Apparently, unicorns are all the rage in pop culture; so, as its newest promotion, Starbucks has released its “Unicorn frappuccino.” In order to generate hype and excitement for this drink, Starbucks is limiting the release- it’s only available until the 23rd of April. For those who want to try it, the cost for this “magical” drink is about $4.95 for a grande. While that may sound a little pricey, it’s actually a relatively reasonable price considering the usual price range for Starbucks’ specialty items.
Visual Appeal
This is the high point of the drink; it’s a unique color combination of bright pink and electric blue unlike anything Starbucks has produced before. The main part of the drink starts as vibrant pink with a bright blue stripe of some mystery flavored syrup (maybe blue raspberry) running through the middle. One of the gimmicks associated with this drink is its ability to “change colors” as you drink it, turning a temporary purple color as you mix it. While it sounds interesting, what this really means is that Starbucks physicists have discovered that when you use your straw to blend pink and blue, you get purple. No outlandish, extreme colors appearing out of thin air. Congratulations, Starbucks, you’ve discovered primary colors! The purple doesn’t stay for long, the drink eventually returns to its pink color. The whipped cream is a plus, topped with blue and red sprinkles, giving it a magical appearance.
Taste
Now comes the most important part of any beverage, the flavor. At first, it looks like it’ll be an extremely sweet, tooth-ache inducing experience, but the drink is actually more sour than sweet. Think liquid sour punch straw with a hint of mango. One would think that a drink called the “Unicorn” would at least be somewhat sweet (like cotton candy and rainbows), but the use of sour is a bit offsetting and unexpected. It would have been just as effective to use a replacement blueberry drizzle instead of something similar to the liquid used in juicy drop pops. Other than the color, there’s really no reason why it should be called “Unicorn” at all. It’s not inherently bad per se, it’s just not what we were expecting.
Overall
Honestly, this is just another gimmick for Starbucks to attract more customers, probably to be grouped with peppermint mochas and pumpkin spice lattes, but it’s a good start for more creative approaches to more unique beverages. As previously mentioned, it’s a very visually appealing drink, but Starbucks took a big risk when producing such an interesting flavor combination. However, seeing more interesting options like this available on Starbucks’ menu is a nice change compared to the standard coffees and teas already offered, so the thought behind the drink is greatly appreciated among consumers. Let’s hope Starbucks continues to advocate for more unique flavors in the future.
6/10
