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Starbucks and Apple Giving Away Millions of Free Songs

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The melding of the superpowers has begun. Apple and Starbucks started their promotion of giving away millions of free iTunes songs to Starbucks customers (like me!). Here’s what I got so far, Bob Dylan’s Jokerman, KT Tunstall’s One Day, and a re-chargable card with two free songs.


A sleepy Windward-side Starbucks wasn’t quite prepared for this promotion. Nope, crowds weren’t there for the music. Just the opposite. The workers didn’t know a whole lot about the promo. I asked about the free music and got answers of “huh?” They did have big signs up so I pointed to them and said that thing.

Anyway, the promo goes on until November 7 so that’s one free song per day until then. The only problem is that you don’t know which song or artist will be available on which day. You can find out the song of the day, but there’s no release schedule that I can find. Just gotta keep going back to a Starbucks near you.

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To Be the Best in the World

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Oh what it must be like to be the best in the world. I’m talking about Apple and Starbucks, leaders in on-line music and coffee. Being the best, these companies can pull off stunts like collaborating on free music giveaways at nationwide Starbucks locations. Starting on Tuesday, October 2, Starbucks will be giving away 50 million free songs from the iTunes Store.

Go to a Starbucks from October 2 to November 7 and receive a Song of the Day card redeemable for music featured at Starbucks. You can also get a re-chargeable coffee card that includes two free downloads from iTunes.

It’s just so unfair to be the best.

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Borders (and Starbucks) Windward Mall

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Can it be? Has Windward Mall risen from its deathtrap status, gotten a pulse, and now renovated with the addition of Borders and finally, a Starbucks? How things have changed!

Borders Windward Mall
Borders Windward Mall

The Borders is kinda small, maybe smaller than the Pearlridge one. And like the Pearlridge Borders and the renovated Waikele Borders, the Starbucks “inside” of Borders is set apart. Instead of being integrated as part of the store like the previous Borders coffee bars, the partnering Starbucks locations typically have their own entrances and are walled off from Borders.

Starbucks inside of Borders Windward Mall
Starbucks inside of Borders Windward Mall

Though I ain’t complaining. At least there is a Starbucks in the Mall.

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Coffee, Hong Kong Style

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Addictions are powerful so why should you have to change your addictions based on geography? Of course you shouldn’t, and that’s what Starbucks and McDonald’s understands.

These giants are global and peddle their addictive wares to you anywhere. Need a caramel macchiato while in Hong Kong? Don’t worry, Starbucks got your covered. For 32-Hong Kong dollars, a grande caramel macchiato is yours (I think the exchange rate is about 7.5 HK$ to 1 US$, making the 32-HK$ drink about $4.25 which is an okay price).

Don’t like the mainstream feel of a Starbucks? Then you can visit the fledgling McCafe line of McDonald’s and sample some different items. Stuff like a Long Black or Flat White (hmmm, I don’t know about these drink names). For non-coffee drinkers, you have your McCafe choice of Water Melon Juice and Citron Honey Frappe.

And look at the cleanliness of the Hong Kong McCafe. Spotless and all lined up for the long blacks and flat whites.

August Means Blueberries at Starbucks

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Starbucks started the summer with orange then went raspberry. Finishing up the summer flavors is now blueberries. Their newest machinations are a Blueberries and Creme Frappuccino and a Shaken Blueberry White Iced Tea.

Missing from the lineup is a espresso-based blueberry drink. I asked if they could make a blueberry mocha upon which the cashier said maybe, but the barrista said, “Ewww….” The blueberry flavoring is like a puree of blueberries so it’s sorta thick. The barrista explained that a latte drink made with this would be, well, chunky to drink. So I passed on a fruity chunky drink.

They did have samples of the Blueberries Frappuccino, and it was pretty good although sweet. Stores even changed their menu color scheme to a blueberry tone. Here’s a pic.

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The Moanalua Shopping Center Is New!

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Headed to the Moanalua Shopping Center today to get a new work ID card. Haven’t been to that location for years and when I got there, I was surprised to see how much it’s changed. Gone is that old sign with the big “M”. The entire center has been revamped next to Naval facilities. Very nice!

The shopping center is more of an eating center with what I guess is 75% eating places. Taco Bell, McDonalds, Ruby Tuesdays, Baskin Robbins, Taco Del Mar, Koa Pancake House, a Chinese restaurant, and a Jamba Juice and Starbucks combo.

