New dairy-free Starbucks drinks add inclusive taste to their menu
The iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso (left) and iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso (right) are two new non-dairy drinks now available at Starbucks locations. These added milk alternatives now allow a more inclusive menu for those who don’t consume dairy.
Moving into a new season, the Starbucks menu now incorporates more inclusive dairy options. The new line of non-dairy drinks has provided plant-based beverages for new audiences to enjoy. Now let’s dive into what these drinks are all about.
The iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso is a creamy sweet coffee with a cinnamon sugar taste. This drink reminds me of fresh cinnamon rolls on a Sunday morning. The sweet brown sugar syrup mixes with the oat milk to create a very prominent taste that compliments the Blonde espresso perfectly. There’s a very light coffee taste within this drink, as the blonde espresso allows the consumer to get the caffeine without a strong coffee flavor. The addition of oat milk to this drink is a great milk alternative for vegetarians, vegans or others who cannot consume dairy. Overall this drink is very flavorful and is a great dairy-free option for those who prefer sweeter coffees.
Moving on, the next drink is the iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso. This drink has a lighter bittersweet chocolate taste that works perfectly alongside the almond milk and espresso. This drink is a lot less sweet than the other, but there is still a little bit of sugar from the chocolate. The almond milk makes the drink very smooth and silky. Despite this being a chocolate- based drink, it is still dairy free due to the flavor being created by a mix of cocoa and almond milk rather than a chocolate syrup. Once again, with the use of the blonde espresso in this drink, it allows a faint coffee taste that is not too strong. Overall this drink is less sweet, with a kick of caffeine and cocoa flavors.
The way Starbucks is improving and growing their menu in order to include more of a diverse audience and provide options for everyone is something that other businesses should take into account. On top of the recent oat milk addition, Starbucks also provides other non-dairy beverages such as almond milk, coconut milk and soy milk. Non-dairy alternatives come with many benefits consumers don’t see right away, such as clearer skin and reduced bloating. Starbucks has started to show that there can be creative and flavorful coffees that are still dairy-free. It’s truly amazing that we can now see businesses opening up their doors to try new alternatives to ensure everyone can enjoy their products.
Margot Stack ’22 is a new staff writer on Inklings. Stack joined Inklings due to her love for writing opinion pieces and reading the newspaper. She enjoys...
