Of course, we already know that pumpkin spice is the official flavor of the fall and many may associate mint or lavender with the spring, but what about the summer? Some will say it’s strawberry or watermelon while others say it’s mango or coconut. As many answers as there might be, Starbucks is declaring citrus as an official summer flavor with their new orange cream drinks to remind you of the good ole’ days of sprinting at the sound of the ice cream truck or diving into the deep end of a pool.
What are the new orange cream drinks from Starbucks?
The orange cream drop at Starbucks is coming with four drinks: a cold brew, a matcha, a chai, and a frappuccino. The flavor was created by a team who intended on emphasizing the “link between taste, memory and emotion.” These drinks are meant to invoke feelings of nostalgia, reminding you of childhood summers.
The drinks are very similar to other drops you’ve probably seen lately, such as the blue coconut drinks or the s’mores drinks, where it’s a flavored cold foam on top of the Starbucks drinks that you know and love. The only exception here is, of course, the frappuccino where it’s a blended combination of the orange cream flavor with milk and ice.
While orange cream may seem like a weird flavor to pair with coffee, matcha, or chai, the team at Starbucks worked hard to make a “combination of tangerine and mandarin flavors” along with “sweet vanilla notes” that adds a nice touch of citrus and sweetness to your typical Starbucks drinks.
Are the new orange cream drinks worth a try?
I had the opportunity to try some of the new drinks early, so here are my thoughts. Out of the four drinks, I got to taste the cold brew, the matcha, and the chai.
The first drink I tried was the cold brew, and my initial thoughts were that the orange cream cold foam was very delicious. I’m sure many of us can imagine the taste of a Good Humor Creamsicle, and this drink certainly resembles that. It’s citrusy and sweet at the same time, mixing a tart orange flavor with sweet vanilla. Combining it with the cold brew makes a strange but interesting mixture that while may not be for everyone, can definitely satisfy the orange cream fans out there.
The matcha and chai were further up my alley as the orange cream flavor blended much better with the earthiness of the matcha and the spice of the chai. It adds this perfect hint of sweet orange goodness that works a lot better than you might expect. It’s nostalgic and tasty and definitely worth a shot.
But don’t just take my word for it. The orange cream drinks are releasing at Starbucks on July 28, and I recommend you all try it for yourselves. I know it sounds weird, but who knows? You may be delightfully surprised.