Co-authored by Aspen Boucher

On August 20th, 2025, The Cove began offering new boba drinks, marking the first time the university has had boba on campus for an extended period. In the past, other cultural drinks have been offered, like agua fresca for SUnity Day. Excited to hear they would offer caffeine sources other than energy drinks or coffee, we headed to the Cove to sample some refreshing boba. In addition to having drinks without boba, there are options for various levels of sweetness in the standard milk tea. Their new menu is split up into four sections: Boba Chiller, Iced Tea Fusion, Nostalgic Twist, and Natural Energy. We tried one tea from each section to get a variety of flavors and a more well-rounded understanding of the offerings. 

The Strawberry Lemon Boba Chiller is a strawberry lemonade with mango popping boba. We felt the lemon flavor was more of an afterthought and lacked sweetness. Overall, it was quite bland, with a flavor leaning towards lemon water rather than lemonade. However, the mango popping boba balanced out what the drink lacked in flavor, making the drink more enjoyable. The mango popping boba itself is quite sweet and has a strong mango flavor, which adds a tropical note to the drink. Our rating: 4/10. 

The Salted Caramel Milk Tea Iced Tea Fusion is a black tea with salted caramel swirls and brown sugar tapioca boba. This is the only tea that we tried with tapioca boba; the rest contained fruit popping boba. The most accurate comparison for this drink is a caramel frappuccino from Starbucks. The salted caramel flavor is prominent, and the tapioca pearls add a soft sweetness. We think that the tapioca boba was the star of the drink, with a nice chewy texture while maintaining flavor. Additionally, we think it’s one of the better milk teas we’ve tried, but it does not compare to the fruit teas that the Cove offers. Our rating: 4.5/10.

The Pineapple Mango Natural Energy drink is pineapple and mango flavored with strawberry popping boba with an energy boost from ashwagandha, green coffee extract, and ginseng. We were skeptical about this so-called “energy boost”, especially considering they did not include the caffeine content in these Natural Energy drinks. Ashwagandha is a shrub native to Africa and Asia, and is used in ayurvedic, or holistic, medicine. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it can lower stress and anxiety levels and can improve cognitive function. Green coffee (unroasted coffee beans) has been shown to lower blood pressure and is used as a weight loss supplement , though we found no research about its energy or cognitive benefits. Lastly, ginseng is shown to improve cognitive function and memory, but only in middle-aged adults, and it usually relies on ginkgo for its results. The drink itself is quite sweet, and the mango flavor overpowers the pineapple a little. Our rating: 7.5/10.

The last drink we sampled is the Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Nostalgic Twist, which is a blended strawberry lemonade with strawberry popping boba. This is the most refreshing drink they offer, and is very similar to any frozen lemonade you would find at a Texas fair. It is the sweetest of the drinks we tried and has the most overwhelming lemon flavor. The lemon brightens the flavor provided by the strawberry, which pairs nicely with the strawberry popping boba. Our rating: 8.5/10.

When choosing a drink from the Cove this semester, 13 out of 20 options include boba, but only 2 of those have tapioca pearls. Some options are sweeter, while others balance flavor and boba better. Everyone can find a drink they like, especially as a way to cool off in the comfort of the Cove. Whether you’re studying, hanging out with friends, or going to Fridays in the Cove, try one of these new drink options the next time you’re there! Aspen and Ariana’s final ranking:
1. Strawberry Lemon Nostalgic Twist
2. Pineapple Mango Natural Energy
3. Strawberry Lemonade Boba Chiller
4. Salted Caramel Milk Tea Iced Tea Infusion