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How To Make A Starbucks Pink Drink Copycat With 2 Store-Bought Beverages

There's nothing like rolling through a Starbucks drive through with your shades on and collecting an iced beverage to make you feel like a celeb. However, if you haven't got the salary of a Hollywood heart throb, a daily Starbucks habit can torpedo through your bank balance. Recreating Starbucks drinks at home is the affordable solution. And the good news is you don't have to stick to coffee! For example, you can make a superb Starbucks pink drink copycat at home with zero special equipment and just two store-bought beverages — Ocean Spray white cran-strawberry juice and coconut milk.

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Begin by filling your glass with ice and pouring in three parts of the white cran-strawberry juice. Then top up the fruity drink with one part coconut milk and give it a stir. The milk will diffuse into the red juice, lending a pretty pale pink tint and a rich, creamy consistency. Plus, you can customize the ratio of juice to coconut milk if you prefer a lighter mouthfeel with a refreshing finish, or use a coconut milk brand that's unsweetened.

While a classic Starbucks pink drink is made with sweetened coconut milk, you can sub it for regular dairy milk if preferred. However, it won't have the nutty flavor and rich texture of coconut milk that lends this Starbucks refresher heaps of satisfying body. To keep the drink vegan friendly, almond milk is a great choice because your drink will benefit from its nutty aroma and natural hint of sweetness.

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Get creative with pink drink inclusions

If you want your beverage to have a true barista-made vibe with fruity inclusions, consider mixing in some freeze dried strawberries. Available chopped or sliced into winsome heart-like shapes, these cute little fellas have an intense fruitiness and look pretty when mixed into a chilled drink. Plus, as they're freeze dried during strawberry season, their flavor is often more pronounced than fresh alternatives. Moreover, freeze-dried inclusions won't dilute the taste of your drink. They'll simply imbue it with character without adding extra moisture, ensuring your beverage has a balanced taste with a pop of personality. 

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Just remember that if you're making your drink in advance and storing it in the fridge for later, always add the freeze-dried fruit at the last minute to prevent the flecks from plumping up and developing a squishy texture. Any leftovers can be sprinkled over ice cream sundaes, used to garnish cocktails, or even whizzed into cheesecakes. Other potential add-ins to elevate your Starbucks Refresher include matcha powder, lemonade, or cold foam made with a milk frother.

If preferred you can combine coconut milk, Tazo Iced Passion tea concentrate, and Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus powder to make a different DIY variation on the Starbucks pink drink. However, this method requires more ingredients that you likely don't have in your pantry.

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