Starbucks' Wicked Drinks Have All The Right Elements: Review

Before we get our spells twisted over the good witch vs. bad witch debate, we must face the most wicked force of all: Thirsty Witch. (She is positively parched, mkay?) So, I popped by Starbucks for what just might be its most glimmering drink launch yet.

In celebration of Universal Pictures' "Wicked," flying into a theater near you on November 22, 2024, Starbucks conjured up an eye-popping iced potion and a mysterious cold brew that really serves main character energy. Future Good Witch of the North, Glinda (portrayed in the movie by Ariana Grande), gets the sweet and sparkly Starbucks Glinda's Pink Potion; and the ultimate Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo), wins the dark and mercurial Starbucks Elphaba's Cold Brew.

Taking the themes of belonging and friendship to heart, the brand will also be dropping an entire "Wicked"-inspired drinkware line in November featuring tumblers and cold cups (perfect for BYO), plus keychain-sized mini-tumblers and Starbucks gift cards dusted with extra charm. But enough about how everyone on your shopping list is getting Glinda and Elphaba Starbucks merch for the holidays. Hold onto your broomstick as I uncover the magic behind Starbucks' witches' brews!

Recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by Starbucks.

Starbucks' Glinda's Pink Potion explodes like cotton candy in your mouth. Mango Dragon Fruit Starbucks Refresher gets the "Wicked" treatment with the addition of coconut milk, ice, and freeze-dried dragon fruit. Velvety, dairy-free strawberry cold foam topping provides the stage for a spray of candy sprinkles.

Just like the character, Glinda's Pink Potion dresses up with all the frills. Giving Barbie a run for her money, the fuchsia-colored dragon fruit screams "fun witch," while creamy-pink cold foam almost giggles at the neutral interior of my local Starbucks, catching curious looks from morning commuters as the barista slides it across the counter.

At first sip, I get a mouthful of cold foam, freeze-dried dragon fruit, and candy sprinkles. There's no mistaking the sugary sweetness, but I'm loving every second of the Oz-like magic act. After a longer drink, I can taste the grassy flavors of green coffee extract in the Starbucks Refresher mix, and I find myself chewing soft bits of dragon fruit which slip past the ice cubes also fighting for the exit through the sippy-cup lid. It tastes just as bright and cheery as it looks. I can almost hear movie-Glinda saying, "Listen to me. You can do anything." "Is it weird to order two?" I ask the stranger next to me — imagining he was Glinda. He looks at me blankly. (He apparently isn't studying at Shiz University like the rest of us.)

Starbucks' Elphaba's Cold Brew makes a peppermint statement without horning in on any — ahem — upcoming holiday drinks. (Fun fact: Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha debuted in 2002 — the year before "Wicked" originally hit Broadway!) For Elphaba's take, Starbucks cold brew meets peppermint-flavored syrup, plus dairy-free matcha cold foam with a dusting of candy sprinkles.

Elphaba's Cold Brew feels moody and mysterious as pale green cold foam slowly transcends the icy depths of the cold brew coffee. "It's the Wizard who should be afraid of me," Elphaba seems to say. But this disappearing act lasts just minutes before the coffee and foam blend into a normalish-looking green-hued iced coffee. The witch-green candy sprinkles melt away even faster than that.

I love minty things. If you love mint, you'll love this. If you hate mint, you might be team Glinda (no hard feelings). I probably wouldn't drink a cup of coffee right after brushing my teeth, but I'm into this flavor profile 100%. It's sweet without cloying, with a whisper of matcha taking you back to your minty coffee farm, where you sip to the good life. Elphaba's Cold Brew is much less sweet than Glinda's Pink Potion, but Elphaba harnesses her powers as the stronger-tasting, more coffee-forward of the two drinks. Because the sweetness here is a little more understated — and tempered by the cold brew — I could sip this all day without worrying when my sugar high will eventually bottom out.

