Do you Know What the Pink Drink is?
Starbucks’ pink drink, which is also known as the “pinkity drinkity”, is one of the most popular and successful beverages that the coffee company has from the refresher drinks.
The “pinkity drinkity” name came from the famous YouTuber known as James Charles. In this article, we’ll answer the question of whether Starbuck’s pink beverage has caffeine and discuss everything you need to know about the pink drink. Read on!
The pink drink started as an item on the secret menu that a barista came up with and became popular across the world after some posts on the internet.
As a result, the drink became an official beverage and part of the Starbucks ‘cold drinks’ menu. You can find the brightly-colored drink across social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Not to mention, the Starbucks TikTok drink is the Strawberry Acai Refresher. The drink is made of three scoops of strawberries, an equal-sized scoop of ice, and three scoops of blackberries.
starbucks.com
On the other hand, the Starbucks refreshers refer to hand-shaken iced drinks that are made with real fruit juice and green coffee extract.
Some other drinks in the refreshers line include the Star Drink, Mango Dragonfruit, the tropical-inspired pick-me-up Dragon Drink, and the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher. However, the difference between the refresher drinks is the use of different refresher bases that are mixed with coconut milk.
A pink drink is a delicious and refreshing beverage that outlines the Strawberry Acai Refreshers’ sweet flavors as well as passion fruit accents.
The Starbucks pink drink gets its name from its appearance. Furthermore, the drink is the pinkest refresher as well as the pinkest drink on the Starbucks menu.
However, the vibrant pink color isn’t a result of food coloring and the pink drink doesn’t contain espresso shots or medium roast brewed coffees.
The drink is made with strawberry acai refresher as its base, frozen-dried strawberries or frozen-dried blackberries with a mild dose of sweetened Coconutmilk in place of water to create the shade of pink (like a drinkable pink starburst), and then added scoops of fresh strawberries for toppings. The Starbucks pink drink is then served over ice cubes.
The advantage of using freeze-dried fruits is that they are lower in calories, unlike dried fruit, making them a healthy choice. A freeze-dried fruit tastes like a crispy snack on its own, but it softens and adds a punch of flavor when used in drinks such as the pink drink.
The strawberry acai base consists of water, sugar, natural flavors, citric acid, white grape juice concentrate, fruit juice, vegetable juice, rebaudioside A, and natural green coffee flavor.
However, some of the things used in the strawberry acai base are more unusual compared to others and some people may not recognize them at all. Therefore, let’s break down the ingredients a little further.
Rebaudioside A is a Stevia product and a no-calorie sweetener. The ingredient is popular in the food and drink industry for its best taste when compared to all the Stevia products.
The white grape juice concentrate, fruit juice, and vegetable juice are ingredients used to add some flavor and sweetness to the drink. The natural flavors used to make the Starbucks pink base include passion fruit, acai, and strawberry.
That brings us to the key component of Starbucks’ pink drink base, which is the natural green coffee flavor also known as the green coffee extract. The ingredient refers to dried and unroasted coffee beans that have had the pulp removed.
On the other hand, the ingredients used in making the Coconutmilk include water, coconut cream, coconut water concentrate, cane sugar, natural flavors, sea salt, gellan gum, corn dextrin, vitamin A palmitate, Tricalcium phosphate, vitamin D 2, and xanthan gum.
Other pink drinks you can get from Starbucks include the dragon drink, violet drink, Strawberry Creme Frappuccino, Starbucks Matcha Pink drink, Pink Raspberry, Valentine Frappuccino, Strawberry Lemonade, Barbie Pink Frappuccino, and the Pink Rocket.
Does Starbucks Pink Drink Have Caffeine?
Yes, the Starbucks pink drink does contain caffeine, like the rest of Starbucks refreshers. Generally, most Starbucks drinks have caffeine. However, the caffeine is in small amounts and it isn’t necessarily a substitute for your usual mug of coffee.
The drink’s caffeine is a result of the added natural green coffee extracts in the berry hibiscus instant tea refresher. The green coffee extract is made by soaking and boiling coffee beans that are raw and unroasted.
It contains very little caffeine as compared to coffee that is brewed regularly. In addition, the green extract contains a notable amount of chlorogenic acid.
Despite the presence of caffeine, the Starbucks pink drink isn’t coffee-based in terms of flavor. In this case, the drink has some accents of passion fruit and a creamy strawberry milkshake taste. The green extract ingredient in the coffee drink sets everything apart by giving you a way to enjoy coffee that isn’t really coffee.
However, the green extract ingredient in the pink beverage may have similar effects and side effects as those of regular coffee, depending on the individual’s sensitivity level. For some, the pink drink acts like an energy drink despite the low caffeine concentration.
How Much Caffeine Does Starbucks Pink Drink Contain?
A pink drink contains 2.81 ml of caffeine per fl oz (9.51 mg per 100 ml). A Grande drink contains 140 calories. The amount of caffeine contained in a Grande of size 16 fl oz or 473 ml is 45 mg, 35 mg in a Tall of size 12 fl oz, 70 mg in a Venti of size 24 fl oz, and 90 mg in a Trenta of size 30 fl oz. The caffeine strength in a Grande is moderate and increases with an increase in the size of the drink.
For reference, the 45mg caffeine content in a Grande of size 16 fl oz is approximately half the caffeine present in a Starbucks espresso shot, which contains 75 milligrams of caffeine.
