As a barista, I see people order drinks day after day to simply “try them out” to see if they like them. While it is great to try new things, it isn’t fun to waste money on something you don’t like -especially when the drinks are decently expensive. In all honesty, I feel bad handing out certain drinks to customers knowing that they are not good. In light of this I’ve decided to share with you the worst drinks to order at Starbucks so that you hopefully will not find yourself in this predicament. In addition to revealing these drinks, I will rank them from 1-5 with one being the worst, and I will be honest in my opinions of these drinks so feel free to laugh.

1. Kiwi Starfruit Refresher

In the top spot for worst drinks at Starbucks is the Kiwi Starfruit Refresher. To give an idea of how gross this really is, the initial launch of this drink was meant to take place in early August, however, it was recalled and did not end up launching until early September. Before this drink was recalled, my coworker and I tasted it and both of us had headaches and stomach aches for the rest of our shifts, as well as gagged and spit it out upon trying it. In short, it was a god-send that this drink did not launch until it was proper. While the new base does not give consumers these side effects, it still tastes as horrible as I remember the first time: exactly like Amoxicillin, a drug prescribed to the sick.

At my store, we never sell much of this drink, and now you know why. Even the Kiwi Starfruit Lemonade and the Star Drink are abhorrent. Personally, I feel worst when handing out these drinks knowing that the customer paid money to try it, and it should be taken off of the menu.

2. Golden Ginger Drink

Coming in at number two for worst drinks at Starbucks is the Golden Ginger Drink. The drink is made with coconut milk, pineapple ginger syrup, and golden ginger powder. The coconut milk and pineapple ginger syrup are delicious, however, the golden ginger powder should rather be a topping for food instead of mixed into a drink. The powder itself contains ginger and turmeric, which makes the drink spicy. Personally, I do not like to drink something iced that is spicy as it is not pleasing to the palette and somewhat shocking to the brain. The flavor itself also doesn’t feel complete, but the spicy nature of the drink is the biggest “turn-off” since it seems too odd to ingest. We also don’t sell many of these at my store, and it is not something I think should be on the menu or we should charge for.

*Update: this drink is also being discontinued.*

3. Iced Caramel and Cocoa Cloud Macchiatos 

At number three we have the Iced Caramel and Cocoa Cloud Macchiatos, in which all cloud drinks will be discontinued shortly -thank god- but I still thought I should touch on them because they do not bring anyone joy in making or drinking. The drinks by themselves would be wonderful if not for one ingredient: cloud powder. One of the ingredients in this powder is egg, which means when you drink this you will have the slight taste of egg in your mouth and the aftertaste is even worse. The powder may make the drink thicker or creamier, however egg is not something I prefer to drink. Knowing the baristas as I do, a lot of the time newer baristas forget how much powder to put in the drink and put extra powder “just in case” which enhances the egg taste.

4. Iced Coffee

For everyone who enjoys iced coffee like me, do not order Starbucks iced coffee. It’s just terrible. Go to Dunkin’. Seriously. As a barista, I swear to you that Dunkin’ has better iced coffee than Starbucks, so you’d be better off getting it there since it will taste better and cost less. If you like iced coffee, just get cold brew at Starbucks; it tastes so much better than our iced coffee, is stronger, and Starbucks cold brew is better than Dunkin’s so it will be worth the money.

5. Violet Drink

Lastly, we have the Violet Drink. This is the most tame of the worst drinks which is why it is ranked last, but it is something customers really shouldn’t be ordering. If you like this drink, kudos to you, but I will judge you if you order this and like it. If you’ve ever been to a viewing at a funeral home, the smell of the funeral home is what this drink tastes like. I have only known one barista to not hate this drink at my store, and we employ around 50 baristas. The Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher is good, and the Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade is lovely, but this drink is purely gross.

Thank you for reading my take on these drinks, and if you do decide to try them for whatever reason, let me know how you find them and if you are in agreement. I in no way represent the views of everyone at my store, or every Starbucks barista, but I do implore you to at least take my word for the first two drinks. Best of luck, and stay tuned for next time when I discuss why you should become a barista!