When the Starbucks Pink Drink recently became all the rage on the internet, I was intrigued. The secret menu item was light, refreshing and, well, pink — not to mention delicious. But now there's a new secret menu bev on the block, and this one has me seriously stoked: the Purple Drink. So if you want to know how to order the Starbucks Purple Drink, stick with me, kid. I'll walk you through the process, and it won't be long before we're both sipping this sweet concoction.
As you might have guessed, the Purple Drink earns its name from the fruity elixir's pretty, pale hue. Like its Pink Drink cohort, it is quickly becoming all the rage on social media, with hardcore 'Buxers clamoring to get a taste. Basically, it's like the Pink Drink ... only purple. In appearance, anyways. As far as ingredients go, these two unofficial secret menu drinks (as in, created by people on the internet making things up and not actually on the official Starbucks menu) start out with completely different base drinks. However, they both do contain ice, fresh fruit, and a non-dairy milk, so at least they've got that in common with each other.
The timing of this lovely new libation is perfect, no? Just in time for the sunniest season of them all — it feels like a special gift from the summer solstice gods. Fresh, ripe blackberries just feel inherently summery, and washing them down with a cool drink of yummy goodness sounds like true summer bliss. If you liked the Pink Drink but are a blackberry fiend like myself, odds are good you're gonna love the Purple Drink.
Again, this magical concoction isn't part of Starbucks' regular roster of menu items; as such, you can't just roll up to your friendly neighborhood Bux and place your order for a "Purple Drink." If this craze hasn't hit your neck of the woods yet, that will probably just score you some side-eye from your barista. But, fret not, it's still pretty darn easy to order up this quintessentially summery bev. Here's how:
1. Find The Starbucks Closest To You
Let's be real, if you're reading this article, you already have every Starbucks within a 10 mile radius mapped out by heart. However, you never know when a new 'Bux will pop up, so you can always use the Starbucks Store Locator to check if you've been graced with one even closer than before.
2. Select Your Size
You know the dealio! Size goes first when ordering a 'Bux beverage. My motto is "Go big or go home," also known as "Trenta, please."
3a. Order A Passion Iced Tea...
I believe the technical name for this is the Teavana Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea — a vibrant blend of hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hips and apple flavors. However, it's worth noting that Danielle Tullo over at Cosmpolitan.com found upon ordering the drink with this particular base that the result was more red-purple than lavender. Regardless, after you place this part of the order, proceed to Step 4.
3b. ... Or, Order A Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher...
Here's where the interwebz can't seem to agree. While many people are ordering their Purple Drink with a Passion Iced Tea base, others swear you have to order the Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refresher as a base. It's an either/or situation. Since the Refresher already comes with whole blackberries, this makes sense to me. Again, though, regardless as to which base you choose, proceed to Step 4 immediately.
4. ...With The Non-Dairy Milk Of Your Choice
This is important, people. If you skip this step, you'll just end up with whatever the base drink is. Worth noting is that there seems to be a little confusion around exactly how to enact this step; some suggest that just adding the milk to the tea will get the job done, while others support the idea of actually making the tea with milk instead of water. Either way, though, you can choose either soy or coconut milk. The recipe circulating on the internet suggests soy milk as the most viable option, but Cosmopolitan's Tullo found that using coconut milk made the Purple Drink slightly lighter in color and (in her opinion) more refreshing.
5. Request A Shot Of Vanilla Syrup
Mmm, vanilla. No one on the internet seems to be debating this part, so it must be legit, right? TBH, I wouldn't care if it wasn't — it sounds far too delicious not to include.
6. Add Blackberries, If Necessary
If you opted for the Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher base, it should have already come with a bunch o' blackberries. However, it's possible the Passion Iced Tea base wouldn't come with these beautiful berries, so you may have to ask.
There you have it, party people! Just follow these quick and easy steps courtesy of the internet (as deciphered by yours truly), and you'll be enjoying your new summer fave in no time. You. Are. Welcome.
