What do you think of the 2008 summer beverages?

They are.....

* Mint Chip Frappuccino with Chocolate Whipped Cream
* Blended Lemonade or Blended Green Tea Lemonade with Fresh Lemon Zest
* Double Shot + Energy, available hand-crafted or ready to drink 

Comments

Chocolate whip cream will be a nightmare after the promo is over... everyone will want it, both during and after the promo...

well i dont know if its going to be made the regular way whip cream is made except with mocha instead of vanilla... but if it is.. my store tried that already and its not that amazing, so hopefully it doesnt become such a fad.

none of those are actually "new" drinks! just uncommon combinations!
except maybe the mysterious "energy" that will accompany the double shot.

We've been making mint chip frappuccino's since we got peppermint in the store. We just call them grasshopper frappuccino. Blended Lemonades are not new as we've been making Strawberry ones for a while now. The lemon zest should be interesting though. I guess the heavy cream gets mocha instead of vanilla to make chocolate whipped cream. At least there isn't a nasty frappuccino like the orange and blueberry fiasco of last year.

[J]

There is an actual Mint Chocolate Chip Fontana syrup now. Can't say if there's any difference.

[JSizzle]

Hey guys!

Just saw the promo on the portal today. The Mint Mocha Chip and Mint Chocolaty Chip frappuccinos are the same ones that we had the summer of '05, made with the CHOCOLATE MINT syrup (which is different than the peppermint syrup we already carry). The twist is, yes, they will come equipped with chocolate whipped cream.

We will also have a reduced fat strawberries and creme coffee cake and the raspberry apricot thumbprint scone.

Could Starbucks be actually listening to their customers on the MyStarbucksIdea.com site? If you check out their comments, SEVERAL people have requested that the mint chocolate syrup returned.

Anyway, I'm most excited about the new DoubleShot drinks, since they will come in new Mocha and Vanilla flavors.

:)

"+ Energy" guarana, B-Vitamins, etc...

[cutebarista!]

lame, lame and lame.

SO glad i don't work there anymore.

[seventysix [76]]

Sounds intriguing! New things, but not over the top. In all a good direction for the company to go this summer.

Hope you are all well and either delivering legendary service (partners) or receiving it (customers).

:)

seventysix [76]

[KC]

When will the drinks be available?

lame, lame and lame.

SO glad i don't work there anymore

So are we....

Can these come in the "lite" version or better yet, the "skinny" version?

Why not bring back the "Banana's & Cream" Frap...those were the best ever

[Proud Barista]

I had to be negative, but what happened to "going back to the bean"?

Ugh...those mint chip things were soooo disgusting.

[13yearcustomer]

Any chance the "Energy" is cocaine? Just checking. I mean, that would be a pepper upper.

[Sheik]

:: I had to be negative, but what happened to "going back to the bean"? ::

And what would -SUMMER- be without a new Frappuccino?

[sbuxnewbie]

I'm really hoping that the Blueberry White Iced Tea comes back...

We still get people asking for it, and it was my favorite.

[Vicki Verona]

I would have preferred that if they were going to bring back an old favorite to try getting back to the core, that they would bring back something that was more coffee centric like that old espresso bean chip frappuccino we had which had actually espresso bits in the chocolate chips.

My partners and I tried the mint chip syrup today and it is horrible. Its a very fake mint chip flavor, kinda like a sugar free syrup.

Very excited about the lemonade blends and the shaken double shots.

[SBUXCO]

If you want to make an interesting whip cream then try a white mocha cinnamon dolce whip cream. It's actually quite good.

The blended lemonade is going to be quite interesting because what are they going to use to accompany the lemonade? It'll be part lemonade and then what?(They need something with a thicker consistency so they blended drink doesn't settle out so rediculously fast.

[dmanagerLA]

we have used the chocolate whip in the past, probably about 10 years ago. customers loved it then, customers will love it now.

[Vicki Verona]

DManagerLA:

Is it just made with 8 pumps of mocha sauce? Or do you add vanilla too?

espresso whip cream is awesome!

I like this Summer line up.

Nothing crazy different than something we normally do or have done in the past.

[WateryTart]

The first and third choices do not sound good (to me) but the green tea lemonaide sounds wonderful!
If it really is something I can order now, what would I ask for? "Green tea lemonaide" or something else?

[seventysix [76]]

We've played around before with making Mocha WC, raspberry WC, etc. We just did 6p of the vanilla syrup and added 2 of the Mocha or raspberry. Can't imagine WC with 8 pumps of Mocha! Whoosh.

[Malleigh]

Oh that blueberry tea, that was the stuff. The chocolate raspberry frapp however, that was like Robitussin only not as good.

[JW]

They all sound good, but the Mint Chip Frappuccino doesn't seem like Summer but more like Winter. I like the Pomegranate Frappuccino I had a year or two ago.

Mocha Whipped Cream should be made with 8 pumps v. with 2 pumps mocha... then it is actually tasty.

But the new bevs sound good (but so did honey and they f'd that up royally, so we'll see) and power packs? Didn't they get rid of them already? I'm glad they will be here because I could ALWAYS need some power to get through the day...

I need to open tomorrow, good night!

[KC]

So the new drinks will be available in May? June?

[affogoto]

When we make Mocha whip (when we get silly during closes) it's 4p Vanilla, 4p Mocha... anything else just tastes too gritty or too vanilla-ey

The summer drinks start the first Tuesday in May.