Yes, there is caffeine in both of these drinks — and you might officially defy gravity after chugging a grande. But even though I expected both coffees to lean sweet, it's nice to know exactly what you're ordering from the Good Witches behind the Starbucks counter.

One 16-ounce (Ariana) grande Glinda's Pink Potion features 270 calories, 10 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, 36 grams of sugar (29 grams of which are added), and 45 milligrams of caffeine. This amount of caffeine is equal to roughly half of an 8-ounce cup of coffee, or a whole 12-ounce can of soda. The recipe was also crafted for dairy-free fans, with coconut milk mixed into the Starbucks Refresher base, and non-dairy vanilla creamer for the strawberry cold foam.

Over in Munchkinland, a 16-ounce grande Elphaba's Cold Brew has 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, 28 grams of added sugar, and 225 milligrams of caffeine (or the same caffeine as the estimated high end of a 12-ounce cup of coffee). If you want to join in the Elphaba fun with less of a caffeine buzz, you won't need a copy of the Grimmerie to do it. My shop's barista recommends customizing the drink using a decaf iced Americano (this features decaf espresso shots) instead of the Starbucks signature cold brew for a smooth-sailing trip to Oz.

Starbucks' new "Wicked" drink line dropped nationwide on Tuesday October 22, 2024. But since nothing good can last forever, this line's only around for a limited time. (Better make that a venti.)

There's no official word on how long Glinda's Pink Potion and Elphaba's Cold Brew will be sold in stores, but I'm guessing fans will have most of November to stir up the magic. With "Wicked" arriving in theaters on November 22, 2024, Starbucks can't possibly leave us hanging with no way to keep the party going. Still, even so, this wicked fun theme might have a tougher time competing with the seasonal shift once Starbucks launches the icons of its winter series. With a leak on Instagram revealing that the new 2024 Starbucks holiday menu could be slated for a November 7 release, it could possibly be that the "Wicked" series is here for a good time, not a long time.

Representing equal parts Glinda and Elphaba, brand new "Wicked"-themed Starbucks cold cups and tumblers drop on Thursday November 7, 2024, along with the cutest mini tumbler keychains. (FYI, I mentally reserved the pink and purple faceted 24-ounce Prism Cold Cup with sparkly Wand Straw Topper — clearly inspired by Glinda's favorite accessory. Oh, and I also reserved the 24-ounce eerily green Pleated Glow-in-the-dark Cold Cup with the Broom Straw Topper, and the black 24-ounce Defy Gravity Glow-in-the-dark Cold Cup. Treat yourself!)

The chain is also unveiling new "Wicked" Starbucks gift cards for the occasion, so you can hook up your favorite Munchkin friends with more of their Starbies favorites. But just like the "Wicked" drink series, these items are available for a short time — and only while supplies last. See something you like? Add it to the cart before someone else gets it first.

They're all but guaranteed to be "popular." But are the new Starbucks "Wicked" drinks actually worth maxing out your gift card? For "Wicked" fans — and sweet drink-loving Starbucks devotees — that'll be an "oh yes."

Both of these drinks are much more sugary than I'd normally go for. But I have to admit that they perfectly showcase the thrill of this big screen story in sippable form. Just like any trip to Starbucks, I was immediately hit by the dark Starbucks roast in the air as I walked through the door silently rehearsing my drink ordering sequence. (Turns out, I didn't need it. "I'll have the 'Wicked' drinks!" also totally works.) Glinda's Pink Potion and Elphaba's Cold Brew understood the assignment and get an A for artistry, with a gold star for festivity. This particular shop sadly no longer sells merch due to its prime Hollywood location in Los Angeles, but none of that seems to weigh on the staff who seem authentically enthusiastic about making everyone's day — and betting on whether the "Wicked" movie will be as good as the Broadway show (which they knew by heart). "Wicked" hits theaters November 22, 2024, but you'll just have to wait until next year for whatever Starbucks might have up its sleeve for "Wicked Part Two" scheduled for November 21, 2025. Until then, embrace your inner good — or wicked — witch, and lean into the iced coffee movie magic!