On the other hand, the caffeine in a Starbucks pink drink is 15% of the caffeine present in a medium roast brewed coffee, which contains 310 milligrams of caffeine. In addition, a Grande of Starbucks standard hot chocolate contains approximately 25 milligrams of caffeine.
In short, the Starbucks pink drink contain caffeine that is less than an espresso shot and more caffeine than the non-coffee drinks on the Starbucks menu. In addition, the pink drink do contain caffeine, which is less in comparison to the standard coffee drinks on the Starbucks menu.
Is the Starbucks Pink Drink a Healthy Choice?
The Starbucks pink drink is actually a healthy choice. Moreover, the pink drink – made with a coconut milk base – contains 140 calories, 2.5grams fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 mg of sodium, 27g carbs, 1g fiber, 24g sugars, and 1g protein in one serving of Grande pink drink. The Starbucks pink drink has a SmartPoints value of 8.
When we do the math, a tall glass of the Starbucks pink drink will run you around 105 calories while a venti contains about 210 calories, which is not a lot for one drink.
In addition, the 0 mg cholesterol makes the drink safe and healthy for consumption. Also, the recommended doses of caffeine you should take on a daily basis should be below 400 milligrams. Putting into consideration that the pink drink only contains 45 milligrams of caffeine, the drink is considered healthy.
Starbucks pink drink’s health benefits include:
- A source of antioxidants as a result of the fruits used to make the drinks.
- Promote weight loss as a result of the fibers present in the strawberries used to make the pink drinks.
- Boosts your immune system through the vitamin C present in the strawberries used to make the pink drinks.
- Strengthen your bones through the calcium and phosphorus present in the coconut milk used in the Starbucks pink drink.
As you can see, the Starbucks pink drink is beneficial and healthy for consumption. However, you’ll need to control the amounts of pink drink that you consume. Too much of it isn’t healthy for you.
How Do You Order the Starbucks Pink Drink?
If you want to order a Starbucks pink drink, first order the venti-sized pink drink that contains strawberry acai, strawberries, and coconut milk. Next, request two pumps of vanilla and white mocha as a special addition.
If you want to order a healthy version of the Starbucks pink drink, first order a venti-sized passion tango iced tea that lacks water and an additional splash or two splashes of coconut milk. The healthy Starbucks pink drink skips the strawberry acai juice since it’s loaded with sugar.
The cost of a tall glass of Starbucks pink drink is $4.45, while the larger sizes of the drink cost $4.95 and $5.45.
Can You Make a Pink Drink at Home?
The answer is Yes! You can make a pink drink at the comfort of your kitchen if you have all the ingredients required for making it, like; fresh strawberries or freeze-dried strawberries, a pack of acai extract, sugar, acai green tea/berry tea, grape juice, coconut milk, and ice.
Firstly, brew a strong cup of coffee and let it cool, then place it in a blender. Next, you add the fresh or freeze-dried strawberries, acai extract, a little bit of sugar, and some ice.
Blend till it’s smooth and pour into two glasses containing coconut milk and mix. Add some sliced fresh strawberries. And there you have it! It’s as simple as that. Your very own homemade pink drink.
If you’re short of some ingredients, you can simply make your pinkity drinkity with the combination of fresh strawberries, creamy coconut, raw honey with hibiscus, and green tea. Just like the Starbucks ‘ pink drink, your homemade pinkity drinkity is super refreshing.
If you’re looking to customize your strawberry coconut caffeinated pink drink, here are some tips you can use.
- Add more freeze-dried strawberries
- Dress your drink using vanilla sweet cream cold foam
- Add matcha to the cold foam to make the top of the drink green and make the bottom pink.
You can also make a low-calorie pink drink version at home that’ll taste just like the original drink. Here’s how. For the ingredients, you’ll need an unsweetened coconut milk beverage, ice cubes, freeze-dried strawberries, optional toppings, cold water, a crystal light half-packet that has caffeine, and a powdered drink mix that is sugar-free and with wild strawberries.
For directions, pour half of the drink mix into a glass. Add half a cup of cold water and stir. Then add coconut milk, freeze-dried strawberries, ice cubes and, stir until well mixed. Add your optional topping and enjoy your super-low-calorie pink drink.
In addition, you can make a decaf drink if you’re looking for a kid-friendly and healthy alternative by omitting the pack of green coffee concentrate in your recipe.
However, you may end up losing some flavor since the extract gives your pink drink an earthy, grassy, and a little bit sweet taste. Not to discourage you, you’ll miss out on some flavor, but your decaf pink drink will still be tasty.
In Conclusion
The Starbucks pink beverage is a very popular and tasty drink that has been crafted to meet every individual’s unique taste. It is a perfect choice if you’re looking to treat your friends to something special during summer.
Not to mention, you can also make pink drink cookies that are as delicious as the drink. If you love Starbuck’s pink drink, then you can definitely try the cookies.
However, the cookies are vegan but you can tweak the recipes to your satisfaction. The main ingredients used are strawberry puree for flavor and coconut chips for icing and to bring out the pink drink taste.
You can also enjoy a pink-purple drink option by ordering one at Starbucks or making one at home. The pink-purple drink is a combination of the pink drink and the purple drink.
You can make your pink drink using the ingredients mentioned earlier and the purple drink using passion iced tea, soy milk, fresh blackberries, and vanilla syrup. After making the drinks, layer them together. The pink-purple drink is among the most impressive Starbucks creations.
In addition, the Starbucks pink drink does have caffeine although not harmful for consumption. The drink is a healthy choice and hence, a more reason for you, your family, and everyone to enjoy the delicious pink drink.
