Before I entered the messy, yet captivating world of being a barista, I was very simple when it came to drinks. I got my grande nonfat latte, and that was that. You’ve probably seen the TikToks or Insta posts with super complicated recipes. Well, I’ve been a barista at Starbucks for four months now, and I’ve tried them all. So, I’ll give y’all the real tea on TikTok drinks.
I don’t really know the names of these drinks, so I’m going to come up with my own names. If the name is in quotes, it’s literally how someone ordered it to me.
- Fancy White Mocha a.k.a “THE Tik Tok Drink”
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How to Order: An Iced White Mocha
With: Caramel Drizzle, and Sweet Cream Cold Foam
At my work, we just call this the TikTok drink. It is SUPER sweet. It literally tastes like ice cream. It has espresso in it, but you can’t taste it. I personally don’t like it because it’s too sweet for me. It’s also kinda expensive because it costs extra for the caramel drizzle and cold foam. If you’re a sweet tooth, I’d say give this one a try.
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“Oreo” Frappuccino
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How to Order: Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino
With: No Mocha and Sub White Mocha
If you try to order an “Oreo Frappe”, we will get super confused, so if you order it, go by the directions. It doesn’t taste like Oreos. It tastes like a normal mocha frapp that’s less chocolatey. It’s honestly nothing special.
- A Blended Fancy Acai Refresher
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How to Order: A Strawberry Acai Refresher
With: Three Scoops of Strawberries and Blackberries, Blended
The first time someone ordered this, I thought they were super extra. A blended cold drink seems super weird. But, honestly, this drink kinda slaps. Your barista will think you’re crazy but this tastes like a boujee slushie. You can also get a strawberry acai lemonade blended, and it tastes like a strawberry lemonade slushie. It’s the perfect drink for a hot day.
- The Updated Pink Drink
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How to Order: A Pink Drink
With: Three Scoops of Vanilla Bean and Whipped Cream
This drink is gross. The only people who order this are middle schoolers. It tastes like the fake strawberry smell of the old strawberry shortcake dolls. I don’t like it and do not recommend it.
- “Vietnamese Iced Coffee”
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How to Order: A Venti Double Shot on Ice
With: Classic Syrup and Extra Vanilla Sweet Cream
I have no idea who named this drink and why it’s called this. It has five shots of espresso in it, so if you can’t handle caffeine, I would not recommend this drink. If you’re like me, someone who drinks way too much coffee, this drink is good. It’s not my favorite, but it’s good. Honestly, just get a sweet cream cold brew, and it tastes the same.
- Lastly, My Personal Favorite Drinks – Venti Iced Chai with Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam or Sweet Cream Cold Foam
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I have two favorite drinks that baristas don’t mind making and taste super good. I’ll let you in on a little secret. We don’t run out of pumpkin sauce until they stop sending it to us. At my store, technically we shouldn’t have any pumpkin left, but my manager keeps ordering it, so we have some left. Depending on your store, they may or may not have pumpkin. If they do, pumpkin cold foam on chai is 10/10 amazing. If they don’t have pumpkin, regular cold foam is fire too.
- Black Tea Lemonade with Guava and a few pumps of Liquid Sugar Cane
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This is technically on the menu but I had no idea. It tastes like a fresh fruity beach drink. If you like it sweet, get the full pumps of liquid sugar cane. I like mine less sweet, so I only get a few pumps depending on the size. If you want to feel extra fancy, get it blended for a high-end slushie experience.