Starbucks Gear
Starbucks is selling its own line of gear at its stores. Here’s a reusable cup sleeve and a bag I can’t understand the purpose of.
Anyone know what the bag is for?
starbucks
Starbucks Toffee Mocha? Buttery Sweetness!
So the secret about Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is out, but did you know about the new Toffee Mocha?
It’s pure buttery sweetness! Then you taste the hint of mocha. A new seasonal favorite?
Starbucks “Secret” Pumpkin Spice Latte
Starting tomorrow, Saturday, August 28, 2010, you can secretly order a Starbucks favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This seasonal drink finds it way back to the baristas, but only if you ask for it since it won’t show up on the menu. The Pumpkin Spice is on Starbucks’ secret menu.
Never mind that they blogged about this drink and sent email to a mass distribution list. 😉
Starbucks Introduces Natural Fusions
Starbucks continues to branch out its coffee holdings with suggestions from My Starbucks Idea. This time it’s flavored coffee that’s been added to the Starbucks menu.
Available in vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon, these naturally flavored grounds can be found in supermarkets near you.
Check out the introductory video.
Live Blogging Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Iced
Bought some newly available Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Iced coffee yesterday and am ready to live taste this drink.
Got my supplies sans the ice (I don’t really trust the ice here).
12:35 That packet is full! Stirring… Lots of coffee crystals to dissolve. After about a minute of pouring and stirring, I think all the mixture is finally dissolved.
12:37 First sip. Slightly sweet… No creamer or ice added. Bitter aftertaste typical.
12:38 Does resemble a Starbucks iced coffee bought in stores. Probably more so, with ice and half and half (my usual concoction).
12:39 Very passable, especially for the cost. About $5-6 bucks for a 5-pack.
12:40 With each passing sip, the aftertaste gets stronger and stronger. I think creamer and ice would help mellow out the drink.
12:53 Getting that caffeinated rush feeling.
1:13 Getting giddy and mind is all over the places. Must focus.
illy issimo Cappuccino Tastes Like…
… the now-defunct line of Starbucks canned iced coffee. Available at your favorite Costco is illy issimo Cappuccino, but of course, being Costco, the canned coffee drink only comes in a 12-pack.
The drink isn’t bad, but it’s not very distinguishable. A 8.45-oz can contains 100 calories and 64 mg of caffeine and a mean coffee aftertaste.
I’d rather try illy’s Latte Macchiato and its “smooth and silky swirl of fresh espresso taste perfectly blended with a hint of velvety milk and sugar.” But I have a feeling this drink hasn’t hit Hawaii yet.
Foursquare + Starbucks = No Mayor Respect :(
This is a harsh lesson about the virtual meeting the real. Starbucks and Foursquare have teamed up to offer virtual Mayors special offers at real Starbucks locations. But this is what it meant for me in real life.
The Starbucks location I went to wasn’t aware of this promotion, so I didn’t get my $1 Mayor discount for my Frappuccino. Is this promotion available in Hawaii even though the Foursquare app shows the discount? Or was the staff uninformed of the promotion? I wonder if there’s any recourse for getting my discount or a way of fixing this for the future?
What’s Next for Foursquare? Monopoly?
Since Starbucks and Foursquare have teamed up for a recent promotion, mayorship now has more than a virtual significance. When’s Foursquare going to allow the “trading” of mayorships? Say you want to be mayor of a Starbucks, and I want to be mayor of a McDonalds. As mayors of these respective locations, can we trade these virtual properties? Kinda reminds me of the game Monopoly…
Starbucks Rewarding Foursquare Mayors
Location-service Foursquare is taking it to the next level, partnering with Starbucks and rewarding mayors of Starbucks. For a limited time, Foursquare mayors get a $1 discount off a Frappuccino, but the potential is intriguing. What else will Starbucks offer in the future?
And this after I lost a few Starbucks mayorships. 🙁
Rebranding Seattle’s Best Coffee
Seattle’s Best Coffee is popping up all over the place, and it isn’t by accident. Sure, sure Starbucks owns the red-logoed coffee chain, and now SBUX capitalizing on the SBC brand.
Heck, Seattle’s Best Coffee even has its own ninja force who ransacked Starbucks HQ.
So They’re Called Starbucks Cold Cups…
Those clear insulated tumblers that Starbucks is selling are called “To-Go Cold Cup Tumblers.” These are now available online at the StarbucksStore at the same in-store price.
But… these cups aren’t regionally personalized like the Aloha from Hawaii versions.