I Tried Starbucks’ New Spring Menu, and Now I Want More Florals in My Chai
Spring has sprung at the coffee chain with new flavors like ube and coconut, plus a brand new, customizable chai.
Image Courtesy of Starbucks
Even though the temperature outside for much of the country may not reflect it just yet, spring is on its way — at least at Starbucks!
I had the opportunity to try four new drinks off of the spring menu, and I was pleasantly surprised by the array of flavors to choose from. Prior to the tasting, I thought that florals equal spring, but they're not exactly what I have in mind when it comes to my coffee order. Now I'm thinking again.
What are the new Starbucks 2026 spring drinks?
The four new spring items include an Iced Lavender Cream Chai, Iced Ube Coconut Macchiato, Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew and a new standard chai blend.
The biggest menu change from this launch is the reimagined chai blend, now made without added sugar or syrup. Never fear: The same classic blend of black tea and spices remains the same. This allows customers to further customize a hot or iced chai to their liking. Unless specified, all specialty chai lattes will include Classic syrup, but otherwise the sky is the limit for which syrups to pair with the chai base.
Meanwhile, fan-favorite lavender syrup is returning in latte form, as a cream cold foam topping and as a Crème Frappuccino.
And, for a limited time only, the Iced Ube Coconut Macchiato will be available in all its bright purple glory. Ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, has been a trendy flavor for some time, as its sweet and nutty flavor works well in desserts. This flavor was originally exclusive to Starbucks Reserve Cafés, but it will now be available at your local spot.
Image Courtesy of Starbucks
My honest opinion of the new spring drinks:
My favorite drink by far was the Iced Lavender Cream Chai, which totally surprised me. I like lavender in an ice-cold vodka lemonade during the summer, and that’s about it. But this lavender is quite tasteful and not so obtrusive that you feel like you’re drinking a candle.
The syrup is quite sweet but pairs very well with the new chai and its warm notes. If you’re a lavender newbie, this is a great entry point to try the flavor. Admittedly, the light lavender color is also very pretty to look at, what can I say?
The Iced Ube Coconut Macchiato was another pleasant surprise, as on the surface there seems to be a lot going on for my taste. I am not an avid ube consumer, so I had trouble pinpointing its exact flavor in the drink, but I felt it elevated the coconut very well. The aromas of both make for a nice, sweet coconut cream that the espresso can cut through. It's more coconut-forward than anything though, so you’ll have to be a fan of that to enjoy.
Usually when I think coconut, I think of tropical beaches in the summer, but Starbucks is bringing it in year-round. The Coconut Cream Cold Brew I would pass on. I found that the coconut flavor was overpowered by the brand's standard cold brew recipe and was highlighted much better in the Ube Macchiato. If you are a cold brew loyalist than perhaps this is the drink for you, but the syrup was a little too subtle in my opinion. The new crunchy nut topping did add a nice salty layer to the sweet foam, though.
Tara Siegel
My honest opinion of the new Chai Latte:
Loyal fans of the chai at Starbucks will be happy to know that the standard tea with Classic syrup tastes just the same as it always had before: comfortingly warm and spicy, but also sweet.
The chai latte with no sweetener added is quite plain and mostly tasted like warm milk, with the cinnamon and ginger trying to pull through. I would never order it this way, but it does allow for freedom when it comes to getting the exact chai latte that you want.
Proving this theory was the chai latte with vanilla syrup added. I really enjoyed the combination of the vanilla with the tea, maybe even more than with the Classic syrup. The sweetness was just potent enough and paired nicely with the chai blend.
Tara Siegel
When can you order the new Starbucks drinks?
The new drinks and flavors are available starting tomorrow, March 3, 2026. The new Chai and Coconut syrup will be available year-round, whereas the Ube and Lavender flavors are only while supplies last.
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