5 Perfect Starbucks Drinks to Enjoy with the New Horchata Syrup

Back in April, Starbucks told Tasting Table that its upcoming 2025 summer menu would feature some returning favorites, namely its fan-favorite boba-inspired Summer-Berry Refreshers. However, pretty soon, you’ll also get to enjoy a new Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso as well. Made with espresso and oat milk, the drink is shaken together with ice and Starbucks’ new horchata syrup. The new summer menu drink brings together the rich flavors of espresso and the sweet, cinnamon-infused flavor of horchata. While that does sound delicious, it’s not the only drink you can pair with the syrup this summer.

Horchata is a drink popular in Hispanic cultures, made from a combination of rice water, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. It can be found served anywhere from your favorite taco spot to street food carts — and now, even the Starbucks drive-thru. But while both Starbucks’ new drink and its associated syrup depart from the traditional Mexican horchata recipe, neither will disappoint. Paired with espresso, you get a sweet, creamy, and refreshing horchata flavor that many have been adding to homemade iced coffee already. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s the only way you can enjoy it this summer.

From your shaken espresso to your Frappuccinos or your cold brew to your matcha, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Starbucks’ new horchata syrup this summer. Rumored to become available as early as May 20th for a limited time, there’s no better time than now to get your drink order ready.

Given that Starbucks horchata syrup is, essentially, cinnamon and vanilla flavored, it will pair well with just about anything. While a horchata matcha latte is likely not the first drink to come to mind, it does come highly recommended. If you haven’t had Starbucks’ matcha before, you should know that the brand revamped its recipe in winter 2025 to use a non-sweetened powder. This allows you to order the drink unsweetened or to substitute the added simple syrup sweetener that is used in the recipe for something else. This summer, your recommended alternative is the horchata syrup.

When substituted for the simple syrup that’s used in Starbucks’ current recipe, the new horchata syrup gives your matcha latte the added sweetness you’re likely used to, just with the added dimension of cinnamon spice. Given how earthy matcha is, that sweetness of the syrup helps balance out the rest of the drink. The cinnamon, on the other hand, brings a warm and spicy flavor that doesn’t hinder its natural essence. Should you want to bring it up another level, you might consider adding a horchata-infused cold foam to your matcha latte instead.

If you prefer a sweeter matcha latte, try adding a pump of horchata syrup in addition to the simple syrup that’s included in Starbucks’ new recipe. Alternatively, enhance the warmth of the syrup by pairing it with more vanilla or honey syrup instead.

Any cold brew drinker can appreciate the strong, dark, and simultaneously smoother flavor the drink gets from its low and slow method of brewing. It is what distinguishes cold brew from regular iced coffee, after all. But some days, you just need something sweet, even if it does come in the form of a strong cup of coffee. Starbucks’ new horchata syrup will do just the trick when added to your cold brew. While the simplest option would be to add a pump or two to your drink and call it a day, another way to level up your cold brew this summer would be to order it with horchata cold foam.

Starbucks whips up its famous cold foam topping by blending milk and vanilla syrup together. So, as long as it’s a syrup or a powder that’s already on the menu, you can essentially make any flavor of cold foam you like. Being the newest addition to its syrup lineup this summer, horchata cold foam is a must-try. Substituted for the vanilla that’s normally used, you’ll get a layer of frothy and cinnamon-y foam on top of your cold brew that floats into your mouth with every sip. Also, thanks to Starbucks’ non-dairy cold foam alternative, this drink can be easily adapted for anyone who doesn’t drink regular milk.

What is a London Fog? The concoction of Earl Grey tea, milk, and vanilla syrup topped with steamed milk was created in 1994 to cure morning sickness. But, being a permanent item on the Starbucks menu, it’s also possible to order an iced London Fog in the summer when you need something refreshing. This summer, you’d be remiss not to add a pump or two of its seasonal horchata syrup to it, too. Ordered this way, all of the tea’s bright, citrusy, and bergamot flavors are made all the brighter with a subtle hint of lavender, along with the cinnamon and vanilla flavors of the horchata syrup.

Usually, Starbucks’ iced London Fog Lattes are made by shaking the steeped tea, sweeteners, and milks together by hand. However, if you want your drink to be as foggy as the original, you could also order it with a layer of cold foam on the top. In this case, specify by asking for a horchata cold foam for extra warmth, a lavender cold foam for additional color, or the original vanilla cold foam flavor to keep things simple. You could always order a combination of the three. Again, Starbucks can make any flavor of cold foam you like, but a horchata lavender cold foam is easily the most fitting on top of your iced London Fog Latte this summer, giving the illusion of stormy purple skies.

While Starbucks’ coffee roasts may be what made the brand’s name, its famous Frappuccinos are what put it on the map. Some may argue that they’re glorified milkshakes, essentially gateway drinks hooking teenagers on caffeine from a young age, but what few can contend against is the fact that they’re delicious. Made from a unique, powdered coffee concentrate made just for its stores, Starbucks’ Frappuccinos blend ice, milk, and various flavors (like mocha, vanilla, and caramel) with a topping of whipped cream. Now, what started as a simple frozen coffee has evolved into a drink of endless possibilities. This summer, Starbucks adds one more: a horchata Frappuccino.

While this may go against what any Starbucks barista would ask customers to do — that is, refraining from ordering any complicated, unknown, or random secret menu Frappuccino order altogether — it is worth the effort. Just be sure to be polite, and definitely don’t complain about it taking too long, because that much should be expected. The simplest way to order a horchata Frappuccino would be to ask for a traditional coffee Frappuccino with horchata syrup added to it. Or, if you’re feeling brave enough, order a mocha cookie crumble Frappuccino with horchata syrup instead of mocha sauce. Made this way, you will get more of a cinnamon sugar/snickerdoodle cookie flavor as opposed to a chocolatey one.

The last drink to add Starbucks’ new horchata syrup to this summer is one you’re likely ordering anyways, no matter the season: an iced latte. That’s right, even something as simple as your usual iced lattes can get a complete refresh with a pump or two of this seasonal, cinnamon-and-vanilla-flavored coffee syrup, providing just the right amount of sweetness to enhance the espresso within. But you don’t have to stop there either. Your iced horchata latte doesn’t have to just be an iced horchata latte. As is true with many of the other drinks included in this roundup, it can be elevated even more with the help of a horchata-flavored cold foam or combined with other flavors.

If you want to build on the summer flavors, you may consider combining the horchata cold foam with a latte flavored with another syrup. Blueberry coffee is all the rage in the summer, but Starbucks offers a strawberry purée year-round that would add an aesthetic touch if drizzled into the bottom and along the sides of your latte cup. The horchata syrup could also combine well with the flavors of your usual iced mocha, a chocolate cold foam, or perhaps both. Made with your choice of alternative milk or dairy-free cold foam, these drink options can be easily made dairy-free, too, since both the strawberry purée and mocha sauce already are.