Summer is Starbucks' longest seasonal window — roughly 14 weeks of iced-drink dominance across two menu waves. Cold drinks already account for 75% of Starbucks beverage sales, and that number climbs above 85% during summer months. The summer 2026 menu hasn't been fully announced yet, but between confirmed April 7 launches, Starbucks Latin America leaks, and historical patterns, we can map out what's coming month by month.
This article is updated as new launches are confirmed. Last updated: March 25, 2026.
The Spring-to-Summer Timeline
Still available from winter (now permanent): Pistachio Latte, Caramel Protein Matcha, Caramel Protein Latte, Iced Double Berry Matcha, Iced Banana Bread Matcha.
For detailed reviews and rankings of these drinks, see our spring 2026 guide.
New permanent drinks: Iced Mango Cream Matcha (year-round), Iced Mango Cream Chai (year-round).
New limited time: Iced Ube Coconut Cream Shaken Espresso.
Also arriving: Poppi prebiotic soda at Starbucks locations.
— Berry Refreshers with popping pearls (returned in 2025, massive hit)
— New tropical Frappuccino flavors (Starbucks always launches 1–2 new Frappuccinos for summer)
— New Shaken Espresso variant (possible tropical or fruit-forward flavor)
— Seasonal cold brew topping or cold foam variation
— Starbucks Latin America already launched summer items including an Iced Cherry Chai Latte and a "Strato Frappuccino" platform with pistachio cold foam — these sometimes migrate to US menus
What leaves: Spring-exclusive drinks (lavender, ube macchiato, toasted coconut) typically end when summer launches.
What We Can Predict (and Why)
Starbucks' summer strategy has been remarkably consistent for the past three years. Here are the patterns that inform our predictions:
Popping pearls are almost certainly returning. The raspberry popping pearls that debuted with the Summer-Berry Refresher in 2025 were Starbucks' most talked-about summer innovation in years. They drove measurable increases in summer traffic and social media engagement. Starbucks has invested in the supply chain infrastructure for pearls — it would be unusual to not leverage that investment again. Expect either the Summer-Berry Refresher to return or a new pearl-based drink to replace it.
At least one new Frappuccino. Despite the broader menu simplification under Brian Niccol, Frappuccinos are summer's highest-demand category. Starbucks launched new Frappuccino variants every summer from 2019–2025. The "Strato" platform (layered Frappuccinos with cold foam tops) that appeared in Latin America markets could be the 2026 US version.
Tropical and fruit-forward flavors dominate. Summer menus skew bright, fruity, and cold. Mango has been a recurring theme (Mango Dragonfruit Refresher, Mango Cream Matcha). Passion fruit, guava, and watermelon are all possible. The April 7 Mango Cream launches signal mango as 2026's fruit-of-the-year.
Matcha continues expanding. With 5+ matcha drinks already year-round and the Mango Cream Matcha launching in April, expect at least one summer-exclusive matcha variation — possibly a tropical matcha Frappuccino or a matcha-fruit Refresher hybrid.
The Best Iced Drinks to Order Right Now
While waiting for summer, these are the top picks from the current menu — all optimized for warm weather:
The Summer Menu Quick Reference
| Window | Launch Date | Key Drinks | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring W1 | Mar 3 | Toasted Coconut, Lavender, Ube, Reimagined Chai | Live |
| Spring W2 | Apr 7 | Energy Refreshers, Mango Cream Matcha/Chai, Ube Shaken Espresso, Poppi | Apr 7 |
| Summer W1 | ~May 18–26 | Berry Refreshers (pearls?), new Frappuccinos, tropical Shaken Espresso | Expected |
| Summer W2 | ~Jul 7–14 | Mid-summer refresh, new additions, potential Secret Menu update | Expected |
| Fall transition | ~Aug 20–27 | PSL, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, fall lineup | Expected |
Summer Drinks at Dunkin' and Dutch Bros
You're not limited to Starbucks. Here's what's happening at the other major chains this spring and summer:
Dunkin' launched its spring 2026 menu on March 4 with a banana-themed lineup: Banana Puddin' Cloud Latte, Monkey Business Cloud Latte, Banana Shakin' Espresso, and Bananarama Matcha. The Dunkin' Zero energy drink (6 flavors, 20 cal, 145mg caffeine) is also new. Summer-specific Dunkin' launches typically arrive in May–June with fruit-forward iced coffees and Refresher expansions. See our Dunkin' guide for the full menu.
Dutch Bros typically launches summer drinks in late May/early June. In 2025, the summer lineup included the Firecracker Rebel (patriotic-themed energy drink) and tropical freeze flavors. Dutch Bros' Blue Rebel energy drinks are already a year-round summer staple. Expect new Rebel flavors and limited-time Frost (milkshake) options. See our Dutch Bros guide and our secret menu guide for ordering strategies.
How to Stay Ahead of Summer Launches
Three ways to know about Starbucks launches before they hit: follow @starbucks on Instagram and TikTok (they preview 1–3 days before launch), enable push notifications in the Starbucks app, and bookmark this page — we update it as new launches are confirmed.
For the full 2026 seasonal calendar including fall PSL predictions and holiday menu dates, see our complete seasonal calendar. And Sipory tracks what's currently available across all chains and recommends seasonal drinks that match your taste — so you never miss a limited-time drink you'd love. Free to download.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Starbucks summer menu 2026 launch?
The summer menu typically launches the third week of May, with a mid-summer refresh in early July. Based on 2024–2025 patterns, expect ~May 18–26 for the 2026 summer launch. The April 7 spring Wave 2 bridges the gap.
What Starbucks summer drinks are coming in 2026?
Confirmed for April 7: Energy Refreshers, Mango Cream Matcha/Chai, Ube Shaken Espresso, Poppi soda. Expected for summer (~May): Berry Refreshers with popping pearls, tropical Frappuccinos, new Shaken Espresso flavor. Latin America summer items (Iced Cherry Chai, Strato Frappuccino) sometimes migrate to US.
Are popping pearls coming back in summer 2026?
Very likely. Raspberry popping pearls were a massive hit in summer 2025, driving significant traffic. Starbucks invested in the supply chain infrastructure — a return is highly probable, either with the Summer-Berry Refresher or a new pearl-based drink.
What are the best iced drinks right now?
Top current picks: Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew (tropical, spring seasonal), Dragon Drink (year-round), Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso (year-round, 255mg caffeine), and Nitro Cold Brew (5 cal, 280mg caffeine).