Starbucks has a love hate relationship with alcohol. There was the push to start Starbucks wine bars in 2015, the decision not to have wine bars in early 2017, and then the curious move to age some of their coffee beans in whiskey barrels. Now the coffee giant is taking the alcohol middle road with a couple mocktails (cocktails without alcohol).
At the Starbucks Roastery in Seattle (which is basically part specialty Starbucks store, part shrine to all things Starbys), a coffee version of a Manhattan, a coffee version of the Moscow Mule, and a coffee version of a whiskey sour is now on the menu, according to Starbucks fan site Starbucks Melody.
The Manhattan style drink is called the Melrose, and it’s $6. It’s a cold brew with bitters and a maraschino cherry. The sour is called the Cascara Lemon Sour and sells for $8. It’s a cold brew “shaken with Woodinville Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup and fresh lemon.” Then it’s topped with a cherry and some Cascara sugar (which tastes like cherry and brown sugar). The Moscow Mule inspiration is called the Emerald City Mule that sells for $8, and it’s made with ginger beer, cold brew, cinnamon syrup, fresh lemon, and apple slices.
Starbucks Melody also left some tasting notes for each of the drinks. All of them were sweet, and Melody wanted all of them to be more coffee forward. At least they were all served in appropriate cocktail glasses and mugs.
Here’s to hoping these alcohol-inspired menu options stick.
