Your pick might depend on how much you want to spend.
Summertime calls for plenty of cool, refreshing beverages. Although an icy cold brew from Dunkin’ or Starbucks is probably one of your go-to picks, sometimes you aren’t in the mood for coffee-based sips. Enter smooth, iced coconut milk refreshers, which blend fruity, tropical vibes with caffeine. There are similar options at Starbucks and Dunkin, so if you’re unsure which drink you want to choose, you may want to know how Dunkin’s Coconut Refresher versus Starbucks’ Pink Drink compares with ingredients caffeine, price, and flavor.
While Starbucks’ Pink Drink has been around since 2017 — and before that, as a secret menu recipe — Dunkin’s Coconut Refresher made its debut in late April 2021. The different offerings have quite a few things in common, firstly, Coconut Refreshers and the Pink Drink come in totally Instagram-worthy colors. The odds are you’re not drinking a beverage based on its appearance, but it does liven up your feed, which is always fun. The second most obvious thing in common is the use of non-dairy coconut milk. Lastly, they all contain some caffeine to give you a boost. However, the surface-value similarities aren’t enough to make your decision between the sips.
If you’re on the fence about which drink to get on your next coffee shop run, here’s how Dunkin’s Coconut Refresher and Starbucks’ Pink Drink compare.
Ingredients
Inside Dunkin’s Coconut Refresher is a blend of coconut milk, flavored fruit concentrate, and B vitamins. The Boston-based chain’s OG Refreshers feature similar ingredients but use green tea instead of coconut milk.
In comparison, Starbucks’ Pink Drink combines its strawberry açai base with accents of passionfruit, coconut milk, and freeze-dried strawberries.
Caffeine
The caffeine content between the two offerings doesn’t vary by much.
Per Dunkin’, its Coconut Refresher has a green tea extract in the flavor concentrate, which provides caffeine. A small Coconut Refresher delivers 46 milligrams of caffeine, while there are 68 milligrams in a medium and 91 milligrams of caffeine in a large.
Starbucks’ Pink Drink uses a green coffee extract in its strawberry açai base. When you sip on a Tall Starbucks’ Pink Drink, you’ll get 35 milligrams of caffeine. Additionally, a 16-ounce Grande provides 45 milligrams, a Venti contains 70 milligrams of caffeine, and a Trenta has 90 milligrams.
Price
Grabbing a Coconut Refresher at Dunkin’ is slightly cheaper than a Starbucks Pink Drink. A small refresher will cost you $2.99, while a medium sells for $3.29. Lastly, a large is $3.59. If you buy a medium Coconut Refresher in any flavor through May 25, you’ll get it for $3.
A Starbucks Pink Drink costs $4.05 for a Tall, $4.45 for a Grande, and $5.05 for a Venti. You can also get a Trenta for $5.45.
It’s important to note that pricing typically varies by location, so you may want to check your Starbucks mobile app or your Dunkin’ app for cost near you.
Flavor
Dunkin’s Coconut Refresher comes in three flavor options — Pink Strawberry, Golden Peach, and Purple Pomegranate. Pink Strawberry combines strawberry and dragon fruit and is probably the closest to Starbucks’ Pink Drink flavor. Meanwhile, the Golden Peach offering combines peach and passionfruit, and Purple Pomegranate blends blueberry and pomegranate notes.
Meanwhile, Starbucks’ Pink Drink blends strawberry, açaí, and passionfruit flavors with coconut.
While there aren’t too many differences between Dunkin’s Coconut Refresher and Starbucks’ Pink Drink, knowing where they’re similar and where they’re different can help you choose based on your preferences.
