We Tried The New Starbucks Lavender Chill And Got Deja Vu
This year, spring means lavender to Starbucks. But did we need more?
Despite snow continuing to fall in some areas of the country, Starbucks is fully invested in spring flowers. The coffee chain just added another lavender-centric drink to its recently launched spring menu, but it's starting to feel like the brand is just competing with itself.
Starbucks has just added the Iced Lavender Oatmilk Chill to its spring lineup. Per the brand's announcement emailed to The Takeout, the new drink is shaken with ice and features pieces of dragon fruit. Flavor-wise the chain describes the drink as having, "subtle notes of lavender and creamy oatmilk." In downtown Chicago, this drink cost $5.21 with tax for a Grande.
As I sit sipping this drink on a snowy day in Chicago, I can't help but get a sense of dejavu. The lavender chill has a light fruity sweetness that mixes surprisingly well with the creaminess of of the oatmilk. But why does this taste like something I've enjoyed before? Maybe that's because Starbucks already released a spring drink with lavender and oatmilk that tastes creamy and kind of like cereal milk.
Less than a month ago, the brand debuted its spring menu which included an Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha. Both the Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha and the brand new Iced Lavender Oatmilk Chill contain ice, oatmilk, and lavender in some form. The main difference in the two beverages lies in the fact that one uses three scoops of matcha powder while the latter uses three scoops of lavender powder. The powders make the visual differences quite clear since the matcha drink shows a contrast between a bright green matcha base and a pastel purple top layer whereas the new drink is simply a purple-pink hue.
Interestingly, the Iced Lavender Oatmilk Chill contains no caffeine whatsoever — not a single milligram. And that's where this drink loses the battle to its matcha predecessor in my book. Considering the similar flavors and makeup of the two spring drinks, this is simply a matter of preference for most customers.
If you're like me and a few injections of caffeine are what keep you moving through the day, then the dragonfruit inclusions of the new Iced Lavender Oatmilk Chill aren't going to sway you much. On the other hand, if caffeine tends to give you the jitters but you still want a creamy, fruity drink experience this new offering might be your winner.
Either way, this straggler of an addition to Starbucks' spring menu is perfectly enjoyable though not completely needed.