry Lemonade Is Heavy On The Berry

I was intrigued by the Blueberry Lemonade flavor, because I thought it would have a sour tang that was missing from the other two. However, this was mostly blueberry with very little lemon. This was also the most artificial tasting of the three, but I still enjoyed it better than a lot of other energy drinks I’ve tried. It’s also pretty sweet, which is so surprising for a drink with zero grams of sugar.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

TL;DR

Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with these for festival season, but I definitely would pick up the peach or watermelon first.

Psst, Starbucks also released three new ready-to-drink Frappuccino Lite Coffee Drink gelato-inspired flavors in Sea Salt Caramel, Creamy Vanilla, and Double Chocolate, also available in grocery stores.