If you are a huge admirer of Starbucks drinks, you must remember when Starbucks took a fresh take on fruity drinks and introduced their line of refreshers. Strawberry Acai Refresher was the first refresher introduced by Starbucks in 2016. It was joined by Dragon Drink in 2017 and Kiwi Refresher in 2020.
Starbucks enthusiasts enjoyed all Starbucks refreshers, especially when they wanted to take a break from iced coffees and teas for the day.
However, out of all the refreshers, the one that people immensely enjoyed was Kiwi Refresher. The drink was popular among Starbucks fans for its sweet and tangy flavor.
However, after a few months of its release, people could not get their hands on this incredibly refreshing drink.
People began speculating that the drink was recalled because of health concerns. However, soon after these speculations, Starbucks announced that the company discontinued the Kiwi Refresher.
Starbucks’ dissolution of Kiwi Refresher left the fans devastated. They started multiple trends on Twitter for Starbucks to bring back the Kiwi Refresher. However, the Kiwi Refresher did not make a comeback.
What did Kiwi Refresher taste like? And Why was it discontinued? Keep scrolling to find out all about the Starbucks popular drink – Kiwi Refresher.
What did Starbucks Kiwi Refresher taste like?
The lighter and fruity Kiwi Refresher was a perfect drink for late spring and early summer days. It has a unique and bold taste but is not too overpowering like other fruity refreshers.
Kiwi Refresher had water, sugar, white grape juice concentrate, natural flavors, citric acid, green coffee flavor, turmeric for color, and the star ingredient of Starbucks Kiwi Refresher – freeze-dried kiwi.
Was the Starbucks Kiwi Refresher recalled?
Starbucks menu items are sometimes recalled when identified as harmful for public consumption.
Considering the fact that the fruity refreshers can be sugary and dangerous to health, Kiwi Refresher was not recalled for health concerns. However, unlike others, this refresher did not only look healthy but was healthy and refreshing too.
It was relatively low in sugar – only 14 grams of sugar in a grande. It still might seem a lot to many health-conscious individuals, but it’s nothing compared to Starbucks’ other sugary refreshers and drinks.
If Kiwi Refresher was not recalled, why was it removed from the Starbucks menu? Well, it got discontinued by Starbucks along with the Berry Hibiscus Refresher.
Difference between a recall and discontinuation of Starbucks drink
When a Starbucks drink is recalled, it means that the company has decided to take it off from shelves for some time. A recall is usually issued when a health concern is associated with the drink.
On the other hand, when Starbucks drinks get discontinued, it means that the company has decided to stop producing and selling the particular item. Therefore, once a drink is discontinued, it permanently gets removed from the Starbucks menu.
Starbucks drinks have discontinued many drinks for various reasons, including poor sales or a change in direction. Therefore, if you are wondering whether your favorite Kiwi Refresher was recalled or not, the answer is no.
The Kiwi Refresher got discontinued but was not recalled. So you can enjoy your last sips if you still can find the Kiwi Refresher in any Starbucks store!
Why was the Starbucks Kiwi Refresher discontinued?
Starbucks removed Kiwi Refresher from their menu because they felt it was not as popular as other drinks and wanted to focus more on high-demand offerings. However, that was not the case with Kiwi refresher and Berry Hibiscus Refresher, as the Starbucks enthusiasts immensely loved both these drinks.
The sales might have been low for these two drinks, but they just got introduced to the Starbucks menu. Therefore, many people have not even got a chance to try these refreshers. However, those who tried it loved it immensely and still cannot forget the refreshing taste of these Starbucks drinks.
Recently, the news of Starbucks experiencing supply issues came on the Internet, and it suddenly made sense why Starbucks is saying goodbye to so many of its popular and unique drinks.
In addition, many Baristas working at Starbucks shared videos that made the company-wide shortage even more worrisome for Starbucks fans.
Many Starbuck enthusiasts expressed their concern on Twitter that Starbuck is removing all their favorite drinks from their menu. However, Starbucks quickly reassured them that this was not the case.
The company tweeted that these drinks are temporarily unavailable as they are working on restocking some other popular beverages.