Best part is that the back entrance of the Naval building leads right to Starbucks! So while you’re waiting for your turn, you can go out the back, get a drink, and return in no time. And if you do go for work stuff, don’t mind the “Now Serving” number. That thing is inaccurate! Best to sit in the waiting area to hear the numbers being called.

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raspberry-mocha

High Expectations for Starbucks Raspberry Mocha

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The other day I get an email from Starbucks announcing their new summer drink, a raspberry mocha. Hey, a good combination – raspberry and chocolate! Just like the chocolatey, fruity goodness.

So I finally made it to a Starbucks to try out this new drink with high expectations. At first sip, my impression was yuck!

Starbucks describes the iced version of this drink as:

the cool tastes of raspberries and rich chocolate mingle with our premium espresso and milk, poured over ice and topped with whipped cream and raspberry drizzle.

And there’s the problem I think, the raspberry drizzle. So basically this drink is a regular iced mocha with a raspberry syrup layered on top. That’s why it tastes, well, like a mocha with raspberry flavoring added in. The chocolate and raspberry flavors aren’t mixed together to fuse the flavors. You taste chocolate. You taste raspberry. But you don’t taste chocolate raspberry if you know what I mean.

Maybe I overhyped the drink for myself, so I’ll have to give it another shot. As a comparison, I’d rather drink the Starbucks Orange Mocha. Although similarly made, the orange and chocolate combo is funky to drink. I wonder if the Orange Mocha is still available with the introduction of the Raspberry Mocha?

Mainland Style at Starbucks

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Okay, this wasn’t quite a local style sales pitch, but while visiting a Starbucks this week, I was asked if I knew their drinks were now “mainland style.” Since I ordered a caramel macchiato, I assumed it to mean the drink is now layered not stirred. I asked what mainland style meant, and sure enough it was the layered look.

So if you happen to order a macchiato, you can ask if it’s mainland style or local style. The barrista said she preferred the stirred local style since it didn’t taste bitter.

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Starbucks Hawaii Drinks Going Layered

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One more thing about Fresno, CA… this is the first place I encountered an iced “layered” caramel macchiato. Here’s a pic showing the layers of milk and espresso in a macchiato.

In Hawaii for whatever reason, we have mixed macchiatos where the milk and espresso are stirred together while the drink is made. While I prefer the taste of the mixed version, the layered version does have a certain sex appeal to it (or is it the taboo feel of white and dark intermingling?).


But just the other day when ordering a caramel macchiato at a local Starbucks, the barista asked if I wanted my drink layered or mixed. I asked when this started and was told it was a recent movement to catch up to the Mainland (is Hawaii really behind the times compared with the Armpit of Cali?).

For a temporary time, you can get a caramel macchiato mixed or layered but eventually the layered format will be the default.

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Starbucks Orange Mocha

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The Tabasco Man and his wife couldn’t finish a tall sized Orange Creme Frappuccino recently introduced at Starbucks so that didn’t bode well for these new orange flavored drinks. Today, I tried the orange mocha (iced, non-fat, no whip), and it’s okay, more on the funky side.

At first, the orange flavor hits you like a citrus kick in the pants, but then it’s a weird contrast of fruit, chocolate, and coffee. Each flavor is pretty distinctive and doesn’t really blend together. You taste the orange, you taste the mocha, and you taste the coffee… all separately. I prefer drinks with a blended taste, smoothed out like Maxi Priest’s Groovin in the Midnight if you know what I mean.

Anyways, the drink will last through the hot summer, and I’ll probably give it a second shot. The wintery Peppermint Mocha is still Starbucks’ seasonal drink to beat.

starbucks-iced-orange-mocha

Let’s Meet at Starbucks

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Got an email promotion from Starbucks announcing a new spin-off web site entitled Let’s Meet at Starbucks. You can invite friends to check out events at various Starbucks locations and also go sample their new orange-themed drinks.

For the upcoming summer, Starbucks has gone citrus with the Orange Creme Frappuccino (regular or light) and the Orange Mocha, hot or over ice. Sounds good. I like the combination of chocolate and orange (or raspberry). These drinks sound like the old valencia drinks which I’m not sure if Starbucks did away with.

How’s that for marketing savvy by bringing back a discontinued drink as a seasonal summer special? Brilliant!

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