Can You Order A Strawberry Açaí Refresher Without Lemonade At Starbucks?

As its name suggests, lemonade is a key ingredient in Starbucks' Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher. But the coffee chain offers plenty of customizations, including granting customers the ability to come up with their own secret menu Refresher creations, and this strawberry Refresher is no exception. So, if you want your drink without lemonade, you can order it that way — and you're not the only one. But let's dive into what you'll get instead.

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The Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher has three primary components that are customizable through the app: strawberry scoops (aka freeze-dried strawberries), lemonade, and ice. So, if you take away the lemonade, your barista will generally use another liquid instead — and, according to baristas on Reddit, the alternative is often water. That basically leaves you with ... water that's lightly flavored with freeze-dried fruit. 

However, it's possible to sub in extra strawberry açaí base, as this is just water with flavorings like sugar and white grape juice concentrate (ingredients that once led to a lawsuit over the potential lack of real fruit in Starbucks' Refresher drinks). But your barista won't know right off the bat if that's what you're looking for (and some may just leave extra room or add more ice to your cup), so you'll want to make sure to tell them.

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Tasty additions to your lemonade-free Strawberry Açaí Refresher

If you're craving a Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher sans lemonade, you may just want to order Starbucks' Strawberry Açaí Refresher instead. This is likely what you're looking for: A full drink with the strawberry açaí base, ice, and freeze-dried strawberries. It tends to be just a little cheaper than the lemonade version of the drink as well, especially since some baristas may charge you for pouring extra base into the Lemonade Refresher. 

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It's worth noting that there are also plenty of customizations you can make to your Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refresher if you're unhappy with the lemonade part. You can even opt for "light lemonade" if you just want it scaled back a bit. Or, ask for any of Starbucks' milk options instead, essentially turning your cup into a Pink Drink, which is made with coconut milk. You can also add a lavender cold foam — it pairs well with Starbucks' strawberry drinks. But also feel free to incorporate apple or peach juice, or iced black, green, or Passion Tango tea. (Go with black and keep the lemonade in for a strawberry Arnold Palmer-inspired cup.) 

In addition to or instead of the freeze-dried strawberries, ask for a dragon fruit inclusion, freeze-dried pineapple, or the raspberry-flavored pearls included in Starbucks' summer boba-inspired Refreshers. So, while you can take the lemonade out, you may want to replace it with something else to give your Refresher a little more oomph — but there's also nothing wrong with ordering strawberry water, as long as you know what you're getting.

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