Hello, everyone! For this week, since it will be the last week of posting, I plan on telling you about my favorite moments at Starbucks. I see it rather fitting to conclude like this, so I hope you enjoy them just as much as I did.

COVID: Round 1

During the first months of the COVID-19 outbreak, Starbucks employees had the option to stay at home and receive COVID pay, or come into work and receive an additional three dollars per hour. I chose to stay at home, however, when we did have to come back our café inside was not allowed to be open. Because of this, we all decided it would be a wonderful idea to play the music inside the store very loud since it was just employees in the building. This turned out to be great, except that we can’t choose the music that plays, so at any time a depressing song could come on and ruin our high energy. So, one day I brought in my own personal speaker and we blasted music from the early 2000’s that most of us grew up on, leading to many dance breaks and karaoke times.

Another fun idea we had during this time came from my shift supervisor, Gavin. With the pandemic, sometimes we would have all of our tasks done while things were slow, leaving us with nothing to do. Because of this, Gavin had the brilliant idea to send me to his car to grab his ladder golf set and set it up in the store. Now, anytime we were bored we played ladder golf together to pass the time and add a little fun into our days.

Ladder Golf

“Most Disgusting” Challenge

When working night shifts at my store, sometimes we do find ourselves twiddling our thumbs with nothing to do, so one night we decided to challenge each other to make the most disgusting drinks. Each barista working that night made a single drink for everyone to try, and then we all came together to vote for the most disgusting one. It was so fun to see the grossed out looks on everyones faces, but also to do something collectively and make the most out of our free time. This was also the start of us beginning to become actual friends instead of just coworkers.

Brunches

Once we realized that our coworkers were all pretty fun people, we decided that we should get together outside of work. We would meet almost every week for brunch or lunch at the park, order out together, and then eat and play Cards Against Humanity. These interactions were some of the most fun I had had with my coworkers, and it brought us all so much closer; we would go to each others houses to hang out, and I even invited a lot of them to my own graduation party. Once COVID got really bad, we decided to do “family” zoom calls every week to keep some sense of social interaction going. In fact, most of us still participate in these (although now they happen bi-weekly to monthly) and we will just talk and catch up or play Among Us until we get too tired to continue. Some of our coworkers have left for other jobs, or even moved to other states, but because we got so close we will always keep in touch. This might not be a moment specifically set at my work, but it is one of my favorite things about working there because my coworkers and I really are like a family.

Over the course of this blog I hope that I have shown you some cool things about Starbucks, but also about the people that work there. I do love my job very much, even though it can have its downs at times. Working in customer service wasn’t something I initially thought would be enjoyable, but I guess I shouldn’t have judged that book by its cover because look at me now; I’ve made some wonderful friends and had great experiences while working for Starbucks. So, if this blog teaches you anything besides Starbucks drinks, remember to be kind and optimistic, because you never know where you’ll find yourself.

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all excited for Thanksgiving coming up soon! Because of this year’s pandemic, I know holidays this year are going to be spent a little differently; most of us are probably going to only spend them with our direct families, and avoid seeing a lot of other members of our friends and families. Just like how we’ve had to adjust our personal lives due to the pandemic, Starbucks has also adjusted how the stores operate to make sure our customers and baristas can stay safe and healthy. So, for this week, I thought I would share some of the ways Starbucks has created a safe, yet still welcoming environment for our baristas and customers.

Masking

At Starbucks, it is not only just a state and county policy to wear a mask at all times in my store, it is also mandated by the company. This means that at any Starbucks location across the country every barista and customer must wear a mask to enter, and it must be worn properly and throughout the entire duration of their stay in the store. If customers refuse to wear a mask, they will not be allowed to enter the store to ensure the safety of other customers and baristas.

While this is true, there is one loophole to the masking policy. Starbucks, while they have mandated customers must wear masks when inside the store, does not mandate that customers must wear one when coming through the drive-thru. Because of this, my coworkers and I did a small statistical study and found that on most given nights around 60-70% of customers do not wear masks in the drive-thru at our location. We only counted customers who were in the driver’s seat since they were the only person who would not be considered socially distanced and this percentage was still incredibly high. While many customers don’t see the meaning in wearing a mask through the drive-thru, I can assure you that it is very nice when customers do since it tells us as workers that you care about our health as well. My apologies for the small side-tangent, but it’s just a friendly reminder to stay masked and be safe especially during this holiday season!

COVID-19 Screening

Before clocking into every shift, for the safety of the store baristas must have their temperature taken and complete a questionnaire to determine if they are allowed to start their shift. This questionnaire ensures that baristas have not been exposed to COVID-19 and if a barista even has any symptoms of any illness they are immediately sent home. We also have to sign a sheet saying that our temperature was below that of a fever and that we completed the questionnaire, so that our managers know we did them and have proper documentation if needed.

