Starbucks (SBUX) Stock Takes On Monster and Celsius With New Energy Line

TLDR

• Starbucks launched Energy Refreshers on April 7, offering 2–3x the caffeine of standard Refreshers plus added B vitamins.
• New flavors include Mango Strawberry, available year-round in classic, lemonade, and coconut milk versions.
• The launch builds on the 2025 Starbucks Iced Energy canned drinks, developed through a joint venture with PepsiCo (PEP).
• SBUX is running a dual-channel strategy targeting both in-store and retail/grocery energy drink segments.
• The move puts Starbucks in direct competition with Monster Beverage (MNST), Celsius Holdings (CELH), Dutch Bros (BROS), and McDonald’s (MCD).

Starbucks (SBUX) officially launched its Energy Refreshers line on April 7, bringing barista-made, high-caffeine drinks to its menus nationwide.

Starbucks Corporation, SBUX

The new drinks are built on the existing Refreshers platform but pack roughly double to triple the caffeine of the standard versions. They also include added B vitamins.

Customers can order them with water, lemonade, or coconut milk. All Refresher beverages can be made caffeine-free on request.

The launch includes a permanent new menu addition: the Mango Strawberry Refresher, which comes in six variations — classic, lemonade, and coconut milk, each available in standard and Energy versions.

Also joining the menu is the Mango Dream Refresher and its Energy counterpart.

The existing core flavors — Strawberry Açaí and Mango Dragonfruit — are also getting the Energy upgrade treatment.

A Two-Track Energy Strategy

This in-store launch is the second leg of a broader energy push. In 2025, Starbucks rolled out Starbucks Iced Energy, a line of zero-sugar canned drinks sold in grocery and convenience stores.

Those cans were developed through SBUX’s joint venture with PepsiCo (PEP) and contain 160mg of plant-based caffeine per serving. Flavors include Tropical Peach, Watermelon Twist, and Blueberry Lemonade.

By covering both retail shelves and its own cafés, Starbucks is now competing across the full energy drink market — at home and on the go.

Who It’s Going After

Starbucks is positioning its Energy Refreshers as a “cleaner” alternative to traditional energy drinks, leaning on natural caffeine and no artificial ingredients.

That framing puts it in direct competition with Monster Beverage (MNST), Celsius Holdings (CELH), and Red Bull in the canned category.

On the café side, the target list includes Dutch Bros (BROS), McDonald’s (MCD), and Dunkin’ — all of which have been pushing energy-forward drink menus of their own.

SBUX is betting that its barista-made, customizable format is a point of difference that those rivals can’t easily replicate.

SBUX stock was up 2.7% in premarket trading on Wednesday following the announcement.

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