Starbucks is kicking off 2020 with the addition of three new non-dairy beverages to its menu. Beginning on Tuesday, customers across the country will be able to sip on the Almond Milk Honey Flat White and Coconut Milk Latte, which joins permanent menus in both the United States and Canada, while coffee lovers in a handful of states will be able to try the new Oat Milk Honey Latte.
“Customers are looking for more ways to personalize their beverages,” product developer Raegan Powell said in a press release. “We love how the nuanced flavor you get with plant-based milks pairs with espresso, either hot or iced. It’s a new way to start your new year.”
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Created with real honey, the Almond Milk Honey Flat White features shots of Blonde Espresso with a Honey Blend and steamed almond milk that is completed with the Flat White’s signature dot of foam.
“We started with the coffee. Starbucks Blonde Espresso pairs well with the lighter texture of milk alternatives, especially almond milk. It’s a little bit nuttier, so it complements the almond-based milk,” Powell said.
The Coconut Milk Latte, according to Powell, “is such a star on its own” and boasts shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso that are combined with steamed coconut milk and finished with a strike of cascara sugar on top, which adds “a bit of sweetness without overpowering the beverage.”
Available beginning Tuesday in approximately 1,300 participating stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, where oat milk will also be offered as an alternative to dairy milk in other drinks, the Oat Milk Honey Latte features Starbucks Blonde Espresso infused with Honey Blend, and steamed oat milk with a honey topping.
“When I think about oats and winter, it’s very natural to pair honey with oats,” Powell said. “Just think of a lightly sweetened oatmeal cookie or warm bowl of oatmeal.”
At this time, it is unclear if the Oat Milk Honey Latte will roll out to more locations nationwide.
The new drinks come 15 years after the beloved coffee chain introduced the first soy latte (and soy chai tea latte and soy cappuccino) in 2004. In 2015, the chain added coconut milk to its lineup, which was followed by the addition of almond milk in 2016. At the time Starbucks’ Research & Development team also began creating new beverages using the non-dairy milks, including the Coconut Milk Mocha Macchiato and the Horchata Almond Milk Frappuccino blended beverage.
