Dunkin’s New Sabrina Carpenter Drink Reminds Me of This Discontinued 2000s Treat (So Much Nostalgia!)
When the summer heat is almost impossible to handle, I like to turn to cold drinks — like “ice-cold, can barely hold it in my hand” drinks. And now I’ve got a new one to add to my rotation, thanks to Sabrina Carpenter’s new Dunkin’ refresher collaboration.
Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher, which dropped at Dunkin’ on June 25, isn’t what I would consider “that me espresso,” but I had to give it a try to see what the hype is all about. Check out what I thought about the new Dunkin’ refresher and whether it’s worth sipping on a hot summer day.
What Is Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher?
The second collab between Dunkin’ and Carpenter, this new drink is supposed to have a “nostalgic taste of strawberries and cream,” according to Dunkin’. Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher is a strawberry dragonfruit refresher with oat milk, topped with sweet cold foam. If you’re not familiar with Dunkin’ refreshers, they’re made with green tea and B vitamins, and Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher takes it to the next level with the oat milk and cold foam.
Fans think the drink is a nod to an unreleased song titled, “Strawberry Moon,” but Carpenter hasn’t confirmed that theory. Even so, the fruity refresher is included in Dunkin’s new summer menu items. I paid $7.01 for a small size, but Dunkin’ Rewards members can snag it as a $3 medium drink deal.
My Honest Review of Sabrina’s Strawberry Daydream Refresher at Dunkin’
I took my first sip without swirling in the cold foam, and found it to be extremely sweet but still enjoyable. After swirling in the foam, the drink was much creamier, and the creaminess of the foam helped with the overpowering strawberry punch.
The sweet cold foam on top adds a bit of texture, but I think this drink would also be delicious without the foam. I’ve never had a refresher with oat milk before, and it adds a really nice neutral equalizer to tone down the tart punch of the strawberry dragonfruit flavor.
After my first few sips, I had trouble determining if this drink was actually a nostalgic representation of the classic strawberries and cream flavor I know and love. I expected it to have a similar flavor to strawberry marshmallows or strawberry milk, but this drink took me back straight to 2005. The tangy, sweet, fruity flavor coupled with the creaminess of the cold foam reminded me of Kellogg’s discontinued “yogurty-covered” snack, Yogos, in the Strawberry Slam flavor. (Does anyone else remember these?!)
Dunkin’ says the drink is refreshing and light, but I found it to be a more substantial sip with the cold foam. I also thought the refresher on its own was too sweet and tasted like liquid candy (I wish there was a half-sweet option!). I typically don’t choose drinks that are overly sweet, but this refresher is something I would probably order again for a treat. Even though it’s not my first choice on a sweltering day, I liked it a lot more than I expected to — Carpenter’s drink collabs will stay in my good graces!
