The Starbucks summer menu that was released in May includes several fruity, colorful drinks — the Summer-Berry Starbucks Refreshers Beverage, the Summer-Berry Lemonade Refreshers Beverage, and the Summer Skies Drink. All three feature a blend of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry combined with water, lemonade or coconut milk poured over a layer of new raspberry-flavored pearls. They were a smashing success, maybe even a little too successful.
The extreme popularity of the pearls was unexpected, causing stores to run out of supply. As the shortage has become prevalent, Starbucks has decided to cut back on marketing while it restocks and prepares for higher demands.
"And I think that it wasn't a supply issue necessarily, but it was more, the demand was ahead of what we thought it would be," Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan told investors this week. "We had to pull back marketing, and my sense is that as you look at what we now have in our stores, they're back in stores with new products and it's a platform that we will continue to build over time."
The popping pearls are inspired by boba, but they are slightly different. Boba is a gummy tapioca whereas the pearls are an easy to break, sugary substance that has a quick burst of raspberry flavor. While the popping pearls are a staple in the three drinks released in May, customers have been getting creative putting them into other Starbucks Refreshers, which is contributing to the scarcity. The versatility of the popping pearls has made them the highest selling new Starbucks product, Narasimhan revealed to investors, according to Business Insider.
Right now, it’s unclear if the low supply of the pearls is ongoing, but we suggest calling your local Starbucks to get confirmation before placing your order. And if the chain does still have the drink available, enjoy it while you can! It won’t be long before the fall menu will take over.