A surprise newcomer steals the show as this summer’s must-try beverage.

Fruit has been plentiful at Starbucks this summer, with strawberries and mangoes keeping us refreshed throughout the season, but now it’s time for a new crop to take centre stage, with a trio of Shine Muscat grape drinks called “Three Summer Muscats“.

On the menu from 9 July, we were one of the first in line to try the trio, and with Shine Muscat being a large and premium Japanese cultivar of grape, we had high expectations for all three of them. So how would they stack up? Let’s start the taste test with the main attraction, the “Grand Muscat Frappuccino“.

▼ This icy drink is available in a Tall size only, priced at 707 yen (US$4.82) for takeout or 720 yen for dine-in.

With muscat juice in the base, and sauce with grape pulp and a jelly made with muscat puree in the mix, this Frappuccino is designed to tantalise the taste buds with juicy, fresh, succulent flavours. Elderflower is added as an accent, and although it comes with a whipped cream topping, Starbucks suggests ordering it without cream for a lighter, more refreshing taste.

▼ So that’s how we ordered it.

The cream-less Frappuccino has a beautiful light green hue, and when you take a sip, the sweet and tangy flavor of muscat fills your mouth in the most delicious way. The jelly pieces throughout also play a great role, giving each mouthful a pleasantly jiggly, fruit-like texture. The base and sauce are a perfect match, resulting in a finish that’s so juicy you could drink it endlessly during the blazing hot days of summer.

▼ Next up, we have the “Chillax Soda Muscat” (579 yen/590 yen takeout/dine-in for a Tall; 624 yen/635 yen for a Grande).

This is the third flavour to be released in Starbucks’ new “Chillax Soda” series, which is based on the concept of “aromatic sodas for a lighter mood”. Grape pulp jelly, muscat puree, soda water and a special green citrus-flavoured syrup are the ingredients here, with the jelly’s sweetness being central to delivering a crisp, refreshing flavour. The simplicity of the beverage serves to bring out the muscat’s sweetness, and the green citrus aromatics pair well with the muscat while the fizzy soda adds extra refreshment, creating a pleasantly chill drinking experience.

▼ Finally, we have the “Muscat Earl Grey Frozen Tea” (678 yen takeout; 690 yen dine-in, Tall size only)

Surprisingly, this is actually the most intriguing of the three, as it combines muscat-flavoured jelly and grape pulp sauce with the chain’s popular “Earl Grey Bouquet & Tea” tea latte, a milky, fragrant blend embellished with a vanilla-flavoured mousse topping.

This topping is unique in itself, as it’s lighter and smoother than whipped cream, allowing the stunning combination of Earl Grey and muscat to really shine.

Unlike the Frappuccino, the ice content isn’t as overpowering, so the refreshing Earl Grey takes centre stage, and with the jelly and sauce at the bottom of the cup, you can mix in as much or as little of it as you like to change the intensity of the fruit. With so many flavours and a texture somewhere between an iced drink and a Frappuccino, this is truly a new kind of beverage and it completely stole the show, standing out from its companions with an elevated, elegant deliciousness.

If you’re looking for a literal bite to eat alongside the new drinks, then we highly recommend the newly released “Sugar Doughnut Balls” (370 yen), which add a touch of decadent sweetness to the Shine Muscat beverages.

All of these newly released items are limited-time offerings for summer, with the chain saying they’ll only be available while stocks last. If you want to indulge in just one, then we highly recommend trying the Muscat Earl Grey Frozen Tea, but every item is delicious and worth trying — just don’t wait too long to try them before they disappear!

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