"new drinks" news and stories

Attention everyone who either doesn't drink dairy or simply prefers soy milk: Starbucks is test marketing their new soy-based blended drinks in some California markets right now. Of course, this is good news for me since I live in California, but it shouldn't be a problem to get them at your local Starbucks even before they're released.

From what I can tell, the drinks they're offering right now are basically the Pomegranate and Tangerine frappuccinos, but instead of being made with tea, they're being made with soy milk. Since this is a simple change, it means that if you ask your neighborhood Starbucks baristas very nicely, they should be able to make one up for you even if you're not in the current test market!

Since I like the Tangerine tea blends, it's no surprise that I also like the Tangerine Soy. I have to go back to taste the Pomegranate, but I hear that it is even better than the Pomegranate tea frappuccino. I still can't wait to try the soy coffee frappuccinos that Starbucks has had in the works for ages now. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see those on the menu boards, too.

Another drink being tested right now was brought to my attention courtesy of some friends in Texas. Apparently, there is an Acai frappuccino at some stores. Acai is the newest "superfood" of the moment, so there is little doubt that this drink will have a few potential health benefits touted if it hits the rest of the country.

Starbucks has two new flavors rolling out to its US stores this summer, both based on tea and not on milk/cream, like their other frappuccinos. The first flavor is pomegranate, which is a blend of juice concentrate and green tea. The second is a tangerine-lime flavor, a blend of tea, tangerine and orange juices with a hint of lime. There is even a new "tea blended" category on their website, but no drinks have been added to it as of yet.

It's nice to see something a bit lighter on the menu, not to mention that this will be a big plus for non-dairy drinkers. The drinks sound extremely refreshing, but they also sound like a rerelease of the old Tiazzi and Tazoberry drinks, which were fruity tea frappuccinos as well. Of course, they didn't come in either of these flavors - though citrus, berry and mango all saw some time on the menu board - but the principle is the same.

As a big fan of those older drinks, I'm definitely glad to hear that these are being added to the summer lineup at Starbucks.

Coca-Cola's newest drink, Coca-Cola Blak, is scheduled to be officially released on April 3rd. The drink, which we have mentioned before, is a blend of classic Coke and coffee "essence." The company is trying to market the uniqueness of the product, but similar blends have been released in the past and have failed.

In 1994, for example, Pepsi began to test market a soda called Pepsi Kona. It tasted more like coffee than soda and consumers were not thrilled. Back in 1995, Starbucks partnered with Pepsi and began to market a coffee product called Mazagran. It was a lightly carbonated iced coffee beverage and it, too, flopped. Customers were willing to try it once, based on the Starbucks name alone, but the drink was not enough to encourage repeat sales. The question is whether it was the carbonation or the coffee that put consumers off the original drink. Since coffee sales have boomed, one can only assume that the combination of coffee and carbonation has not previously been held in high regard by consumers.

Starbucks has a few new drinks in the works for this summer. Actually, the company is always testing new drinks in different parts of the country. Some are limited release - like macchiatos flavored with maple in the Northeast U.S. and coconut mocha in Hawaii - and others are destined, if successful, to be part of a much larger rollout. Creme Brulee and Blackberry Green Tea flavors, supposedly, will be released at the end of spring, and Starbucks is experimenting with soy-based Frappuccinos for non-dairy drinkers. The Green Tea Frappuccino is said to have blackberry puree or syrup, similar to the one added to the Strawberries and Cream frappuccino, added to the base, and the drink will be topped with a blackberry drizzle.