[CapGirl]

So here it goes, we have a "big-wig" from corporate coming to tour our stores next week.

One of his things requests is a cappuccino but then he tries to float a quarter on the top of the cappuccino! Can anyone do it? ANY TIPS??

[CapGirl]

So here it goes, we have a "big-wig" from corporate coming to tour our stores next week.

One of his things requests is a cappuccino but then he tries to float a quarter on the top of the cappuccino! Can anyone do it? ANY TIPS??

[Sho Nuff]

I would hate to drink a cappucino that could float a quarter on top...

[BaristaB]

floating quarter I think is impossible but if you steam the milk correctly--with DENSE bubbles--you can totally float a dime on top, at least for a bit. If you steam the milk correctly the cappucino will also stay about the same level instead of "shrinking".

[SBUXCO]

Well having a quarter that can sit on the foam is good indication of foam that is dense and thick....the only advice i can give is to steam the milk like on the espresso training when they taught how to steam the milk. That should give you good foam.

[Dude]

At my store we use a spoon to see if the foam is perfect... we stick it in and if it stays in the middle, it's excellent...

BTW does anyone remember those chunky frappucinos we had a few years ago? They looked grossed, but I remembered I like them.... we put this gelatin looking squares into it after blending it... something like Boba ...

[betty barista]

I am kind of excited for the mint chip frappucccino. I think of all of the people out there that love mint chocolate chip ice cream will be willing to try it out!

AND, I think the chocolate whip cream idea is interesting to say the least...I think we'll all complain a little bit about the prep but after a couple of times it'll seem like no big deal.

I'm not a big fan of green tea lemonade as it stands now...I get weirded out by the mint/lemonade combo...but I will try it out when we get the recipes for it.

All in all, I'm excited!! I hope they have some cute summer stuff to put in the stores too. I am loving what we have for the spring!! :)

[Millstone]

Last night I spent a good 10 minutes trying to float a dime. Used both the standard 2% and breve and just could not do it! I make a pretty good cap too! I'm so bummed :(

[ben]

"I'm not a big fan of green tea lemonade as it stands now...I get weirded out by the mint/lemonade combo...but I will try it out when we get the recipes for it."

Why will it be minty? I think it'll taste just like a green tea lemonade, just blended with ice. It sounds very summer-y to me. As for the mint chocolate, I remember drinking those in high school. I loved them back in.. 2005 was it? I wonder how it'll taste to me now that I've grown up a bit.

[ensenadajim]

The only version they come in is "make your butt bigger."

jim

Ben - our green tea has mint notes in it, as it compliments the flavour of the green tea nicely.

[dmanagerLA]

vicki,
when we made it before, I believe we used the old "frappuccino" mocha (we used to have 2 different chocolates, one for Mochas and one for Fraps.) The frap mocha was sweeter, less bittersweet. I don't know how they are going to have us make it this time!

All I know, it wasn't a logistic nightmare, like some people feared. It really was pretty simple. Also, we had black tips for our Whip siphons. That was nice.

Vicki, have you heard who is in L.A. this week?

really hoping that the Blueberry White Iced Tea comes back...

We still get people asking for it, and it was my favorite.

Posted by: sbuxnewbie | Apr 17, 2008 5:16:32 PM

put two berryblossom tea bags in a tall cup. let it steep for the correct amt of time (it's written on the side of the box and i believe it's 3 min. but i'm tired and could be wrong), and there you go. you've got your tea concentrate. add water + classic and you're set.

[Horse Goat]

I.
"Mint Chip Frappuccino with Chocolate Whipped Cream"

This doesn't strike me as very much of a summer drink. Way too 'dessert'ish sounding. Also, I'm going to guess ... 600 calories to a venti? Can we say 'Moo'

II.

In general, I'm underwhelmed by the drinks, but I take my own opinion with a grain of salt at this point in time (If that makes sense). I recognize that it is HARD to constantly roll out new drinks every single season. I appreciate that Starbucks makes the effort every time. Which is why I frequent the place with $. (econ 101)

But, I do hope that these drinks we are seeing are the last from the 'pre-Howard' development pipeline, and that we'll see a discernible uptick in quality and ingenuity of offerings beginning in the fall. With (hopefully) far better taste-test vetting procedures.

III.

I'm STILL waiting for the grand pastry case reorganization, sreamline, and thematic rejuvination announcement. It is desperately in need of a unified vision (even if that vision includes 'market specific offerings').

[Horse Goat]

Ah, I almost forgot (I'm in the mood to blab this evening apparently)

The last time I really felt sbux 'got' the summer drink rollout was with the 06' green tea line of fraps latte etc. (With that crazy berry sauce)

Also, I think one of the problems facing any coffee company is that, by and large, of all the seasons which seem most unconducive to coffee offerings, it's the summer. So part of their lackluster offerings may be a generalized difficulty with the seasonal aspect of it.

Oh well. Venti no room iced americano it is.

[dmanagerLA]

horse goat,
the pastry thing, well, it is being tested in l.a., and I am sure other places as well.
be a little patient... it is coming, i am sure of it.
d.

[SBUXCO]

What type of spoon do you use?...do you mean you stick on in the middle and see if it doesn't move? Definitely have to try that out.

Millstone: If you want better foam(milk that foams up easier and thicker) you should actually use non-fat milk, not 2% or breve

[Vicki Verona]

DManagerLA:

NO! Who is coming? I've been working only 2-3 days a week at my store. My ASMs are running my store as I am getting set to go on maternity leave.