Author: Heather

REVIEW: Starbucks Cortado

Heather 5 Comments

Hello, Cortado!

Starbucks is starting the year with a bang – well, a real caffeine bang – with the introduction of the Cortado. It has three ristretto shots of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso and steamed milk.

To start, let’s have a primer on what a ristretto shot is. Yes, a ristretto shot is an espresso shot, but the way it’s made is slightly different. There is less water “pulled” with the shot from the espresso machine, so while it uses the same amount of ground coffee as a regular shot, there’s less liquid that actually comes from the machine. So to put it simply, it’s more concentrated. There’s a lot of caffeine in a little liquid!

OK, on to the review! Holy cannoli, this might be my new favorite drink. First of all, it comes in a short cup (8 ounces), and it is ADORABLE. I think this is the first time I’ve ever ordered a short drink at Starbucks (and I’ve been a proud gold card member since 2013). It somehow made the drink FEEL less intense despite the three shots inside!

The Blonde Espresso here really has a nice, light flavor. Combined with the steamed milk, I really liken this to a latte. Same concept – espresso and milk – just with the method described above. So if you’re a latte lover, consider trying this as an alternative when you need more of a buzz. It was buttery and biscuit-y in flavor and very smooth to drink. If you’re customizing, you can certainly choose a milk alternative here (whole milk is the standard recipe).

I certainly didn’t notice a taste difference with the ristretto shot, so don’t be wary of that. But the 230 milligrams of caffeine did power me through the afternoon! You could start your day with the Cortado or have it as a pick-me-up. I highly recommend and am looking forward to more of these in my future. A great way to start the new year!

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Short
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 90 calories, 4.5 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 6 grams of total sugars, 5 grams of protein, and 230 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Cran-Merry Orange Refresher

Heather 1 Comment

It is time. (Insert Rafiki from “The Lion King” GIF here.)

The holiday beverages are out at Starbucks, and surprisingly, there’s a new Refresher on the menu. Typically any new Refresher varieties come out during the warmer months, so this was super intriguing to see. The new drink is the Cran-Merry Orange Refresher, which has orange, cranberry, and spice flavors mixed with water and cranberry inclusions, which just means cranberry pieces.

I enjoy the other Starbucks Refreshers, so I was certainly eager to give this one a go. My colleague loved it (read more about that later), so the bar was set high. It’s a beautiful cranberry-red color, so this drink certainly looks festive. As for the taste, I found it good. Not amazing, not bad… just good.

There’s definitely a fun mix of flavors here. First, I tasted the cranberry, then the orange, and then the spices at the end. The spices cut the berry’s tartness – this is definitely NOT a cranberry juice. I like the fact that it’s not overwhelmingly tart or sweet yet still tastes like something you’d drink during the holidays. The cranberry inclusions are a fun addition, but I don’t think they enhance the flavor.

But again, this is just good. It didn’t knock my socks off, but I liked it. It’s a different flavor combination compared to the other Refreshers in the lineup, but I’d pick others that I like better.

Like any of the other Starbucks Refreshers, you can order this with either lemonade or coconutmilk added to it. While I haven’t tried either of those modifications, my colleague got the lemonade version and RAVED about it. I’m thinking I’ll like it better than the standard version, so it’s on my list to try soon.

Purchased Price: $5.25
Size: Grande
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 100 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 20 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of protein, and 55 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Elphaba’s Cold Brew

Heather Leave a comment

In honor of the “Wicked” movie being released next month, Starbucks has released two “Wicked”-inspired drinks. One is Elphaba’s Cold Brew, which features the Starbucks cold brew with peppermint syrup. On top is a nondairy matcha cold foam (to give the green nod to the character Elphaba) and candy sprinkles.

Dear reader, this drink did not look like the promotional picture. I repeat, this drink did not look like the picture. But do not let it deter you! One sip of Elphaba’s Cold Brew and I was hooked.

I grabbed my drink immediately as my name was called, and the nondairy matcha cold foam was already settling into it, making the entire drink green. I *almost* thought they got my order wrong! There was still a small layer of the cold foam on the top, but most was already mixed in. I also didn’t find any of the candy sprinkles, which is truly the reason for the 9 versus 10 rating on this drink.