However, currently, Starbucks does not know when they will be able to get control over their supplies. Therefore, you need to be patient. You never know, Kiwi Refresher and other popular discontinued drinks might appear again on the Starbucks menu!
5 Reasons for the discontinued Starbucks drinks
Kiwi Refresher is not the first Starbucks drink that got discontinued. America’s biggest coffeehouse chain- Starbucks, has introduced hundreds and thousands of drinks worldwide.
But unfortunately, many fail to rule over people’s hearts or suffer shipping issues out of these hundreds and thousands of drinks. That’s why they get discontinued.
However, it has become a common practice for Starbucks to discontinue less-selling drinks and introduce more exceptional drinks to their menu. In the past, Starbucks has justified their decisions of discontinuing several drinks in the following ways:
- They ran out of supplies. It usually happens over a scorching summer or cold winter when the demand for certain drinks is quite high.
- They are experiencing shipping issues. It has been a troubling issue after the COVID-19 pandemic for many businesses, not just Starbucks.
- They are struggling with damaged supplies. It usually occurs before or at harvest time, during storage or transit.
- The demand for that particular was not high. Sometimes Starbucks comes up with a unique and bold flavored drink that does not go well with the target audience. People will try it once (because it is a new addition to the Starbucks menu) but will not repurchase it.
- It is time to update and upgrade. Part of Starbucks’ immense popularity is its unusual and experimental drink combos. They know how to keep their customers on their toes by introducing more and more exceptional drinks to their menu. And sometimes, to make space for the new ones on the menu, they have to say goodbye to the old ones!
List of other discontinued Starbucks drinks
A list of discontinued Starbucks drinks is quite long, and their Kiwi Refresher is just one of the many.
Starbucks has discontinued many of its best-selling and less-selling drinks for various reasons. However, every time Starbucks decides to discontinue a drink, fans take it to Twitter to express their disappointment.
Here is a list of a few discontinued drinks that caused a great deal of stress to Starbucks enthusiasts:
- Cascara Latte
- Sunset Frappuccino
- Americano Misto
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Eggnog Latte
- Unicorn Frappuccino
- Tazo Tea Infusions
- Dark Barrel Latte
- Strawberry Shortcake Frappuccino
- Chile Mocha
- Apple Crumble Frappuccino
Will Starbucks ever bring Kiwi Refresher Back?
Unfortunately, no one can tell that other than Starbucks itself. They make statements from time to time but don’t disclose their plans.
However, each year when Starbucks announces their holiday season additions, some old favorites make a return to their menu.
Some of the returning drinks of the last holiday season include:
- Peppermint Mocha
- Irish Cream Cold Brew
- Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
If you also want Kiwi Refresher to make a return on the Starbucks menu, you can petition online to let Starbucks know what you hope to find on their next list.
How to make a Kiwi Refresher like Starbucks at home?
What can you do to satisfy your Kiwi Refresher cravings until it hits the Starbucks menu again? Make your own version of Starbucks Kiwi Refresher at home. It will be not only delicious but also cost-effective.
Not sure where to start? Here is a great recipe to make your Kiwi Refresher at home that tastes as delicious and refreshing as Starbucks’ Kiwi Refresher did.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cold coffee
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of Kiwi puree
- Frozen & dried kiwi for garnishing
Instructions
- Add cold coffee, heavy cream, sugar, and kiwi puree to the blender.
- Blend for a few minutes until smooth.
- Pour the Kiwi Refresher into the glass and add ice cubes if preferred.
- Cut the frozen, dried kiwi into star shapes and add them to the glass. Enjoy!
Conclusion:
It undoubtedly can come as a great shock to find out your favorite Starbucks drink is discontinued and will never show up on the menu again. Unfortunately, all you can do is follow Starbucks news, sign a petition, and wait.
However, there is something else you can do too. Unleash your inner Barrista and make a version of your favorite Starbucks drink at home.
From Kiwi Refresher to iced lattes and apple crumble frappuccino, anything can be created with simple ingredients available in your pantry! So, if Starbucks no longer offers you your favorite drinks, make them for yourself!