Trader Joe's launches copycat of a Starbucks fan favorite

The new Trader Joe's summertime drink is a fraction of the price.

May 9, 2025 - 15:14

Trader Joe's launches copycat of a Starbucks fan favorite

You probably don't go to Starbucks every day.

It would be too expensive these days, because the cost of just about anything you buy at a quick-service or fast-food restaurant has gone up and up and up. (And yes, Starbucks is considered a fast-food joint.)

People have been locking down their budgets in light of inflation and ongoing economic uncertainty, and one of the first things to go is indulgences like eating and drinking out.

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The most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the cost of food consumed away from home rose by 0.4% for the month of March, compared to February.

That sounds like a small increment, but the costs have been creeping up continuously, bringing the year-over-year increase to 3.8%, the CPI found; April numbers are due May 13.

All that is to say, people are looking for ways to save on their food budgets and are growing more cautious with their spending as President Donald Trump's erratic trade tariff announcements have created economic uncertainty and threatened to fuel inflation.

Iced matcha is a popular drink at Starbucks and Trader Joe's.
Image source: REDA/Getty Images

Starbucks got rid of a popular drink

Restaurant visits and consumer spending overall weakened in February and March, and shrinking budgets are taking a bite out of sales, including at places like Starbucks (SBUX) .

During Starbucks' most recent earnings call, the company announced total same-store sales declined 1% in the second quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of a 0.26% fall.

As he works on his turnaround plan, the company's new CEO, Brian Niccol, has made a number of changes, such as removing more than a dozen underperforming items from menus, including 13 drinks.

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One fan-favorite that got the boot was the Iced Matcha Lemonade. Apparently, it was one of those drinks that took baristas too long to make. Since Niccols also promised to reduce the time it takes for customers to have their drinks in hand, it had to go.

But Trader Joe's has come to the rescue.

Trader Joe's has a copycat version of the Starbucks favorite

Trader Joe's new Sparkling Matcha Lemonade is nearly identical to the Starbucks Iced Matcha Lemonade.

The beverage combines citrusy lemon and earthy matcha, with the added bonus of bubbles.

So far, Trader Joe's fans on Instagram have enthusiastically endorsed the drink and are even coming up with creative mix-ins.

@koshertraderjoes calls it, "Perfect for a warm day! A great mix of citrus and earth tones on matcha!"

@foodieisafourletterword mixed the drink with Trader Joe's Sparkling Pineapple Juice for a double dose of bubbles. "...Thought it would be a delicious mixed for matcha — it was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!" she wrote.

And @Amandamaehome turned the new drink into an after-hours treat by adding Trader Joe's Limoncello and a splash of half-and-half, shaken in a cocktail shaker and poured over ice. "This is so light and the limoncello is giving all the spring feels and making me so excited for warmer days," she wrote.

The best part of all? The Trader Joe's version is about half the price of a 12-ounce Iced Matcha Lemonade from Starbucks. A 12-ounce can contains 80 calories, has 18 grams of sugar, and costs $1.99.