Starbucks Wants To Turn Your Dial To 11 With New Energy Drinks

Just in case you’re not getting enough energy from Starbucks’ actual coffee or espresso drink, the company has a new offering in the pipeline to give customers the jolt they crave. In April, the omnipresent chain will introduce Refreshers at retail locations nationwide, as well as convenience and grocery stores.

USA Today reports on the announcement, made at the company’s annual meeting in Seattle. The drinks will be “natural,” made from unroasted, green coffee extract, but will have a fruity, non-coffee taste. They’ll run around 60 calories per $1.99 can, with about two-thirds the amount of caffeine of an espresso and one-third of an eight-ounce cup of coffee.

“Starbucks is firing on all cylinders,” CEO Howard Schultz told 2,000 shareholders (pyew, pyew, pyew!). “We are now creating lots of Starbucks products to live outside of our stores.”

The energy drink industry is a lucrative one, with around $8 billion in business, and Starbucks is optimistic they’ll get a nice lille chunk of that. Executives predict sales from these drinks will one day match those from their retail sales. They’re all about expanding lately, announcing earlier this week the opening of their first Evolution Fresh juice bars, with plans for more next year.

Starbucks to jolt consumers with Refreshers energy drink [USA Today]

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