I Tried Dunkin’s New “Tropical” Refresher, and It Reminds Me of This Classic Candy (Perfect for Summer Walks!)

Summer — with its hot, hot temps — is the perfect time for coffee chains to have some fun and get innovative with refreshers, and they are doing exactly that. In addition to dropping a lineup of Dunkin’ Refreshers topped with Barbie pink cold foam, Dunkin’ also released a brand new Pink Pineapple Refresher. This comes on the heels of the April 29 launch of Black Cherry Refreshers (and Dirty Soda!). 

There’s just something that feels so right about sipping on a delightful fruity concoction once summer hits. With so much happening at Dunkin’, I had to try some of these new sips — starting with the Pink Pineapple Refresher.

Dunkin’ launched the chain’s new 2026 summer menu on June 3, and there’s so much pink! While not officially mentioned in the news release as a Barbie collab like the Barbie cold foam drinks, the Pink Pineapple Refresher fits right in — and the Pink Pineapple Limeade Refresher is listed under “Barbie <3 Dunkin’” section on the Dunkin’ app.

According to Dunkin’, it has “bright notes of pineapple, raspberry, and hibiscus flavors.” 

I got my refresher with a green tea base, though you can also choose from black tea, lemonade, limeade, oatmilk, protein milk, water, or sparkling water. The Pink Pineapple Refresher has some caffeine for an energy boost, with 66 milligrams in a small, 99 milligrams in a medium, and 132 milligrams in a large, but amounts can vary. I paid $3.95 for a small Pink Pineapple Refresher at my New York City Dunkin’ location. 

It was hot outside (over 80 degrees) when I got this drink, which is why I opted for the more watery green tea base.

At first, the flavor was a bit underwhelming — it tasted like plain water with a light hint of pineapple (though this might’ve been caused by the ice in the drink melting too quickly in the summer heat). The pineapple flavor really reminded me of a pineapple-flavored Haribo Goldbears gummy bear (the clear one): vaguely tropical, but nowhere near as sweet or sour as the real fruit. I also picked up on a floral/herbal flavor, which could be from both the green tea base and the hibiscus flavor. 

As I drank more of it, I realized that the subtle flavor was actually a blessing in disguise. With sweeter drinks, I find that the flavor ends up getting sickly sweet after a few sips, and I feel the need to balance it out with less intense or salty snacks. The Pink Pineapple Refresher, however, was good on its own as I drank it over the course of about an hour. It would be perfect to sip on while going for a long walk in the summer sun, since the melting ice didn’t affect the flavor much. 

The Pink Pineapple Refresher is an ideal summer drink — it’s tropical and refreshing without overwhelming you with sweetness. Plus, you won’t notice a drastic change in flavor as the ice melts (unlike an iced latte), which means you can take your time drinking it.