Even though Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, one little ray of sunshine shone down upon the world: the elusive Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at Starbucks. This drink went viral on TikTok before its release in-store, leaving non-dairy fanatics counting down each day until March 2nd finally arrived.
At first glance, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso seems unassuming. Upon closer inspection, though, this drink has some pretty unique ingredients to make a unique flavor. To fully understand the new drink in its entirety, let’s dive into each ingredient one by one.
Espresso
Starbucks uses blonde shots in this drink rather than the original espresso shots. If you’re not a seasoned coffee connoisseur, you may be wondering what the difference is, and how coffee beans can be blonde. Espresso is concentrated coffee that is strong, bold, and measured by the shot rather than a cup like brewed coffee. Blonde espresso shots are smoother, lighter, and sweeter than their dark counterparts. Additionally, blonde espresso shots at Starbucks have more caffeine than traditional espresso.
In the new drink, the blonde espresso helps accentuate the creaminess and light sweetness of the oat milk. For those who aren’t a fan of bitter coffee, this is a great option. Those who dislike strong coffee probably won’t love this drink. Remember, just because the shots aren’t bitter, doesn’t mean they aren’t strong.
Brown Sugar Syrup
This is a new Starbucks syrup that is added to the espresso before it’s shaken. A plain iced espresso typically comes with liquid sweetener, and this syrup is a delicious way to sweeten with a hint of flavor too. Even though this drink is cold, the brown sugar gives it that comforting, warm feeling. The flavor is also subtle enough to complement the espresso and oat milk rather than overpower them!
Cinnamon Powder
After the brown sugar syrup is pumped into the shaker, cinnamon powder is added. That’s right, cinnamon is added directly to the espresso and shaken thoroughly to ensure that you get a taste of calming spice in every iced sip. Since the drink is cold, the cinnamon won’t dissolve. This can sometimes make for an interesting texture, but if you like cinnamon enough it shouldn’t be a problem. Otherwise, opt for a couple pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup instead!
Oatly Oatmilk
The drink is finished with just a little bit of oat milk. Every Starbucks nationwide uses the Oatly brand, which has mixed reviews due to their use of palm oil (which contributes to deforestation) and the fact that they received funding from an anti-sustainability equity firm. This led to a massive boycott by oat milk users, who are typically environmentally conscious. All Oatly controversy aside, the oat milk itself is alright. There are creamier, richer oat milks out there, but this does the job in balancing out the cinnamon and brown sugar with sweet espresso. There’s only a little bit of milk in the drink, less than a latte, which makes the espresso drink so unique. The flavor is very apparent and forward, but not bitter at all.
If you’re a fan of a creamy, rich, strong, subtly sweet coffee drink, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso is your new best friend. With the release of this new drink and oat milk at the same time, Starbucks definitely has high standards to live up to for their next new products.
