19-05-2025
I tried 14 coffee shop summer drinks. Some are foul
Fancy a blue iced latte? Coffee-coloured coffee is just so last decade; so, it seems, is simple iced coffee. Oh, and you can forget traditional iced tea made with just tea, lemon and a couple of ice cubes.
These days, the summer drinks on the high street are rammed with ice, doused in sugar syrup and titivated with 'well I never!' flavours.
Crucially, they've got the looks to titillate the Instagram crowd, from Pret's purple Ube Brûlée iced latte and blue Spirulina Macaron iced latte, to Costa's layered whipped lattes and Starbucks' magenta Dragonfruit Refresha. Never mind how it tastes, feel the 'likes'...
Except I do mind. So, with the help of a willing volunteer, 16-year-old Finn, I tasted my way through the chain coffee shops' summer confections. Here's our verdict on the season's red-hot creations – and those that will just leave you feeling blue.
