A Sunny Day & The Iced Cherry Chai From Starbucks Spring Menu Could Cure Me

Do I frequent my favorite local coffee shops? Yes, absolutely. Shout-out to Harken Cafe and Bad Bunnies Coffee! But do I also get super pumped whenever Starbucks rolls out its seasonal menus? You betcha. Two things can be true at once, and right now, the truth is that Starbucks’ new Iced Cherry Chai is quite literally filling my cup.

If you’re a chai fan like me, this will be your spring go-to, too. Black tea infused with cinnamon, clove, and other warm and cozy spices (hey, the weather is still a little wintery... we need cozy), combined with milk and ice, finished with cherry cream cold foam and a fun pop of cherry crunch topping — it’s truly delightful. “When you take a sip of Iced Cherry Chai, you immediately get a creamy texture, warm spices, and notes of cherry, and it all comes together in an approachable way,” said Billy Altieri, lead beverage developer for Starbucks.

The Iced Cherry Chai isn’t the only beverage making springtime a little sweeter. Fan-favorite lavender drinks have returned, including the Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha, Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte, and the Lavender Crème Frappuccino. And if you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can request the Cherry Cream Cold Foam or Lavender Cream Cold Foam on any beverage of your choosing.

If you want to put a new spring spin on your DIY morning coffee at home, grab a bag of the new blonde roast Sunsera Blend, which landed last week in Starbucks stores and grocery store shelves. (You can also get it in-store as the featured light roast Coffee of the Day.) Crafted with 100% Arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia, it’s naturally smooth, sweet, and balanced.

Starbucks’ spring menu has something for the snack-happy among us too: a new Jalapeño Chicken Pocket that will join the permanent menu. And for a limited time, you can score one free packet of Truff Original or Jalapeño Lime Hot Sauce when you buy any breakfast sandwich, breakfast wrap, egg bites, bakes, lunch sandwiches, or pockets. So, spring is comin’ in hot — and cold, and sweet, and savory.

Finally, you know Starbucks isn’t going to do a seasonal drop without a new collection of drinkware. For spring, that means vibrant colors:

A cherry blossom collection:

And even a Mother’s Day roster:

Spring also brings a new artist collab series featuring designs from Brooklyn-based muralist and illustrator Misha Tyutyunik.

So, what are you picking up first?