I Tried Starbucks' 3 New Blackberry Sage Refreshers

Starbucks is ready for Valentine’s Day with a crush-worthy seasonal menu. Along with the beloved Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew and Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccino making their return, the cafe is also adding three new refreshers to its lineup.

The Blackberry Sage Refresher is a delicious blend of herbal and tart fruit flavors, and will be on the menu starting Tuesday, Feb. 4. The winter months were the inspiration behind the new limited-time flavor, because, according to Billy Altieri, the lead beverage developer for Starbucks, customers crave “something refreshing, yet balanced” when it’s cold outside.

The darker, violet color of the blackberry refresher also fits the vibe of this time of year by looking like a “winter sunset.” You can order the purple Blackberry Sage with water, lemonade, or coconut milk, which changes the color a bit as well as the flavor profile.

I got to try all three versions of the Blackberry Sage Refresher before its official launch and here are my honest reviews of Starbucks’ new Valentine’s menu items:

The Blackberry Sage Refresher With Water Is Unique But Works So Well ($5)

For any Starbucks refresher, the OG version with just water is typically less flavorful than with lemonade or coconut milk, but the Blackberry Sage was still very nice. Even though the sage may take a backseat to the blackberry, you can still taste it and it gives the drink a full and earthy vibe.

The plant may be a surprising choice, but Starbucks says the brand likes to “pair a familiar ingredient with something more out-of-the-ordinary.” As unusual as sage may be in a beverage, it works so well with blackberry. Overall, it’s so refreshing, which means this drink really nailed it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher Is Inspiring ($5)

Adding lemonade always makes Starbucks’ refreshers more tart, and sometimes, that’s overpowering. For instance, the Summer-Berry Lemonade was a bit too sour for me. The Blackberry Sage, though, worked well with the lemon. It enhanced the blackberry flavors instead of pushing them to supporting player status. The end result was something that tasted like a delicious berry lemonade.

I would even recommend anyone who likes to get creative with their Starbucks order to try the Blackberry Sage with any off-the-menu drink that uses the now-discontinued raspberry syrup. Since they taste similar, they’re basically interchangeable, so I would try it with something like the secret menu Bridgerton Tea with Passion Tango Tea.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Midnight Drink With Coconut Milk Is As Gorgeous As It Is Tasty ($5)

My favorite of the three was the Midnight Drink. Adding coconut milk to a Starbucks refresher is always the way to go. There’s just something about the combo of creamy coconut with tart fruit that makes it taste like candy. The Blackberry Sage reminded me of Creme Savers, which was so nostalgic.

Even though it tasted like a dessert, it wasn’t too sweet at all. I will be ordering this again ASAP. Also, it doesn’t hurt that this was the most Insta-worthy of the three refreshers, thanks to its pale pink color with the dark blackberries added in.

Rating: 5 out of 5