I Tried Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino (Again!), and the Flavor Totally Surprised Me (In the BEST Way!)

As a sixth grader in 2017, I was just starting to discover what “aesthetic” meant on apps like Instagram, Tumblr, VSCO, and Pinterest. When the Unicorn Frappuccino also dropped that year, I remember begging my mom to drive me to our local Starbucks so that I could try the pretty pastel drink before it sold out. I’m pretty sure it ended up being one of my first ~aesthetic~ posts on Instagram (probably with some filter like Gingham or Rio De Janeiro). 

I felt instantly intrigued when I heard the Unicorn Frappuccino was returning to Starbucks for one weekend only this August. So when Starbucks offered to send me a gift card to preview the drink, I was excited to get another taste of this Frappuccino that I’d hyped up so much in middle school. 

I couldn’t remember exactly what flavors popped when I drank it more than nine years ago, but the 2026 version of the Unicorn Frappuccino is a flavor I wasn’t expecting at all! 

First released for a very limited run in April 2017 , the Unicorn Frappuccino is coming back (following a successful 2026 Coachella return), and it’s a “blend of creamy mango flavors, tangy blue drizzle, whipped cream, and pink and blue topping,” according to the Starbucks press release. In 2017, Starbucks described the drink as being made with mango syrup and sour blue drizzle, adding that it first tasted “sweet and fruity” but evolved to “tangy and tart” as you stirred the drink, according to an April 2017 article from USA Today.

The original Unicorn Frappuccino was part of a viral unicorn trend in 2017, where companies released colorful products, foods, and drinks that people loved to post on Instagram with an accompanying unicorn emoji 🦄 — which you might just have to use again if you snag a colorful Unicorn Frappuccino this month.

To enjoy some sweet 2017 nostalgia, the Unicorn Frappuccino is coming back for “one magical weekend,” according to the Starbucks release. Starting Saturday, August 15 through Sunday, August 16, the Unicorn Frappuccino will be available at Starbucks coffeehouses across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and North Africa. 

The company doesn’t state that it’s available while supplies last, but it’s bound to go viral (again), so I’d go early if I really wanted to get my hands on one.

My 2026 drink looked as aesthetic as it did in 2017: an iced pink blended Frappuccino accented by streaks of sky blue, with a swirl of whipped cream and a dusting of pink and blue flecks on top. I will say that the iced pink blend melted pretty quickly, with the juice settling at the bottom of the cup, so I’d recommend giving it a good stir before taking your first sip! After all, “a swirl of the cup reveals color-changing enchantment and a transformation of flavors,” according to the Starbucks release. 

The pink blend itself tasted mildly sweet, but had a tart flavor that reminded me of plain frozen yogurt. I couldn’t really taste the mango, but I didn’t miss it. I actually thought the base was a blend of strawberry flavoring, milk, and ice before I looked back at the description of the drink. The whipped cream on top tasted as light and airy as always.

When I moved my straw to the side of the cup to taste the blue drizzle on its own, I was caught off guard by how incredibly sour it was. It definitely brought me back to trying WarHeads Extreme Sour Hard Candy and Cry Baby Extra Sour Bubble Gum with my middle school friends. The pink and blue toppings had that same sour flavor despite looking like sugar crystals. 

As a huge fan of sour candy, I really enjoyed alternating between the creamy sweetness of the pink blend and the sharp acidity of the drizzle. 

I genuinely liked the drink and was fascinated by how the flavor became slightly more sweet or sour each time I swirled the drink with my straw (depending on whether I mixed more drizzle or whipped cream into the blend) — it was about as magical as a drink can get! I would definitely order it again if I were in the mood for a sweet treat (and a side of nostalgia) instead of coffee.