I Tried 2 New Starbucks Refreshers — The Mango Dream Reminds Me *Exactly* of This Candy from the 2000s

We might have only just welcomed spring, but it seems like Starbucks is already looking forward to summer with its newest drinks. The chain’s Mango Strawberry Refreshers dropped on April 7, and they put a tropical twist on some classics. This release also comes with a new mango-flavored cold foam, and if you’re looking to change your go-to order, one of these options might just be the reason you switch it up.

Starbucks gave me the chance to preview some of the new spring sips ahead of the release, and I have a definite favorite among the drinks I tried. 

Starbucks Refreshers are super popular, so I totally get why the company keeps coming out with new flavors. And when they’re as good as the new Mango Strawberry Refreshers, I really get it. As of April 7, you can also make your drink an Energy Refresher with a little extra caffeine — 125 milligrams in a grande, to be exact.

The Mango Strawberry Refresher line, which will be available year-round, comes with plenty of customization options. You can get a classic Mango Strawberry Refresher, which gets its flavor from a strawberry acai refresher base and the new mango syrup, and it’s hand-shaken with ice and finished with freeze-dried strawberry pieces. The Mango Dream is made with coconut milk, and there’s also a lemonade version.

Staying on theme, Starbucks released a mango-flavored cold foam that’s made with the new mango syrup, and the chain is featuring it on two new drinks: Iced Mango Cream Matcha and Iced Mango Cream Chai.

I tried the Mango Strawberry Refresher, Mango Dream, and both cold foam drinks, and here’s what I thought.

Full disclosure: The first time I went to try these drinks, I accidentally got the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, which launched in 2018, but my little snafu served as a good direct comparison when I got the right drinks the next day. (Spoiler: I prefer the Mango Strawberry!)

I got the energized version of the Mango Strawberry Refresher, but I don’t think it really affects the flavor, more just how well you can stay awake when the 3 p.m. slump hits. This drink is gorgeous. It has a light coral coloring dotted with bright red strawberries. The Mango Strawberry Refresher also smells amazing — I took one whiff and got hit with a mango scent and a hint of strawberry. It smells juicy, bright, and fruity, which is a good primer for how it tastes.

The first sip was very mango-forward, which I enjoyed because it delivered on the name. I got a little bit of strawberry flavor on the back end, and I tasted a stronger strawberry presence when I took a second sip. And I really wanted to keep sipping because it was refreshing and the flavor combo was so inviting!

With a coconut milk base, this drink smells creamy. I’m not sure how else to describe it except that it’s like sticking your nose into a bag of Strawberry Creme Savers, in a good way. The mango didn’t pop out immediately scent- or flavor-wise in this one for me, but it tasted like more than just strawberry. A few sips in, I was able to distinguish the mango — the overall flavor is like a strawberry-mango creamsicle (if that existed). The creaminess makes this drink taste more like a treat, and it is super quenching.

I really enjoyed the mango cold foam itself — it smelled faintly of mango and had a hint of tropical flavor — but I had a hard time distinguishing any mango flavor when I drank it in the two drinks I tried: the Iced Mango Cream Matcha and Iced Mango Cream Chai. Both drinks tasted delicious for an iced matcha and iced chai, respectively, but with the only mango flavor coming from the cold foam, it got a little lost for me.

If I had to choose a favorite between the two refreshers I tried, I’d have to say the classic Mango Strawberry Refresher has a slight edge. It’d be perfect on a sweltering summer day (or even a chilly-yet-sunny spring day, in my experience). If I get it again, I might just have to add the mango cold foam to it because I can see that being a delicious creamy, fruity addition.