Spring has arrived at Starbucks.
Two new drinks were introduced by the coffee giant in celebration of the warmer weather. Both incorporate lavender — an ingredient Starbucks has never utilized before.
The Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha and Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte hit stores on Thursday, and people got their first taste.
The matcha drink layers the popular green tea with oat milk and lavender cream cold foam. The foam’s creamy and delicious texture is comparable to a milkshake. The earthy matcha is complemented so nicely by the sweet cold foam — but still, the drink isn’t overly sugary. Important to note: Though the new beverage features oat milk, it’s not completely dairy-free, as the foam contains real milk, which explains its creaminess.
The foam is a pale, beautiful shade of lavender, so combined with the green matcha, it makes for a gorgeous photo.
The Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte isn’t as pretty as the purple Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte, but it’s just as delicious. The lavender powder is swirled into blonde espresso, so the drink isn’t purple, but it’s still delicious. If you’re more of an almond milk person, that would make for a nice swap here.
In both drinks, there’s just a hint of floral in the background, so don’t expect lavender to hit you right in the face.
Patrick Penny, a Starbucks beverage developer, came up with the idea for the drinks while on a visit to a lavender farm near the company’s headquarters in Seattle.
“We have an abundance of lavender farms in Washington state,” he said in a press release. “It’s a really beautiful floral and it smells amazing. We were in the fields cutting various stalks of lavender, smelling different varietals, looking at the flowers … trying not to get stung by bees.”
While March is all about purple at Starbucks, February saw a flurry of pink drinks for Valentine’s Day. Two drinks have joined the menu: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccino and Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew.
The frappuccino featured a blend of ice, milk, strawberry puree, and java chips, layered on top of a splash of strawberry puree and topped with whipped cream. The sweet cold brew combined hazelnut syrup with chocolate cream foam and a chocolate cookie crumble topping.
See new Iced Lavender Oatmilk Matcha and Lattee
If fall is about pumpkin spice lattes then spring is all about lavender.
The company introduced two new lavender flavored drinks available for a limited time.
- Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha: This iced drink features smooth matcha served with oat milk and topped with sweet lavender cream cold foam
- Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte: this ice drinks combines blonde espresso, creamy oat milk, and the “sweet and subtle floral notes of lavender.”
Spring merchandise includes pastel pink curved mug
To kick off spring, the company is launching new colorful merchandise.
Seasonal items include brightly colored cold cups, tumblers, water bottles, and even a pastel pink curved mug. Prices for the new items vary between $16.95 and $29.95.
“Starbucks is also introducing artist Shae Anthony’s joyful collection of drinkware as part of the Starbucks Artist Collaboration Series,” the chain said in a news release.
Reward members can also earn 25 points and 10 cents off their beverage if they bring a clean personal cup when they order at a Starbucks location, drive-thru or on the official app.
