Starbucks $SBUX is rolling out its summer 2026 menu on Tuesday, May 12, headlined by a new tropical drink and the return of horchata-inspired beverages.
At the center of the summer lineup is the Tropical Butterfly Refresher, a new beverage built around guava and passionfruit alongside mango-pineapple flavored pearls. A butterfly pea flower infusion gives the drink its purple color, the company said. Lemonade or coconut milk are available as mix-in options, and drinkers can dial in their preferred caffeine and B vitamin content.
Horchata-inspired beverages are returning to the menu for a limited time. Cinnamon, vanilla, and toasted rice — flavors characteristic of Mexican-style horchata — come through in the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso, which uses Starbucks Blonde Espresso and horchata syrup as its base, finished with oat milk and ice. A new Horchata Frappuccino is also joining the lineup, the company said.
The Unicorn Cake Pop is also back for the season. A unicorn face design adorns the pop, which pairs a vanilla-confetti cake interior with a white chocolatey icing coating. A new food item, Khloud White Cheddar Protein Popcorn, is also joining the menu, according to AOL.
On the merchandise side, the travel-themed "Road Trip" merchandise collection spans stainless steel tumblers, cold cups, mugs, sticker packs, keychains, a canvas mini tote bag, and a foldable picnic blanket. A separate collection featuring Miffy, the Dutch cartoon rabbit character, is set to reach U.S. and Canadian stores starting May 19, according to KARE 11.
Alongside the menu refresh, a new scheduled ordering feature is now live in the Starbucks app, giving U.S. customers the ability to set a pickup time as far as an hour in advance, the company said.
The summer launch comes as Starbucks works to rebuild customer traffic after an extended period of declining same-store sales. The company reported its first same-store sales growth in almost two years last quarter, with CEO Brian Niccol saying the turnaround is "taking hold." Starbucks has made a series of operational changes in recent months, including reviving in-store milk and sugar stations, reinstating free refills for some orders, and writing customers' names on cups by hand.