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.

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.

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.

Here’s a little TMI about me. My go-to drink at Starbucks is the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Actually, it’s the only drink in my regular Starbucks coffee rotation because, as my therapist has pointed out, I don’t like coming out of my comfort zone. Also, it’s a simple drink — vanilla syrup, vanilla sweet cream, ice, and cold brew. The only times I deviate is when I have to review something new. But no matter how good those new products are, none of them stick with me, so it’s back to c-old relia-brew.

But there’s now a new cold brew drink on the menu that might have a chance to stick with me — the Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Yes, it’s the same drink, but it’s nondairy. Oatmilk and soy milk are used to make the dairy-less vanilla sweet cream, which helps make this coffee drink slightly healthier than the regular version. In a grande, we’re talking about four grams less saturated fat and a slight decrease in calories, total fat, and sugar.

There’s a slightly odd vegetable flavor with the very first sip. I want to say pea-like. But that taste disappears after a few quick swirls to mix the drink. The vanilla and cream flavors are less pronounced in this nondairy version, but the level of coffee also tastes less striking than with the regular Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. I’m all for hiding the taste of coffee behind cream and sugar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like this more than the dairy version. I enjoy both equally. However, since the nondairy vanilla sweet cream is a permanent addition to the menu and, as my primary care physician has pointed out, I need to cut back on my saturated fat, I’ll be ordering this from now on. Actually, I’ve already purchased it three times since it debuted.

So, I now have a new go-to coffee at Starbucks, which is almost exactly like my old go-to at Starbucks. I guess it’s sort of like replacing original Oreo cookies with Oreo Thins as my favorite sandwich cookie.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Size: Grande
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 100 calories, 4 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 185 milligrams of caffeine.

Summer is here, and so is another iced coffee from Starbucks to keep you hydrated. (Note: I am not a doctor, who would probably tell you to hydrate with water, but iced coffee is made of water too, so it counts… right?) The coffee chain recently released the Carmel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee, and honestly, I would have thought something like this was already on the menu. Nonetheless, this flavor profile is right up my alley, so I was excited to try it.

I was delighted to find out this iced coffee features caramel syrup and Vanilla Sweet Cream. I LOVE the Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream and could probably drink it straight. My initial thought was that they would have just combined vanilla and caramel syrup, so this got me excited right off the bat.

Readers, this iced coffee did not disappoint. I’ll start with the only negative – when I received the coffee, it did not look pretty and swirled like the promotional photo. But as my grandfather used to say, if that’s the worst thing, then we’re still doing pretty well.

At first sip, the Vanilla Sweet Cream flavor really hits you up front—so much so that I wondered if they forgot the caramel. But don’t worry! The caramel syrup really shined through in the aftertaste. The flavors paired together nicely and were very present while I milked the drink (I’ve said before in my reviews that I can make an iced beverage last several hours, depending on what I’m caught up in).

The other thing I really liked about this iced coffee was that it wasn’t too sweet. With 26 grams of sugar in a grande, it certainly had the potential to be, but I was pleasantly surprised. And the caffeine also packs a nice punch – I could see myself getting this either as my first OR second coffee of the day!

I’ll definitely be adding the Caramel Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffee to my rotation, and you should too!

Purchased Price: $4.25
Size: Grande
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 5 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 26 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 165 milligrams of caffeine.