Starbucks Summer-Berry Refresher: Was it Worth it?

Summertime in Southwest Florida means two things: heat and more heat. So what better way to cool off than a trip to Starbucks? Okay, not my first thought — but then again, nobody asked me. My 13-year-old daughter, Kara Zor-El, has recently discovered the magic of Starbucks and if she had it her way, we’d be there every single day. Sadly for her, I’m not a millionaire. But every once in a while, I cave in.

This weekend, she was going on (and on) about Starbucks' Summer-Berry Refresher. She described it like it was some magical summer potion — a mix of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors, shaken up with ice and water, and poured over raspberry-flavored pearls. According to her (and Starbucks’ website), it’s like summer in a cup. It already sounded expensive.

Eventually, I broke. “Alright Kara Zor-El,” I said. “It’s Father’s Day after all. Let your old man spoil you a little.” Plus, I figured I could score one of those cake pops I secretly love. But of course, when we hit the drive-thru, my wife put in an order too (because, you know, why not spend even more).

Here’s what I ended up getting:

The Starbucks Summer-Berry Refresher was a huge hit. My daughter and wife pretty much inhaled the drinks. The only thing left were the raspberry-flavored pearls sitting at the bottom of their cups — apparently those little guys weren’t as fun as advertised. So basically, I paid over six bucks for weird jelly balls left behind. But hey, they were happy, and seeing them happy makes me happy.

In case you’re wondering: yes, it’s only 100 calories, 22 grams of sugar, and zero fat. And yes — these Starbucks Summer-Berry Refreshers are only here for a limited time this summer. So if you’re sweating it out like me, you might want to give it a try. Just make sure your wallet’s ready.