Taste Tracker: Starbucks, Tim Horton's and Whataburger refresh beverage menus

Summer is the season to cool down with frosty drinks, and chains are not wasting any time getting their ice machines up to speed. A variety of colorful and flavorful refreshers are ready to quench thirsts. Salads and sandwiches geared for summer eating are also coming to menus, especially handy for takeout and delivery for lunch al fresco or a picnic. And as the days get hotter, expect spice levels to heat up, too.

Starbucks is picking berries for its newest drink additions. The Summer-Berry Lemonade Starbucks Refreshers Beverage and Summer Skies Drink feature a blend of raspberry, blueberry and blackberry combined with water, lemonade or coconut milk poured over a layer of raspberry-flavored pearls. The drinks are inspired by Asian boba teas that feature tapioca pearls. Returning this summer is another popular drink—White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew—and fruity flavors are infusing new baked goods, including the Orange Cream Cake Pop and Pineapple Cloud Cake.

Cookie butter is the featured ingredient in Tim Horton’s beverage lineup. There’s Cookie Butter Cold Brew with Cold Foam, boasting notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger, and Cookie Butter Iced Capp with whipped topping and cookie crumble. Also on offer is the Solar Splash Timsboost Energy Infusion, a mix of mango and Red Bull Amber Edition. On the food side, Cherry Pastries join the menu.

The Caramel Latte Shake hits Whataburger menus this month. The limited-time shake is a twist on a classic latte made with espresso, caramel and vanilla. It’s available in-store, at the drive-thru and through the website and Whataburger app.

The Sparkling Sangria Flight at BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse includes four tastings of fruit-filled sparkling sangrias. The beverages are made with ruby red vodka, orange liqueur, white peach flavor, strawberry puree, orange juice and lime, served with a split of Prosecco on the side to add sparkle. The flight joins other specials designed for seasonal celebrations for moms, dads and grads. On the food side, BJ’s is promoting its Classic Rib-eye, Avocado Egg Rolls and Party Pizookie—a colorful birthday cake Pizookie crowned with vanilla bean ice cream, rainbow sprinkles and a chocolate-coated sugar cone.   

Sustainable shrimp is a new summer protein option at Modern Market Eatery. The seafood is sourced from farms certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, which monitors production to make sure the shrimp are raised sustainably. On offer is a Shrimp BLT Salad made with herbed shrimp, arugula and spring mix, heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion, blue cheese, avocado, and basil buttermilk dressing, with a topping of bacon-enhanced panko bread crumbs. There’s also a Green Goddess Shrimp Bowl with a base of organic rice and quinoa blend, marinated kale, roasted zucchini, watermelon radish, marinated red peppers, goat cheese and chilled herbed shrimp, dressed with a lighter version of Green Goddess that’s blended with yogurt and capers. Sweet Corn Chicken Pizza is also making its summer debut and Seared Ahi Tuna Salad returns.

The popular “swicy” flavor profile comes to Cracker Barrel with the launch of its Bee Sting Chicken Sandwich and Bee Sting Chicken Tenders. Both the chicken items are served or drizzled with a sweet-heat honey glaze—a house blend of seven ingredients including honey, buffalo seasoning and smokey Southern spices. Watermelon is the inspiration for two new beverages: Watermelon Lemonade, made with watermelon puree and Cracker Barrel’s signature lemonade, and a Watermelon Spritzer, a mix of pureed watermelon, Moscato wine and a splash of Sprite.

Colorado green chili is heating up the menu at Dog Haus, appearing in three new items. Colorado Green Chili Sausage combines a smoked green chili, jack cheese and pork sausage topped with green chili sauce, tortilla chips, cotija cheese and scallions in a grilled King’s Hawaiian roll. The Colorado Green Chili Burrito targets the breakfast crowd, adding three sunny side-up eggs to the above ingredients and subbing a flour tortilla for the roll. The last of the trio is the fiery Colorado Green Chili Queso Hot Fries, in which generously seasoned hot fries are heaped with green chili queso and cotija cheese.

Mac & Cheese is now an option at Wing Snob, as a side with an order of wings or on its own. Customers can add a shot of wing sauce for extra flavor at no charge, choosing from Nashville Hot, Sweet Heat, Honey BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Hot AF, Buffalo or Cajun.

Sweet-heat flavors are trending in a cocktail and sauce at Wings Etc. Grill & Pub. The new Hot Honey Margarita and Hummmin’ Hot Honey Sauce are available for a limited time. The margarita is a mix of small-batch tequila, house-made hot honey, triple sec and lime sour, garnished with a Tajin rim. The sauce blends two of Wings Etc.’s 21 signatures—peppery “TNT” sauce and habanero “Wall” sauce—with honey and spices. It’s the condiment that sets the chain’s Hummmin’ Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich apart.

Three items are late spring additions to NaanStop’s menu. The Chaat Chicken Salad combines chicken tikka masala with chick peas on a bed of greens to create the classic Indian “chaat” street food flavors of sweet, creamy and slightly spicy. Spiced Watermelon is an Indian street food snack of watermelon seasoned with tangy spices. And Rosewater Lemonade elevates the summertime refresher with the subtle floral notes of rosewater.

Mediterranean quick-service chain Pita Pit introduces five new choices that veer toward the healthy side. The Bruschetta Bowl has a base of brown rice and quinoa topped with seasoned chicken, spinach, tomatoes, onions, pesto and balsamic vinaigrette. There are also four grilled cheese options, all stuffed in a pita and seared in avocado oil. The Say Cheese Greek Grilled cheese combines cheddar and mozzarella; Chicken Club Greek Grilled Cheese is filled with chicken, bacon, mozzarella and ranch; Athens Steak/Chicken Greek Grilled Cheese adds black olives, mozzarella, spinach and Caesar dressing to the filling along with seasoned steak or chicken; and Cowboy Steak Greek Grilled Cheese is filled with seasoned steak, roasted corn, onions, mozzarella and ranch.

Candy Shop-themed treats have arrived at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice in time for warmer weather. Cotton Candy Crunch features cotton candy ice, vanilla ice cream and rainbow Nerds layered in between. The Blue Razz combines blue razz ice, vanilla ice cream and rainbow Nerds, while Citrus Crunch pairs orange smash ice with vanilla ice cream and rainbow Nerds. Rainbow Nerds are now a permanent addition to Jeremiah’s Layers-In menu.

Thirst-quenching Delightful Blends at Juice It Up! were developed to support hydration and boost energy during the hotter days ahead. All three varieties are based on coconut water and come in flavors including Mango Lychee, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Guava. The lightened-up beverages are under 190 calories each for a medium size.