3 Afternoon Drinks Actually Worth Your Time — Ranked by a Community of Daily Sippers

By Heather M.

Last Updated June 4th, 2026

Summary: If you've been doing the same afternoon drive-thru run and quietly wondering if you're still getting a good deal — this list is for you. We rounded up the five best afternoon drinks that actually deliver on flavour and won't drain your wallet. Number 1 surprised us the most.

3. Olipop Strawberry Vanilla

If you're trying to cut back on the drive-thru without giving up something that actually tastes good, Olipop is probably already on your radar.

It's fizzy, fruity, and genuinely enjoyable. The strawberry vanilla flavor scratches a similar itch to a refresher and it's only 35-45 calories a can.

The catch, it's $3 to $4 a can at most grocery stores, adds up fast if you're doing it daily, and there's no protein. It's a cleaner soda, not really a Starbucks replacement.

Great option. Just not a complete one.

2. The DIY Starbucks Dupe

After enough disappointing drive-thru runs, a lot of women in this community started making their own at home.

The most popular version - raspberry lemonade, a pump of blue raspberry syrup, shaken over ice with popping boba. People say it tastes almost identical to the old Summer Berry for a fraction of the price.

Honestly? It works. If you have 10 minutes and the ingredients on hand it's a solid swap.

But you're still making something with no protein, a decent amount of sugar, and a list of ingredients to keep stocked. It solves the price problem. It doesn't solve the rest of it.

1. Looma's Clear Protein Refreshers

This is the one that stopped the scroll for most of us.

Same clear, fruity, iced drink energy as a Starbucks refresher.

Strawberry açaí flavor that actually tastes like something. No watered down aftertaste. No crash at 5pm.

10 grams of protein. Zero grams of sugar. 60 calories. $1.75 a serving.

Mix it with sparkling water if you want that fizzy refresher feel. Mix it with still water if you want something lighter. Either way it delivers in a way that $8.75 at the drive-thru stopped doing a long time ago.

This is what your 3pm has been missing.

If Looma sounds like what you've been missing, a lot of women in the community have been taking advantage of their buy two get one free deal right now. Worth checking out before it's gone.

See The Deal