How much are Strawberry acai at Starbucks? (are Starbucks acai refreshers caffeinated + more information)
When it’s the cold season, Starbucks has steaming coffee options for you, but refreshers take over, especially Strawberry acai when it’s hot, like in the summer. So, how much are strawberry acai at Starbucks?
A Grande cup of Starbucks strawberry acai is $4.49, while Venti and Tentra cups are $4.99 and $5.29, respectively. My visits to Starbucks always ended towards the beginning of summer but that stopped once the refreshers were launched. It is all thanks to my barista friend who introduced me to them during his breaks.
The first cup was his treat, but I couldn’t resist the urge to dig into my pocket for another round. The price might be high, but this refresher has many elements that make it worthwhile. In this article, I will discuss the ingredients and caffeine content of Starbucks acai.
Table of Contents
How much caffeine is in Starbucks acai refresher?
A Grande cup of Starbucks strawberry acai refresher has 45 mg of caffeine, while a tall cup has 35 mg. This caffeine comes from green tea extract. All Starbucks refreshers have the same amount of caffeine but the amount differs according to the cup size. Green tea extract is made from dried green tea leaves and is much more concentrated than regular green tea. It, however, does not have the taste of coffee, which makes strawberry acai stand out from Starbucks beverages.
The caffeine content in Strawberry acai refresher is minimal compared to Starbucks coffees. However, the refresher has more caffeine than iced tea, only 25mg in a Grande cup. While a refresher from Starbucks automatically contains caffeine you can choose to make a caffeine-free one by excluding the green tea extract from your list of ingredients.
What is in Starbucks acai refresher?
Starbucks strawberry acai refresher has a base that contains sugar, water, white grape juice concentrate, natural flavors, natural green coffee flavor, fruit and vegetable juice, and citric acid. Aside from the base, there are lemonade and freeze-dried Strawberries. The lemonade consists of water, lemon oil, sugar, and lemon juice. There is also Rebaudioside-a which is stevia. The natural flavors include natural fruit flavors that are not included in the list of ingredients but sometimes come out strong, like the flavor of mango in dragonfruit refresher.
These ingredients can be substituted in several ways, and some must not be included when you are making the refresher at home. The other flavors are always sweet enough and adding sugar might make your drink extra sweet. Instead of freeze-dried strawberries, you can opt to chop regular strawberries. Also, if you do not fancy caffeine in your refresher, you can skip the green tea extract.
When you make an order, Starbucks will likely already have the strawberry acai base and lemonade ready, but if you are making one for yourself, you can make the lemonade from scratch instead of buying a ready-made one. The same applies to the base since Starbucks does not sell a packaged strawberry acai base. You can substitute the grape juice concentrate with apple juice or anything that works for you.
Is the Starbucks acai refresher gluten-free?
Yes, the Starbucks Strawberry acai refresher is gluten-free. It is a fruit-based drink and does not contain any ingredient that contains gluten. The same applies to the other refreshers. However, a cup of acai refresher might contain gluten if it is customized with flavors or sweeteners that contain gluten. For this reason, you should be particular about the customizations you add to your drink; if not, consult with the baristas.
Since Strawberry acai-refresher is handcrafted, it lies on the customer to ensure they get a gluten-free cup. Most Starbucks drinks and food items are subject to cross-contamination, meaning a piece of equipment used to serve a gluten item can be used to serve a gluten-free one. It is therefore important to mention to the barista if you are celiac or if you don’t prefer gluten so that they can use clean equipment when serving your drink.
FAQ SECTION
Can I customize my Starbucks acai refresher?
Yes, you can. You can choose the flavors, toppings, and sweeteners you want. Also, you can decide the number of strawberry scoops you want and if you want to add milk or stick to water.
Is Starbucks acai refresher sweet?
Starbucks Strawberry acai is so sweet that it is the most popular and best-selling refresher at Starbucks. It tastes fresh strawberry and passion fruit and is delicious overall.
What syrup does Starbucks put on its acai refresher?
There is no syrup listed in the ingredients for making the refresher, but if you are ordering online, Starbucks lists syrups like hazelnut, peppermint, raspberry, and caramel as customization options.