Forget about breakfast, lunch, and dinner—people love a fun beverage. Ordering iced coffee, sweet tea, or fruit-flavored refreshers is a simple way to elevate your morning, but when it becomes a daily habit, it gets real costly real fast. Naturally, many of us skip the drive thru in favor of the one place we know we’ll save money: Costco. From coffee products to better-for-you sodas in bulk, we can always rely on the warehouse to keep our fridges stocked. And one of the latest products to hit Costco shelves may even compete with your go-to Starbucks order (if you’re a Pink Drink fan, that is). Shoppers took to the Costco subreddit to rave about the Vita Coco Treats Strawberries & Cream Coconut Milk Drink and have declared it “literally tastes like” the popular Starbucks refresher.
What Is the Vita Coco Treats Strawberries & Cream Coconut Milk Drink?
Vita Coco is a coconut water brand, so unsurprisingly, this is a coconut-based drink. It’s essentially a blend of coconut water and coconut milk that’s sweetened and flavored with strawberries. If you’ve ever had strawberries and creme candies or ice cream, it has a similar flavor profile. It’s also downright refreshing since coconut water is known to be very hydrating and packed with electrolytes. Plus, it has an aesthetic pink color that looks like the real deal when poured over ice and served with sliced strawberries.
Unlike plain coconut water, however, this one doesn’t have any buzzy wellness claims surrounding it. In fact, Redditors are quick to point out that it’s kind of high in sugar with 34 grams of the stuff per bottle. For comparison, a can of Coca-Cola packs 39 grams of sugar, so it’s almost like drinking soda. At the same time, Vita Coco doesn’t hide that this is a sweetened beverage—it’s a treat, which is right there in the name. As long as you enjoy this in moderation, you should be good to go.
How Does It Compare to the Starbucks Pink Drunk?
This drink isn’t advertised as being a Starbucks Pink Drink dupe, but customers were quick to compare the two. “It literally tastes like a bottled version of Starbucks’ Pink Drink, but somehow better,” one shopper commented. “It tastes just like something from Starbucks indeed,” another chimed in, adding that it’s now their new favorite beverage.
But what is the Pink Drink exactly? It’s part of Starbucks’ line of refreshers—fruit-flavored beverages with a boost of caffeine. The Pink Drink in particular is made by combining the Acai Strawberry Refresher with coconut milk and sliced strawberries. Like the name suggests, it’s actually pink. It’s also served over ice, so it’s a popular, refreshing choice during the warmer months.
The drink that Costco carries doesn’t contain added caffeine like the one at Starbucks, so it’s not going to give you that bolt of energy (though a sugar high isn’t out of the question). Taste wise, the two are nearly identical. Ironically, the Vita Coco strawberry drink tastes better than Starbucks’ bottled Pink Drink you can buy at some supermarkets, Redditors said. Others agreed that the Costco version was better, while some weren’t as impressed, but you can’t please everyone.
Where to Get Vita Coco Treats Strawberries & Cream Coconut Milk Drink
Things that are worth having aren’t always easy to get, and you might have to hunt this one down. It’s been spotted at various Costco locations, but we haven’t seen it for sale on Costco’s website. Some shoppers mention spotting this product at Costco’s Business Center, but you have to have a special membership to shop there. If you have trouble buying it in bulk, you can also buy it at Target, where shoppers are equally impressed by the deliciousness of this find. The $3.49 sticker price per 16.9-ounce bottle is still cheaper than a grande Pink Drink.
