You might have noticed something a little different when you went to get your morning coffee. In fact, Starbucks new Unicorn Frappuccino is causing quite the stir. Instagram is flooded with photos of the new drink option as Starbucks customers line up to try the colorful creation.
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One look at the drink and you’re reminded of something out of a carnival. The coffee giant says that the Unicorn Frappuccino has a “flavor and color-changing” uniqueness. It’s made using pink powder that is blended into a mango crème Frappuccino. It’s then layered with a sour powder topping. The color-changing will come when you stir the drink. It will change from purple to pink and the flavor will go from its initial sweet and fruity to a tangy and tart treat.
Yet as far as Starbucks is concerned the drink will need to do more than just attract Instagram posts. Limited time drinks are one of Starbucks specialties. The coffee connoisseur is known for rolling out new flavors that only last for a short period of time. For example, earlier it was the seasonal pumpkin spice latte which has been often imitated, but never duplicated, by many other coffee chains.
Frappuccino lovers only have a small window of time to try the new Unicorn Frappuccino. It will only be available from the 19th to the 23rd. It starts things out as Starbucks first new flavor of the year. It appears to be a good idea for the coffee chain to get back on its feet after a report of down sales for the year of 2016. Over the past year sales for Starbucks have dropped by at least 3 percent. That also adds to the fact that the company has a new CEO in the pilot’s seat.
So where did this idea come from? Starbucks says it pulled the idea from social media which is big on unicorn-theme food and drinks at the moment. Many also believe that the drink will be a great hit for generation Z, or those who were born after 1995. It’s Starbucks hope that the bright colors and mix of flavors will attract those who grew up with social media to spread the word, therefore, increasing customer flow for the company.
Yet despite its current popularity, Starbucks is not the first coffee joint to come up with this multi-colored invention. The End, a café in Brooklyn that opened up last year, has a reputation for their culturally creative and multicolored lattes. One of those is the Unicorn Latte which is made with ginger, lemon, coconut milk, honey, and E3Live blue-green algae.
There’s also the coffee stop called DRINK which is inside an American Eagle store in Time Square. They sell their own version of a Unicorn Latte. It’s safe to say that everyone was on the unicorn coffee bandwagon, and Starbucks decided to hop on last minute.
Yet with all the colors and flavor, Starbucks knows that some people will be concerned about the amount of sugar in the drink as well as its nutritional value. A spokesperson for the company told Business Insider that a tall Unicorn Frap that’s made with whole milk and has whipped cream will have 280 calories and 39 grams of sugar. If you don’t add cream and use almond milk instead of whole milk, a tall will only have 170 calories and 34 grams of sugar.
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The biggest question many people are asking is how does it taste. There are reports of “sour skittles” to “sweet and fruity” and some people just plain don’t like it. So, if you haven’t already, hit the nearest Starbucks and add your own photo to Instagram before the Unicorn Frappuccino become just another Starbucks myth.