But oh my gosh. This cold brew was fabulous! I am a big proponent of putting peppermint in my drinks – specifically cold brew – all year round (Starbucks DOES have it all year, not just the holidays), so I knew I’d like this one. I find Starbucks’ peppermint syrup not too sweet at all, so it pairs nicely with the cold brew for a smooth taste.

I’m not always a matcha lover, but I was very pleasantly surprised with this cold foam. The earthy matcha taste was there, but much more muted than usual, thanks to the strong cold brew and peppermint.

The flavors stayed nice and even through the duration of me enjoying it. After I finished, I was honestly sad I only got a tall. Looks aside, this drink was a “Wicked” winner.

Purchased Price: $5.25
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 21 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of protein and 175 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte

Heather 4 Comments

Despite temperatures still close to the 90s in the Midwest, I’m still on the fall-flavored drinks train, and Starbucks has a new one: the Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte. This beverage, offered hot or cold, has Starbucks Blonde Espresso, oatmilk, pecan syrup, and a pecan crunch sugar topping. I tried this one as a hot latte.

I’m not even going to (pecan crunch) sugarcoat it here. This latte is AMAZING. I don’t think I’ve ever been more confident giving a drink a 10 out of 10 rating.

Right when I picked up the drink, I could smell the strong pecan flavor. It’s very strong and very nutty. The pecan syrup and the oatmilk are a perfect pair. Even though oatmilk doesn’t have nuts, my taste buds always pick up a bit of nuttiness. The latte is smooth and creamy, and the pecan syrup isn’t overly sweet. A tall has three pumps of syrup, and while I’m usually recommending to tone down the syrup pumps, I think you could actually add a little more here and still have a great drink.

The pecan crunch sugar topping is a nice addition and was still very present in look and flavor. Sometimes, I find the toppings can lose themselves in hot beverages, but I could detect this one with no problem. Overall, the flavor remained strong in the time it took me to finish it.

If you were to pair this with a treat, I’d go with the Cinnamon Coffee Cake. If I didn’t know this was pecan syrup, I’d guess it had some cinnamon since there’s a nice hint of spice.

This really is a perfect fall drink and a super nice alternative if you’re not a huge fan of the beloved PSL. Next time you see me, I’ll be hitting up my nearest Starbucks to try this one iced.

Purchased Price: $5.75
Size: Tall
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 20 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of protein and 85 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Starbucks Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte

Heather Leave a comment

My favorite time of the year is here: Fall-flavored goodies time. I’m firmly on the “I don’t care how early in August you bring back the pumpkin drinks” train because, for me, it’s never too early. And now that this time of year is here, Starbucks has introduced several new beverages, including an app-exclusive drink, the Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte. This latte features the Apple Brown Sugar Syrup along with Salted Caramel Cream Cold Foam.

The first thing I noticed when my drink came out was how milky it looked – much more so than the normal latte I get from Starbucks (one of my non-seasonal go-tos is an iced vanilla latte). Either the barista was heavy-handed on the milk, or the cold foam had already begun its descent to the bottom… it was hard to tell. It did have a creamy flavor that I didn’t mind, but it definitely masked the espresso. Granted, a tall only has one shot, but to me, there was no coffee flavor at all. It could be a good drink to ease a non-coffee drinker in! Or consider adding an extra shot if you want that espresso to shine.

As I sipped, the biggest thing I noted was that despite the salted caramel in the cold foam, the apple flavor steals the show here. There were small notes of caramel, but otherwise, it was apple all the way. If you’ve never had a drink with the Starbucks Apple Brown Sugar Syrup before, it has a nice spice to it, and that came through here.

I’m not used to cold foam on a latte – historically, it’s the cold brew beverages that tout it. So, adding the Salted Caramel Cream Cold Foam was an interesting touch. Again, I would have liked to taste more caramel, which is the main reason for my rating below. I wonder if toning down the pumps of Apple Brown Sugar Syrup would make a difference or if it’s just too strong of a flavor profile. Either way, I do enjoy the apple, and it’s fun to have a latter option that’s a little jazzier than the norm.

My last note here is that this is very much a dessert-like drink. At 320 calories for a tall and 36 grams of sugar, they’re not messing around. I don’t envision this as a “morning coffee to get my day going” drink but more of an afternoon treat. If you’re like me and fall flavors always win, I’d say give it a try.

Purchased Price: $5.95
Size: Tall
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 320 calories, 15 grams of total fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 470 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 36 grams of total sugars, 7 grams of protein and 75 milligrams of caffeine.