OK, coffee, geeks, here’s some real innovation for you, courtesy of Starbucks.
The Seattle coffee giant — caffeinating folks across the planet for decades — today rolled out a new espresso option in the U.S. dubbed Blonde espresso. Now, you can order a Caffe Latte or Flat White or Americano with Starbucks Signature or Starbucks Blonde options.
Oh, the choices now in front of us.
For the first time in 43 years… a second espresso. Subtly sweet, amazingly smooth. Starbucks #BlondeEspresso is here. pic.twitter.com/a2tkExUupI
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) January 9, 2018
Starbucks teased the new beverage in a mysterious ad campaign on Monday night, and then started a massive social media campaign to drive awareness. It also devoted the entire Starbucks Web site to new beverages that can be concocted with the Blonde Espresso, including the Starbucks Blonde Flat White, which is described so beautifully by the company as “Ristretto shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso harmonize sweetly with steamed whole milk in the Flat White.” (Strangely, when I tried to get more information on the drinks from the Starbucks Web site, I received a “log in” required).
Of course, folks are already going nuts thinking about the new drink options, leaks of which had already come out.
“We set the standard for a dark, boldly roasted coffee and in this case, we broke a few of our own rules by taking a lighter approach to espresso which created a bright taste with sweet citrus notes and a smooth body,” said Andrew Linnemann, vice president of Global Coffee for Starbucks, in a press release. “We are really proud of the roast and think customers are going to love experimenting with it.”
We can already see debates raging in tech offices across the globe: Are you a Signature or a Blonde espresso drinker?
This may be the biggest geeky food social media craze since the great debate over the cheeseburger emoji!
