Starbucks Is Testing Sparkling Refreshers and Spritzes in Three U.S. Markets

Starbucks is testing a new group of sparkling beverages in roughly 100 coffeehouses across Austin, San Antonio and St. Louis. The limited market test adds carbonation to several existing Refreshers and introduces a separate Spritz Collection built around fruit, coffee, tea and lemonade.

The company says the trial is designed to measure customer demand, operational execution and the longer-term role of sparkling drinks in its refreshment strategy. That distinction matters: this is a market test, not a nationwide launch. Starbucks has not announced a broader rollout date for the drinks described in its official announcement.

What is included in the test?

The sparkling Refresher lineup includes four drinks. The Super Mango Energy Refresher focuses on mango, lemonade and dragonfruit, with real dragonfruit pieces, ice and sparkling water. The Sparkling Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Energy Refresher combines mango and dragonfruit flavors with lemonade and fruit pieces.

Two other options use strawberry alongside mango or açaí. The Sparkling Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher pairs mango, strawberry and lemonade, while the Sparkling Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Energy Refresher combines strawberry and açaí flavors with lemonade and sparkling water. Starbucks describes these as hand-shaken beverages served over ice, with real fruit pieces included in the drinks.

The test also includes the Starbucks Spritz Collection, which moves beyond fruit-only refreshment. Sparkling Cold Brew Sour Spritz combines cold brew, lemonade, classic syrup and light bubbles. Strawberry Sunset Spritz brings together strawberry purée, lemonade, green tea and sparkling water. Golden Peach Spritz uses peach purée, lemonade and Passion Tango tea, while Strawberry Matcha Spritz combines strawberry purée with sweetened matcha.

Why the test is useful to watch

The announcement shows Starbucks experimenting with carbonation across several familiar beverage formats rather than treating sparkling drinks as one isolated flavor. The test includes fruit-forward drinks, tea-based combinations and a coffee drink, giving the company a way to compare different occasions and taste preferences within the same platform.

It also reflects how the Refreshers range has developed since its introduction. Starbucks says the platform has expanded through customer-created combinations, fruit flavors, texture additions and more recent blended formats. The sparkling trial is another attempt to create a lighter, more refreshing option for customers who may not want a traditional hot coffee or a fully blended drink.

For customers in the three participating markets, the practical takeaway is that availability will depend on the individual coffeehouse. The company describes the test as operating in approximately 100 locations, so not every Starbucks store in Austin, San Antonio or St. Louis should be assumed to carry every drink. Customers should check the local menu or ask the barista before making a special trip.

What customers should check before ordering

The drinks use different bases and additions, so they are not interchangeable from an ingredient or caffeine perspective. Cold brew and Energy Refreshers are different products, and the presence of lemonade, tea, fruit purée or matcha can change the drink’s composition. Anyone monitoring caffeine, sugar, milk, fruit or other ingredients should consult the current information in the Starbucks app or on the company’s official menu before ordering.

That is especially important because a market test can change during its run. A participating store may have limited ingredients, a drink may be temporarily unavailable, or the listed preparation may be adjusted as employees and customers provide feedback. The official announcement gives the composition of the trial beverages but does not provide a national availability promise or a final product specification.

Standard food-safety habits still apply to ready-to-serve drinks: avoid consuming a beverage if its packaging appears damaged, keep it chilled when it contains perishable additions, and follow any allergen information supplied by the store. These are ordinary precautions rather than special instructions issued for the test.

A test, not a verdict

Starbucks’ announcement does not report sales results, customer scores or a decision to expand the collection. That means the current evidence supports only a straightforward conclusion: the company is testing whether sparkling fruit, tea and coffee drinks can earn a place in more afternoon refreshment occasions.

For now, the most interesting part is the range of combinations. A sparkling mango and dragonfruit lemonade targets a familiar fruit profile, while the Spritz Collection tests more unusual pairings such as cold brew with citrus, peach with tea and strawberry with matcha. Whether any of them move beyond the trial will depend on the response from customers and the ability of stores to prepare them consistently.

Readers outside Austin, San Antonio and St. Louis should treat social posts or menu screenshots as local evidence rather than confirmation of nationwide availability. Starbucks’ official product coverage shows that the company is continuing to explore fruit-led beverage combinations, but the sparkling drinks remain a geographically limited experiment unless Starbucks announces otherwise.