While being a Starbucks barista means that we endlessly make drinks, that task also comes with many perks. One of them is that when we are not busy, or sometimes “dead” since I often work night crew, we get to craft and try our own drinks we make simply out of curiosity and imagination. The baristas at my store, including myself, love to do this and also share our creations with our coworkers. Now, I’m going to share some of our best creations with you!

1. “Capri Sun” Refresher

Personally, this creation is one of my favorites. It was shown to me by my coworker Tianna, who I and the other baristas at our store attribute to it’s creation. If you like Capri Sun’s, you will love this, as it tastes scarily similar to a fruit punch flavored Capri Sun. To order this drink, you would ask for a Strawberry Açaí Refresher with no water, and substitute apple juice for the water. I cannot over-hype this drink even though it is so simple. It is one of my go-to drinks and it is so refreshing and delicious!

2. “Pumpkin” Cold Brew

If you are a frequent Starbucks customer, you know that our Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is a seasonal drink and is not offered for most months of the year. In response to this atrocity, my coworker Aubrey discovered a way to make a cold brew that tastes like pumpkin and can be ordered year round! To order this drink, ask for a cold brew in whatever size you’d like, then ask for chai sauce, and vanilla -but ask for half the usual pumps of vanilla-, and finally top it off with vanilla sweet cream (or a non-dairy milk option like soy). The combination of chai and vanilla in a cold brew can seem very daunting, but this truly tastes phenomenal and will satisfy your pumpkin cravings until the actual Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew returns to the menu in the fall.

3. “Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream” Frappuccino 

This drink was one of my old coworker, Cal’s, favorite drinks that he created himself and it really does taste like mint chocolate chip ice cream! To order this drink ask for a Matcha Green Tea Crème Frappuccino with half the scoops of matcha, no classic, peppermint syrup, and frappuccino chips (or java chips). It is absolutely delicious and I highly recommend trying it.

4. Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew

Throughout the seasons, peppermint mocha is always a flavor that can be appreciated whether hot or iced. Personally, I love these flavors and I also avidly drink Starbucks cold brew, so I created this drink to combine the two! This is a favorite among my coworkers and I, and I’m happy to share my personal creation with you. To order this, ask for a cold brew with peppermint syrup -with one less pump than usual-, and cold foam made with mocha and soy milk (although you could do the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam with mocha if you wanted to). The cold brew pairs so well with these flavors, so this drink is just lovely.

5. “Sunset Drink”

The “Sunset Drink” is actually a drink that used to be on the menu a few years ago, but according to my coworkers, it wasn’t very good. In my curiosity, I asked my shift supervisor, Gavin, to try to replicate it so I could try it and he ended up creating this! It is a much better version of the drink and every one of my coworkers that has tried this has enjoyed it thoroughly. To order this drink, ask for a Peach Green Tea with no water and no liquid cane sugar, and add cold foam that is made with soy milk, two pumps of vanilla syrup, and a splash of Passion Tea. With so many ingredients, this drink can seem a little scary, and I too was skeptical at first but I promise you it is amazing; I make this for myself to take home or during a break at least once a week. If there is one drink to try from this list, it’s this one!*

*As a disclaimer, some of these drinks can be a little expensive when ordered because of the many ingredients (except for the “Capri Sun” Refresher). If you order them, I recommend using a free drink if you are a Starbucks Rewards member. If you choose not to use a free drink, please do not be alarmed by how expensive it may be. 

If you try any of these, please leave your feedback as I’d love to know how you find them! Thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for my next post!