While I’m not a Starbucks fanatic, I do find myself excited when a friend asks me out to a coffee date at one of the few places around where getting a cup of coffee and dessert can peacefully intervene. Sadly, though, I’m allergic to milk, which means it’s a bit more tricky than it is for most.
This past October, Starbucks heard my cry with its announcement of plans to release 6 non-dairy drinks. Vegans, lactose intolerant, or anyone looking for a break from dairy may call this a game-changer. Check out the 6 new flavors below!
The Cold Brew Twins
What screams more of “I’m in a rush but need something that doesn’t taste like hot bean water” than bottled cold brew. Starting in February 2018, Starbucks will feature two new bottled cold brew options: Vanilla & Fig and Sweetened Black — classics with a twist.
Cold brew coffee has quickly become an obsession for the energy-deprived and an essential on college campuses, so the idea of bottled cold brew is more than appealing. In terms of flavor, sweetened black seems like it will taste exactly how it sounds. For the Vanilla & Fig, who knows? We’ll have to try it out!
The Bottled Almond Milk Frappuccino Duo
Before I became allergic to milk, I was completely in love with the chilled Starbucks coffee that you could buy at the local grocery store. It’s the perfect pick-me-up, tastes great, and it comes with a lid to avoid coffee-spilling hassles. As one would imagine, this was one of my greatest losses when I had to cut milk out of my diet.
But alas, those of us who are part of the non-dairy community can now rejoice because we have not one, but two bottled frappuccino almond milk drinks coming out in May 2018!
The new flavors include Vanilla and Mocha. So whether you like it with just a hint of sweetness or you’re looking for a deep, rich flavor, these two drinks have you covered!
The Wide Awake Double Shot Coffee Smoothie Team
These are for the kids in the back of your introduction class who look like they haven’t slept in months. They’re sluggish and accept nothing less than a double shot to make it through the rest of the day.
These bad boys also come in two flavors: Dark Chocolate Banana and Vanilla Honey Banana. To top it off, they are both blended with real fruit, so you can check off some of your Vitamin A for the day and get your caffeine!
The Final Decision
While all of these options are vegetarian, not all of them are vegan because of the honey found in the Vanilla Honey Banana smoothie. I applaud Starbucks for trying to be more appeasing to people with dietary restrictions, but the ratio of dairy-free drinks to dairy-loaded drinks is a little disappointing (even with the addition of these new items).
Despite my small amount of disapproval, I most definitely will be trying these out in support of the big change and unique flavors. And hey, if non-dairy isn’t your thing, here’s an article told by a barista with some Starbucks hacks that all coffee-lovers should know!