What is the Starburst All Pink Strawberry Drink Mix?
When I think of pink drinks, two notable ones come to mind – Pepto Bismol and the Starbucks Pink Drink, which I always hear people talk about but never see anybody order. Joining the ranks of these two bubblegum-hued beverages, Starburst’s new All Pink Drink Mix promises to transform this candy’s most popular flavor into a sugar-free, family-sized, and chuggable delight.
How is it?
If nothing else, the box certainly was right in describing this drink mix as “All Pink.” It’s so pink that I’d say this stuff actually gives Pepto Bismol a run for its money.
Color aside, I think we all can agree the more pressing issue at hand is how this stuff tastes. Does it adequately emulate Starburst’s fan-favorite flavor, or is it more similar to every other strawberry drink mix on the shelf?
After unearthing a pitcher big enough to mix up one of these gallon-portioned stick packs from the dark depths of my kitchen cabinets, I didn’t find this mix to be reminiscent of either of those things. It’s much too sweet to taste like actual strawberries – which is okay, I suppose, since fruit-flavored-candies hardly ever taste like real fruit either. The problem here is that I found this to be too sweet to come close to Starburst’s take on strawberry. Maybe it’s the cloying blend of artificial sweeteners at work here, but I thought this tasted closer to aspartame-sweetened cotton candy than it did to strawberry Starburst.
Is there anything else you should know?
For what it’s worth, Mars, who owns and manufactures Starburst candy, doesn’t make this mix. Instead, this drink mix is licensed and produced by Jel Sert, who seems to specialize in cooking up branded drink mixes that taste nothing like they’re supposed to.
Conclusion:
Although I’ve choked down water enhancers worse than this, I can’t imagine anyone ever wanting to buy it in a family-sized bulk box like I did to write this review. On the bright side, though, at least the internet seems to have plenty of recipes for Starburst-themed mixed drinks to give me some ideas for how to use the other seven stick packs I’m stuck with.
Purchased Price: $7.96
Size: 4.34 oz. (8 packs)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/11 of a stick pack) 5 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, and 0 grams of protein.