I Tried Starbucks’ New “Blue Coconut Duo” — and I Discovered My Go-To Summer Drink (It Tastes Like a Beach Vacation!)

Starbucks is continuing its run of colorful drink launches with two new Instagram-worthy menu items that arrived in stores on June 16: the Blue Coconut Refresher and Blue Coconut Matcha. The coffee chain is calling them the “blue coconut duo,” and I’m so glad Starbucks is dropping more tropical drinks in time for the sweltering summer heat.

Sometimes when a drink is as aesthetically pleasing as these two are, you might worry that they don’t deliver on flavor — and what good is a pretty drink if it doesn’t also taste good? Starbucks offered me a chance to preview the Blue Coconut Refresher and Blue Coconut Matcha, and one of them will definitely be my new go-to order until the weather cools down. Here’s exactly what I thought about Starbucks’ new blue coconut duo.

Starbucks’ new limited-time summer drinks arrived in stores on June 16, and they cover a wide range of cool blue shades. Blue spirulina gives the Blue Coconut Matcha’s cold foam an airy sky blue color and the Blue Coconut Refresher a celestial midnight blue color. 

According to Starbucks, the matcha “blends sweet mango flavors and is finished with toasted coconut cold foam,” while the refresher “combines coconut, strawberry, and açaí flavors.” You can customize the refresher with your preferred level of caffeine (none, 50 milligrams, or 125 milligrams) and add lemonade or coconut milk, which is called an Ocean Drink.

These blue drinks can help you give back, too, because through July 7, Starbucks will donate 25 cents from every Iced Blue Coconut Matcha or Blue Coconut Refresher purchase to Water.org.

I immediately fell in love with the Blue Coconut Refresher. The colors remind me of an iced butterfly pea flower tea (not to be confused with the Butterfly Drink), with a blue hue near the surface (where the ice and the blue spirulina float) and a deep indigo color toward the bottom of the drink. 

It tastes refreshing and tropical without being too sweet — it reminds me of Starbucks’ Strawberry Açaí Refresher, except tangy, tart flavors are toned down and replaced with a subtly sweet coconut flavor. The tropical taste and blue color made me feel like I was on a beach vacation.

What’s great about refreshers is that you can usually sip on them for a while, and the Blue Coconut Refresher was no different. I love that it’s not overly sweet and a little ice melting in the drink doesn’t really affect the flavor. This is definitely my new favorite Starbucks Refresher (leapfrogging the Strawberry Açaí Refresher), and I’ve been telling all of my friends to try it. 

I tried the Blue Coconut Matcha after the refresher, and I was surprised by how sweet it was. The foam tasted like melted vanilla ice cream with a hint of cotton candy. Its texture was more creamy than airy.  With a thick layer of foam, it wasn’t easy to get to the matcha right away. I’d recommend taking the lid off and drinking it with a straw so you can alternate between sipping the cold foam and drinking the matcha for a more balanced sip.

It was my first time trying Starbucks’ matcha, and I liked the floral, milky flavor of the matcha, although it was the slightest bit grainy. I had a hard time getting any mango flavor, and I would probably ask for more mango flavoring if I were to get it again.

After stirring the cold foam into the matcha — they didn’t mix together perfectly — my entire drink ended up tasting like a melted vanilla milkshake with a hint of floral matcha. If you’re looking for a strong matcha flavor, this might not be the drink for you, but you might like it if you’re a fan of creamy and sweet drinks.

I liked trying both drinks, but the refresher really stuck with me. I will definitely be ordering the perfectly tropical and cool Blue Coconut Refresher again (and again!) this summer, and I might revisit the Blue Coconut Matcha when I’m wanting more of a sweet treat.