Spring is in full swing, and popular coffee chains are ringing in the season with the addition of spring-themed drinks. 

It is no question that some of the nearby coffee chains such as Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and Black Rock are hot spots for the students at La Salle. This season, each store has released their new spring-themed drinks that are only available for a limited time, which are reviewed below. 

Starbucks 

Lavender Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage 

This new addition to the Starbucks menu is a take on Starbucks’ classic Frappuccino, but with a strong addition of lavender. 

This drink has a very potent lavender flavor with a refreshing creamy taste that minimizes the bitterness of the lavender. Although the drink is sweet, it does not have an artificial flavor. This drink is perfect for lavender lovers who want a sweeter drink.

The grande size at Starbucks is priced at $5.95.

Iced Lavender Cream Oat Milk Matcha

Starbucks released the brand new Iced Lavender Oat Milk Matcha which is priced at $5.95 for a grande size.

Based on Starbucks classic matcha, this drink has a very subtle addition of the brand new lavender taste. The lavender component of this drink is the lavender cream cold foam on the top of the beverage. That being said, the lavender flavor will decrease as you drink the beverage. The matcha was more sweet than the typical bitterness and was very refreshing. This drink is perfect for trying Starbucks lavender flavor, just on the more subtle side. 

Iced Lavender Oat Milk Latte

The third drink released by Starbucks this spring season is the Iced Lavender Oat Milk Latte. 

This beverage is priced at $5.75 for a grande size.

After a sip of this drink, it is in between the sweet floral lavender taste and the bitterness of coffee. This drink is made with oat milk, so the sweetness of the milk makes the coffee taste more subtle. The lavender is constant and does not have the stereotypical soap taste, but is instead the perfect drink for a spring floral flavor. 

Dutch Bros. 

Poppin’ Boba Fire Lizard Rebel

The Poppin’ Boba Fire Lizard Rebel is a colorful beverage.

The drink is very sweet and strong. It has almost a bit of a tang to it and is a fruity combination of strawberry and tropical fruit flavors. The boba has a very sweet, strawberry taste, giving the drink a burst of flavor. Many people would describe the taste to be syrupy. Those familiar with some of their non-seasonal drinks will know that this tastes like their usual rebels. 

Before consuming this drink, it’s important to recognize that it is very caffeinated, so it will certainly give the consumer a boost of energy if that is what they are looking for. Secondly, they have also given the option to have the rebel iced or blended. 

If the intense amount of caffeine isn’t for you, Dutch Bros offers a black tea alternative with the same flavors. Although the taste isn’t quite the same, it still contains the boba. The beverage has some caffeine, but not to the same extent. 

Poppin’ Boba Berry Lemonade

By itself, this drink tastes like regular strawberry lemonade. However, the addition of boba provides a nice fruity pop that gives so much more flavor to the drink. For someone who is a fan of lemonade, this would be a perfect drink. Like most of Dutch Bros’ drinks, it’s very sweet. 

Poppin’ Boba Vanilla Freeze

The freeze itself is very sweet and is similar to a lot of their coffee drinks. The caramel aspect of the drink is strong and also fairly sugary. The boba has a flavor that is difficult to distinguish, although it is advertised as vanilla honey. Together, the boba and the drink don’t really pair well together, given that the tastes are different. The freeze also has a consistency that is similar to ice cream, so the addition of the boba is somewhat unexpected.

When drinking this, the first few sips are definitely the best. However, the more one consumes, the more the sweetness begins to overpower the drink itself. Depending on someone’s flavor palate, this could definitely be a controversial drink. 

This drink is caffeinated. For those that want something uncaffeinated, try out the frost variation, which tastes almost identical — without that extra boost of energy. 

Poppin’ Boba Caramel Chai

For a spring drink, the Boba Caramel Chai gives more of a taste of autumn. The chai has a creamy sweetness that is nothing short of delicious. The boba, however, has almost a fruity taste to it. Oddly enough, it actually pairs fairly well with the chai, unlike the Poppin’ Boba Vanilla Freeze. The only issue with this drink is that it doesn’t give that spring taste that one would most likely be searching for when ordering it. 

Under normal circumstances, this drink would be delicious. However, given that it is supposed to be spring-themed, it doesn’t quite meet that expectation. 

Black Rock

Irish Cream Coconut Latte

Black Rock’s first addition to their spring collection is the Irish Cream Coconut Latte.

This drink is priced at $6.70 for the regular size and can be made either iced or hot. 

This drink is packed with coconut flavors and a strong coffee taste. This is a very unique spring flavor palate that is different from the normal soft, lighter flavors of spring. This drink is also very creamy, but not overpowering. This is perfect for coffee lovers who are looking for a different kind of coffee profile. 

Strawberry Passion Green Tea with Dragon Fruit

The only non-caffeinated addition to Black Rock’s spring menu is the Strawberry Passion Green Tea with Dragon Fruit. 

A small size is priced at $5.40, and this is always a cold drink.

This is a very light drink that contains subtle hints of strawberry and dragon fruit. A delicious component of this drink is dragon fruit toppings, which goes perfectly with the tropical spring flavors. This is a perfect refreshing spring drink that isn’t overpowered by sweetness. This beverage is for anyone who loves tea and is looking for very refreshing and subtle spring flavors. 

Strawberry Blondie

A brand new drink to hit Black Rock’s menu is the Strawberry Blondie.

The small size of this drink is priced at $7.30 and is made either iced or hot.

This drink contains a very unique and interesting flavor which is a very similar flavor to strawberry milk, but much sweeter. The use of blonde espresso makes the coffee flavor lighter and gives it a more creamy taste. This drink is very sweet and similar to strawberries and cream. This is the drink to try for someone who is looking for a brand new spring flavor that is sweet and has a strong strawberry flavor. 

Mai Tai Fuel 

With a very colorful appearance, the Mai Tai Fuel is listed at $6.70 for a small. 

It has the perfect combination of sweetness and tang. This beverage is just as good as it looks, and it tastes both fruity and delicious. Similar to the Dutch Bros Rebel, at Black Rock, Fuels are also made with energy drinks. The caffeine isn’t hard to miss within this drink. It feels like an energizing buzz within each sip. Not only is this drink perfect for spring, it also offers a taste of summer.