"coolatta" news and stories

Like every chain hailing from a specific region, Dunkin' Donuts is especially dear to many New Englanders. Once upon a time before the dawning of Starbucks, it was the only place to go for a Sunday morning coffee-and-donuts run -- usually with a groan of "time to get the donuts." In Boston, directions to Logan Airport are given via its locations: "Turn left at the first Dunkin', right at the second."

Although the chain has since gone national, it was no surprise to us that some folks -- probably New Englanders -- were furious when the Vanilla Bean Coolatta was discontinued over a year ago. It's a mysterious creation of ice and what DD's senior director of brand marketing, Scott Hudler, calls a "dairy-based cream" and the "taste of vanilla bean."

And although it's a "trade secret" as to whether there's actually vanilla bean in there, the thing has crazed fans. A quick Internet search reveals one enraged customer visited four separate shops the day the Coolattas were discontinued more than a year ago.

Happily enough, they're back, starting Wednesday.

Have you ever had this happen to you? You love a certain food or flavor for years, and then one day, for some reason, you're completely turned off by it and don't want to have it again? That's what is happening with me right now with mocha.

More specifically, mocha drinks. As I've mentioned here many times, I don't really like coffee, but I like drinks that have a mocha flavor in them. I bought Nestle's Ice Java chocolate mocha flavored syrup for a couple of years. I really liked it, and bought it again this summer. About two weeks ago it suddenly started to taste...um, really bad to me. It didn't taste right at all. I don't know if they changed the formula or if my bottle had gone bad (the date was fine), but it suddenly tasted really sharp and bitter and disgusting. They don't make the other flavors anymore (at least they don't sell them in my area).

But the mocha problems don't end there.