The Starbucks Pink Drink is fruity, refreshing and energizing.
But what’s giving you that extra buzz? Does the Pink Drink have caffeine?
And the answer is – yes. But not as much as you might think.
Keep reading to learn more.
All You Need To Know About the Pink Drink
There’s a pretty good chance you’ve stumbled upon the Starbucks Pink Drink before while scrolling through your social media feed. It looks so good that everyone wants to share their order.
In fact, it’s thanks to TikTok in particular that this beverage is a part of the regular menu today.
You see, the Pink Drink started as a secret menu item. What this means is that it was made with available Starbucks ingredients but with a unique recipe.
As you probably know, you can customize your Starbucks order in different ways up to your preference. And that’s exactly what the first customer to order this drink was going for.
Apparently, the creation was insanely good because it wasn’t long before everyone was talking about it.
In fact, it was so well-known that you could actually order it without specifying the recipe to the barista. Unprecedented for a secret menu drink!
And since the rave about Pink Drink wasn’t going anywhere, it simply made sense for Starbucks coffee shop to include this beverage on the regular menu.
Finally, that happened in 2017, when it became a year-round available recipe.
So, what exactly goes into this popular drink?
- Ice
- Strawberry acai base
- Coconut milk
- Freeze-dried strawberries
In case you don’t know, the Pink Drink is a simple modification of the Starbucks’ Strawberry Acai Refresher.
The only thing that’s different from the original recipe is that Pink Drink uses coconut milk instead of water. This gives it its pastel pink hue and creamy texture that got everyone raving about it.
That’s right, Starbucks Pink Drink is both dairy-free and vegan, making it suitable for people with different dietary restrictions.
If you’re watching your caloric intake, you should know that this isn’t exactly the healthiest option on the Starbucks menu. Both coconut milk and Strawberry Acai base contain sugar.
To give you a better idea, here are caloric and sugar amounts in different cup sizes:
Tall – 110 calories, 19g sugar
Grande – 140 calories, 25g sugar
Venti – 200 calories, 36g sugar
Trenta – 270 calories, 50g sugar
Of course, you can always customize the Pink Drink according to your personal preference. Whether you want a bit of flavoring, cold foam or a different type of milk, everything is possible.
Does the Pink Drink Have Caffeine?
Pink Drink, like any other drink from the Starbucks Refreshers category, is lightly caffeinated.
A Grande cup (16 fl oz) contains 45g of caffeine.
But the caffeine amount doesn’t come from coffee. Well, not as we know it.
Starbucks Refreshers get their energy kick from the green coffee extract. When I say green, I mean it’s obtained from unroasted coffee beans.
For that reason, the extract doesn’t give your drink a coffee flavor. But what it does is it adds a bit of caffeine.
Of course, there are other stuff green coffee extract brings to the table, especially chlorogenic acids.
These compounds are destroyed during the roasting process, so you don’t get them in your coffee.
Which is quite the shame.
Chlorogenic acids have tons of health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
But don’t think that the addition of green coffee extract will keep you awake at night.
Refreshers, including the Pink Drink, are lightly caffeinated. By light, I mean a venti cup containing around the same amount of caffeine as a shot of espresso.
Pink Drink won’t get your hands shaking and heart pounding in the same way a strong cold brew coffee or an energy drink would. But it’s also not a drink you want to get for your little one either.
How to Order a Pink Drink at Starbucks Without Caffeine?
Unfortunately, the Strawberry Acai base of Starbucks Pink Drink contains green coffee extract. This means there’s absolutely no way you can get the decaf version of this beverage.
But what you can do, is order the so-called skinny Pink Drink. Now, this beverage is from the secret menu, so you’ll want to write down the ingredients.
This version ditches the Strawberry Acai base for Iced Passion Tango tea. Since it’s made with hibiscus, this iced tea contains no caffeine. And while different in ingredients, these two bases have a pretty similar fruity taste that everyone loves.
Ask the barista to add coconut milk to your Passion tea base and freeze-dried strawberries, like in the original recipe. To make the drink a bit sweeter, you can ask for a pump of sugar-free vanilla as well.
FAQ
Still have some questions regarding Starbucks drinks? In this section, I’ll cover some frequently asked questions about the matter.
What is the TikTok Starbucks drink?
The so-called TikTok Starbucks drink is a modification of the Pink Drink recipe. Instead of coconut milk, the TikTok version uses heavy cream and two scoops of vanilla powder. Then, it’s topped with whipped cream.
Which Starbucks Refresher has the most caffeine?
The Strawberry Acaí Refresher has slightly more caffeine than other Starbucks refreshers. A venti cup of this drink has about 70 milligrams of caffeine, which is roughly the same as a shot of espresso.
Is the Pink Drink from Starbucks on the secret menu?
Starbucks Pink Drink used to be a part of the secret menu. But after it became popular on social media, this drink quickly became one of the most ordered beverages at Starbucks. So in 2017, it finally made its way onto the regular menu.
Final Thoughts
People have been going crazy over the Starbucks Pink Drink for years now.
Not only does it have the looks worthy of a social media post, but it tastes like spring in a cup.
And since it contains green coffee extract, the Pink Drink also gives you a light energy boost. But if you want to go caffeine-free, you’ll have to make some adjustments to the ingredient lists.
Looking for a caffeine-free order suggestion at Starbucks? Check out our article about the best caffeine-free Starbucks drinks you need to try!
