Nothing cures seasonal gloom faster than a lineup of pastel drinks that look like they were styled by the Easter Bunny’s creative director. Starbucks’ spring menu hits stores March 3, and I got a preview taste of the new lineup, including a reimagined Chai, the Iced Lavender Cream Chai, the Iced Ube Coconut Macchiato, the Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew, and Toasted Coconut Latte.
Reader, I caffeinated responsibly. (Mostly.)
There were florals. There was foam. There was a shade of purple so vivid it could star in its own Pixar movie. And while everything was solid, one drink absolutely understood the assignment.
Let’s get into it.
The chai glow-up we didn’t know we needed
Starbucks is giving its classic Chai a little spring cleaning. The base now has less sugar (just a touch of honey), and sweetness is customizable by adding a syrup. Translation: you can finally control your spice-to-sweet ratio like the beverage chemist you are.
I tried it three ways:
- Unsweetened
- With classic syrup
- With vanilla syrup
Unsweetened: This version really lets the spices flex—cardamom lovers (hi, it’s me) will appreciate how boldly it comes through alongside cinnamon and ginger. Overall, though, it was a bit austere, missing that velvety coziness.
Classic syrup: If you’re loyal to the original, sweeter chai vibe, you can absolutely recreate it. Just order a grande with 3 to 4 pumps of classic syrup.
Vanilla syrup: This is where things get interesting. The vanilla adds a roundness and a little extra oomph that plays beautifully with the warming spices.
If I were ordering IRL, I’d do a grande with just one pump of vanilla. I’m here for a cozy drink, not an 8 a.m sugar crash.
Lavender girl spring has officially arrived
As someone who has been defending lavender since people said it “tastes like grandma’s drawer sachet,” I feel vindicated. Floral flavors are having their redemption arc.
The Iced Lavender Cream Chai is exactly what you want it to be: refreshing, lightly floral and very pretty in that “I need to take a photo before I sip this” way. The lavender cold foam mellows the spice of the chai and makes the whole thing feel like a spa day in beverage form.
If you’re a tea drinker who loves lavender (again, me), this is a spring delight.
Also, excellent news: the Lavender Matcha Latte is coming back. Bad news? The cherry cold foam with cherry crunch topping is not. I will be lighting a small candle in its honor. Taking its place will be a new Iced Mango Cream Matcha, launching later this spring.
The shockingly purple macchiato that stole the show
Now we need to talk about THE drink. The one. The main character.
The Iced Ube Coconut Cream Macchiato. Layered with toasted coconut syrup, espresso and milk, it’s topped with ube coconut cream cold foam and toasted coconut shavings. It is, visually, a show-off. If you walk into a room holding this, people will immediately turn their heads to look.
I have long been an ube fan. This Grimace-purple yam is beloved in Filipino cuisine, and for good reason: that nutty, almost vanilla-adjacent flavor is like a sweet potato that got a glow-up—less casserole, more confection. Ube is often paired with coconut milk and condensed milk in jams, swirled into ice cream, or piled onto shaved ice desserts (shout out to halo-halo)—so it’s no surprise that it works brilliantly in a creamy coffee drink.
The Purple Filipino favorite
Roasted ube
Less earthy than sweet potato, it develops a nutty, vanilla-like flavor
Ube halaya
This rich, coconut-kissed jam is delicious on toast
Halo-halo
Ube ice cream is often the crown jewel of this shaved ice dessert
In this macchiato, the ube brings a lush, dessert-like quality without tipping into cloying territory, adding a whole new dimension that feels indulgent but still balanced.
And then there’s the coconut cream cold foam. The tropical vibes are delicious in this drink, especially paired with the espresso’s dark, bitter edge. It feels like a beach vacation but with Wi-Fi and deadlines.
If you’re a texture person like me, the toasted coconut crunch on top takes this from “very good” to “elevated sensory experience.” You get the smooth foam, the bold coffee underneath, and then that little crispy finish. It’s giving layered. It’s giving complexity. It’s giving prestige cable drama, but make it beverage.
If this is your first time trying ube at a major chain, consider this your purple gateway.
A coconut cold brew for the coffee purists
If you’re less “dessert diva” and more “I need this to taste like coffee,” the Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew is your gal.
It’s classic cold brew topped with coconut cream cold foam and the toasted coconut crunch. The coconut adds sweetness and a subtle tropical note, but the coffee still leads. Think: spring break energy, but you still made your 9 a.m. meeting.
Bonus: the toasted coconut syrup is sticking around year-round, so if you fall in love, it’s not a fleeting fling. It’s also available in the new Toasted Coconut Latte.
The final order
Everything on the spring menu feels colorful, playful, and built for customization. You can tweak sweetness, swap syrups, and basically design your drink like it’s a Build-A-Bear, but caffeinated.
If you’re a floral tea loyalist, get the Iced Lavender Cream Chai. It’s fresh, it’s pretty, and it tastes like the first warm day after a long winter.
But if you only order one thing this season?
Make it the Iced Ube Coconut Cream Macchiato.
It’s bold. It’s purple. It’s textural. It’s slightly unexpected. The kind of drink that makes strangers lean over and ask, “Wait, what is that?”
Spring is short. Let purple reign.
