Each week for what feels like a month, as the team here at Marblehead Weekly News has sat down to pitch stories for upcoming editions, I’ve pitched heading to Drink Station on Washington Street to sample the bubble tea. This week, I finally got my wish.
I headed to Drink Station on a rainy afternoon. Upon entering, I was briefly paralyzed by the staggering number of options on the menu. Available to me was everything from classic milk tea to fruit-flavored smoothies to lemonade, all of which could be finished with any number of boba toppings — from mango popping boba and coconut jelly to the classic brown sugar boba.
For this exercise, I ordered two drinks: one a personal preference, and one that was recommended to me when I asked about the most popular item. After a bit of back and forth on account of a language barrier, the woman behind the counter suggested the brown sugar milk tea, to which I requested to add brown sugar boba. My selection was a mango smoothie, to which I also added brown sugar boba.
Each drink was crafted to order and sealed by a machine that scooped up the cup and sealed a thin layer of plastic over it, which could then be punctured with a straw.
I thoroughly enjoyed both options — the brown sugar milk tea in particular was a pleasant surprise, and I can see why this is the go-to for Marbleheaders stopping by the relatively new locale. My first sip was jam-packed with plump, chewy boba, which is typically made from tapioca flour. The brown sugar added a nice dimension of sweetness, but didn’t make the drink overly sweet by any means. The flavor of the milk tea itself brought the beverage together, pairing nicely with the caramel notes of the brown sugar. Nothing about it tasted artificial, and I would definitely order this again.
There’s a high likelihood that what I tell you next is just a matter of perception, but it seemed to me that the boba in my smoothie were smaller than those in the tea. Maybe it’s due to the colder temperature of the drink, or the larger volume (smoothies can only be ordered in a size large). Either way, the smoothie was creamy and had plenty of mango flavor. The boba was firm and chewy, pairing well with the thicker texture of the smoothie.
For a total of $14.34 for two drinks plus boba, Drink Station offers a bevy of combinations and flavors at a great value. There’s bound to be something for everyone here — even those who are not fans of bubble tea.
