Summer Berry Refresher (Starbucks Recipe)

Want a thirst quenching fruity drink like the new Starbucks Summer Berry Refresher but without getting out of your house? Good news! You can make the same at the comfort of your home without having to worry about the ingredients list. In this article, you will learn how to prepare an attractive and tasty berry drink that will provide you with vitamins and compensate for the loss of fluids in summer.

Table of Contents

What do you understand about Summer Berry Refresher?

Starbucks Summer Berry Refresher is a rather innocent summer drink which contains berries and is based on green coffee extract or white tea. It is non-GI, naturally sweetened with real fruit flavors and frequently topped with berries. This drink has the ability to refresh, moisten and activate your senses, it is therefore an ideal drink for summer.

In this recipe, the notion of in-your-face flavor is demystified; we’ll tell you which ingredients can be substituted for the others, and how to adjust the dish according to your taste.

Ingredients You’ll Need

To create your own Starbucks-style Summer Berry Refresher, gather the following ingredients:

For the Base:

Ingredients list: Green tea or white tea (to get the caffeine boost, or to make caffeine free)
Mixed berry juice (you can opt for cranberry juice or blueberry juice or the mixed berry juice)
Alternatively, opt for : Water or coconut water to supplement water intake.

For Sweetness:

Simple syrup (optional depending with the level of sweetness one wants for his/her drinks.)
Sugar; honey/agave syrup (optional for the people looking for a healthier sweetening option)

For the Berries:

Fresh strawberries or raspberries or blueberries or any berry of your choice.
Powdered freeze-dried berries (Although not necessary, it wouldn’t hurt to include a Starbucks twist on the recipe)

For Garnish:

Lemon or lime slices
Mint leaves

Optional Boosts:

Green coffee extract (there is an intensified Starbucks version of the additive in the stores or on the Internet)
Ice cubes (Those are necessary to give it a chilled feel)

How to Prepare a Summer Berry Refresher

Step 1: Brew the Tea

Begin with green tea or white tea manifestation as the fundamental one. It is recommended that a cup of water should be added to one tea bag. It is advisable to steep it for 5 – 7 minutes depending of how strong you want your tea to be. Then, replace the tea bags with cold ones and allow it cool in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Berry Juice Mix

While doing this, prepare the portion of the berry juice mix to be used, during the preparation of the food items. Mix it with water or coconut water, however, to make it less concentrated. You can use a 1: From weak to concentrated, for juice to water ratio, it goes as 1:1 cup of juice to one cup of water.

Step 3: Sweeten to Taste

Now add any sweetener of your choice. To get a sweet taste add simple syrup, Honey or Agave Syrup. Use initially 1-2 teaspoons but one can make it more or less depending with his/her preference. If, however, you like your drink with a sour tinge, you may omit this step or add a drop.

Step 4: Add the Fresh Berries

Take your fresh strawberries and cut them into smaller portions and mix the with raspberries, blueberries. To achieve the Starbucks’ looks and taste, you should also consider adding some freeze-dried berries. These will float and create a fabulous appearance to whatever liquid you decide to pour them into.

Step 5: Combine and Chill

Add the chilled tea into the large pitcher and then add the berry juice mix into the large pitcher. It also help to go back and stir well down so that the ingredients can mix well and evenly. As for other options you can add a cup of ice and stir so that a beer gets cooler. Put a spoonful of the mixture into the mouth so that it dissolves and then try to analyse whether it is sweet, or as stated in case of dilution analysis, how diluted it is.

How To Serve Your Summer Berry Refresher

Later, if the refresher is prepared, you can pour it to glasses full of ice. It should be garnished top with slice of lemon or lime and few mint leaves if the restaurant requires a bonus point on the freshness factor. Depending on your kind of berries used; fresh or freeze dried, you might need extra to decorate the dish.

To add the professional look like that of Starbucks make sure to serve the drink in a clear glass so that everyone gets to see the beautiful colors of the drink.

Berry Refresher Additions/Changes

Another great thing about preparing your own summer berry refresher is that you have control on what goes into the concoction. Here are a few ideas:

Caffeine-Free Version: Avoid the green tea and instead use herbal berry tea or just add the berry juice to water and you have a no caffeine menu.
Coconut Water Twist: Instead of the water used in the normal preparation of jelly, use coconut water to give the jelly a hint of coconut taste and to increase the jelly’s level of hydration.
Green Coffee Extract: To create a Starbucks type of energy, use green coffee extract. A small amount will provide you the same mild thrill as a Starbucks refresher.
Frozen Berries: To make it even colder and less liquidy, replace fresh berries with the frozen ones.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Refresher

Making a Summer Berry Refresher at home has several advantages:

Healthier Ingredients: You regulate the sugar content and other additives making it better for you than the processed-popularized food products.
Easy to Customize: Alter the flavor and adjust the sweetness based to your preference, so you have that perfect sweet tooth craving.
Cost-Effective: One cannot underestimate the importance of making this particular drink at home because is cheaper than when you buy from coffee shops particularly if you are the type that needs it regularly.
Quick and Easy: Once the ingredients are in the house, this recipe takes no more than twenty minutes to prepare, making it ideal for hot summer BBQs and get-togethers or anytime snacks.

Final Thoughts

Refreshing Summer Berry Refresher with vodka is a perfect drink for summer, which doesn’t only tastes yummy but is also healthy. Thanks to this simple recipe now you can make your favorite Starbucks treat right at the comfort of your home. Well, grab your berries and boil your tea and let’s give you the perfect beverage of the summer!