Have you ever wondered what’s behind those vibrant rosy drinks everyone seems to obsess over? They have you drooling over a drink – which didn’t even exist until yesterday! The eye-catching pink hue comes from the strawberry acai base.
The best news yet – we have the copycat recipe.
Read on to discover how you can recreate your favorite Starbucks beverages at home and save a buck or two!
Topics Explored
- What Is The Strawberry Acai Base?
- Strawberry Acai Ingredients
- Is There Caffeine In It?
- How To Make The Strawberry Acai Base
- Starbucks Drinks Made Using This Base
- More Questions
What Is The Strawberry Acai Base?
Strawberry acai base is the foundation for strawberry flavored refreshers. It’s a drink concentrate with a syrupy consistency.
To make some of the drinks, the base is mixed with other ingredients like ice, water, and lemonade to make the finished drink.
The strawberry base gained popularity when Starbucks’ Pink Drink(1) – a secret menu item, flooded social media. The aesthetically pleasing rosy hue raised interest in many customers.
Baristas quickly revealed that the base is the culprit for the color. Depending on what it’s mixed with, it can be pink, rosy, or pale red.
Strawberry Acai Base Ingredients
The main ingredient in the original recipe of the base is white grape juice and sugar. There’s also green coffee extract which doesn’t add any flavor but packs a caffeine boost.
Other components include natural flavors, fruit, and veggie juices(2). They help achieve the final flavor and color, but you can barely taste them.
Is There Caffeine In It?
You wouldn’t expect a caffeine punch from this base. But, surprisingly, there’s a substantial amount, thanks to the green coffee extract. You can always leave it out in the homemade version since it doesn’t add to the overall flavor.
The extract is delivered from arabica beans and works as a natural energy booster. Combined with the fruit juice, it’s a refreshing and energizing drink.
How To Make The Strawberry Acai Base
Now that we’ve uncovered the secret behind all the rosy drinks, let’s learn how to make strawberry base. Beware that this is the recipe for the base – not the finished beverage. Use the base to create some of the many drinks.
Strawberry Acai Base Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)
This recipe is just for the strawberry acai base. The ingredients are easy to source, and the base keeps up well when refrigerated. Plan to use it up in a few days.
Ingredients
- Tazo Passion Tea: 1 cup
- White Grape Juice: 4 cups
- Strawberry Powder: 4 tbsp
- Sugar: 2 - 3 tbsp
Instructions
- Start by boiling water for the tea. Then, brew 1 cup of the passion tea and set it aside. The tea will provide the necessary caffeine and slight tang.
- Get a heat-resistant pitcher or a bowl. Add the strawberry powder and a few tablespoons of boiling water. Mix with a spoon or a whisk, there shouldn't be any visible clumps at the end.
- When the strawberry powder is dissolved, add the white grape juice, brewed passion tea, and sugar. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.*
- Your strawberry acai base is done. Now it's essential to keep it in an air-tight container and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Remember that this is just the base. To make your drink of choice, add some of the base, water, lemonade, or coconut milk, and enjoy!
Notes
* You can always strain your strawberry acai base if you notice clumps or leftover strawberry pulp.
Drinks Made Using This Strawberry Base
We can’t forget to pay tribute to Starbucks baristas – and customers, who were so creative to develop some of the famous pink drinks. Some of them even made it to the official menu. Here are the all-time favorites and how to order them.
Strawberry Açaí Refreshers
If you’ve tasted Strawberry Acai Refresher at Starbucks, you know how tasty and refreshing it can be on a hot day.
To recreate it with our homemade base, fill ⅓ of a glass with ice. Then add your base and water to taste. Finally, add a scoop of fresh, sliced strawberries, and your drink is ready!
The Pink Drink
Customers requested the Pink Drink so much that in 2017 it became part of Starbucks’ official menu. It’s effortless to make at home – when you have the base on hand.
Fill a glass with ice, add the strawberry base and coconut milk. Sprinkle some fresh strawberries and snap a picture for your social media accounts.
Strawberry Açaí Lemonade
For a fresh and energy-boosting drink, go for the Strawberry Acai Lemonade.
Use your standard recipe to make lemonade. Fill a glass halfway with the base, top with the lemonade, and throw some strawberries in.
The sweetness of the base combined with the tartness of the lemonade makes for an extraordinary drink.
Tik Tok Matcha Pink Drink
TikTok creators made an upgrade to the Pink Drink – with matcha! Although it looks like a ton of work, it’s effortless to prepare.
Make the standard Pink Drink by mixing the base with coconut milk. Prepare some cold foam and incorporate a scoop of matcha powder into it. Finally, pour the foam over the Pink Drink and top with strawberries.
Strawberry Sunset Refresher
Strawberry Sunset Refresher is a secret menu item. To order it or prepare it at home, start with the strawberry base. Then, add water, a pump or two of peach, and mango syrup.
Ask it to be fizzed if there’s a fizz machine available. If not, stir it and enjoy the fruity drink.
Pink Starburst Refresher
The Pink Starburst Refresher is equivalent to the most liked candy – sweet, fruity, and pink.
To make this secret menu item, start with a Pink Drink. Then add two scoops of vanilla bean powder and fresh strawberries. Finish it off with a tiny splash of lemonade and enjoy.
Final Words
Following the rosy drinks trend can burn your pockets. They’re fun, tasty, and pretty expensive. The strawberry acai base is the foundation of all these fun-colored drinks.
Once you know how to make the base at home, you can create all the other drinks. The ingredients are easy to source, so the homemade base is convenient, cheaper, and leaves you plenty of room to get creative.
More Questions
What is the difference between the pink drink and strawberry acai?
The Pink Drink is an upgraded version of the Strawberry Acai Refresher. The Strawberry Acai Refresher is simply the base mixed with ice and water. It’s seethrough with a rosy hue. The Pink Drink includes the same base but swaps water for coconut milk. The result is a creamier, richer, and pastel pink drink.
Is the strawberry acai discontinued?
Due to a shortage, some items are currently off the menu. But this doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. Sometimes, some staple ingredients are running low. Strawberries have been on the list of ingredients that are harder to come by currently. As of the moment, The Strawberry Acai Refresher is not discontinued.
Is the strawberry acai base for sale?
The strawberry base is not for sale at Starbucks, but you may find it on eBay or other marketplaces. Beware that these are usually stolen or expired products. Making it yourself is a wiser and safer option. You can find most of these ingredients at any store, and the preparation is easy.
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