Cleaning and Protection

And of course, Starbucks has completely amped up its cleaning and protection procedures to make sure customers and baristas can interact without any safety issues. First, we set up many plexiglass dividers at the front registers and also at the handoff plane where customers pick up their drinks. We also have to follow a thirty minute timer that when it goes off, we all must wash our hands thoroughly before returning to whatever we were doing. To ensure the store is extremely clean, on each day-part (morning, mid-shift, night) there are cleaning tasks that must be completed; these tasks can range from anything to cleaning out the sinks, ovens, and drains, to scrubbing out the ice-bins, fridges, and pastry case. And lastly, we have closed our seating area until further notice, so our café is only open for grab an go to prevent the virus from being spread by air.

Another huge implementation is the procedure if a partner has, or has been exposed to COVID-19. Contract-tracing starts immediately, and anyone who has been in contact with the partner must also quarantine. The partner themselves must receive two negative COVID-19 test results to be able to even return to work. As for the store itself, once it is found that a partner has the virus, a professional cleaning team is called in and they spend the entire day cleaning the store; it must remain closed for at least 24 hours before it can open back up again.

Being a barista, I’m very grateful for the measures my company has taken to protect its workers and customers. This pandemic has been a crazy time for everyone, and having that sense of security is wonderful amongst all of this uncertainty. Thank you so much for reading, and remember to stay safe and healthy this holiday season!

Hey everyone! I hope you’ve had a good week, even though the weather hasn’t been as nice as it has last week. Because of the weather, I’ve found myself scrolling through TikTok to pass the time since I couldn’t be outside, and found the inspiration for this week’s blog in some of the drinks that TikTokkers recommend to try at Starbucks. Below, I’ll give you my most honest opinions of these drinks, so I hope this helps you in your Starbucks ventures!

1. Iced White Mocha with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam and Extra Caramel Drizzle

To start off, we have the most popular TikTok drink to date, that many customers continue to order regularly at my store. In my personal opinion, this drink is terrible. For a medium or large this drink costs nearly eight dollars- which is absolutely insane. Also, the drink itself just tastes like sugary milk, so it really doesn’t have much flavor and you pay through the roof for nearly nothing. If you want to get type 2 diabetes, this drink is for you, but if you enjoy flavorful drinks that are not going to clog your arteries and send you into cardiac arrest, do not order this drink. For those of you that do enjoy this drink, I pray for the status of your health not to go into decline.

2. Iced Coffee with four pumps of White Mocha and Sweet Cream

This TikTok drink is another that I will never understand. As you know, most baristas at my store hate our Iced Coffee, including myself, as Cold Brew is much better. Secondly, the combination of white mocha and sweet cream just tastes like sugar, so it doesn’t add much flavor. You’re paying nearly a dollar to add the sweet cream as well, so the drink becomes much more expensive than usual even though our Iced Coffee is decently priced itself. I would not order this drink in any circumstance, but it is not the most disgusting drink that TikTok has introduced to its viewers.

3. Pink Drink with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam with one scoop of Matcha in the foam

The Pink Drink itself is a delicious drink that has a great flavor. You can have it any time of day and it still will be refreshing. However, TikTokkers saying to order it with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam with a scoop of Matcha in the foam is just disgusting. When trying this drink I did gag, because the Matcha has very earthy notes and flavors and that does not mix well with the Cold Foam’s sugary sweetness. On top of that, pairing it with a strawberry flavored beverage makes all three flavors clash and doesn’t taste pleasant. I advise everyone not to get this, and to just try the Pink Drink so that you won’t pay extra for unnecessary additives that actually make the drink taste worse.

There are of course more than just these three, and we have tried most of them, which is why I can confidently say not to trust Starbucks drinks recommended from TikTok users. I have even seen some drinks that baristas recommended which are also do not taste good, so just because the user is a barista doesn’t mean the drink will be worth it. I hope that this was helpful to everyone who frequents Starbucks!

Hello everyone, and welcome back! I know we’re starting to approach the holidays, and as we near them, Starbucks is launching our holiday drinks, food items, and more on Friday, November 6th. As a barista, we have to try every new item added to the menu, even if they are returning from previous years. So, in lieu of the launch, I will tell you what each holiday item is and try to give some insight on them.

Peppermint Mocha

Personally, the Peppermint Mocha holds the top spot when ranking the holiday drinks. It never fails to be delicious, and chocolate and peppermint were flavors just destined to be together. You can also order this drink iced, or as a frappuccino, which are also tasty options to enjoy these flavors. It’s a classic and will not let you down.

Toasted White Chocolate Mocha

The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha tastes good, but to me, it doesn’t taste significantly different from the regular White Chocolate Mocha. The only difference I would say there is is that this sauce tastes slightly buttery, which I do not enjoy, but others do tend to like this drink during the holidays. This drink is also available in iced or frappuccino form in case you don’t prefer hot drinks. It’s a good choice and almost reminds you of a sugar cookie if they had espresso with them.

Caramel Brulée Latte

Last year, I might have told you that this drink was alright, but this year I can’t say the same. The sauce that goes into this drink was very thick last year and was a good quality with nice flavors. This year, the sauce is almost watery and really threw me for a loop when I saw it because of the huge difference between this new mixture and the one from last year. Secondly, the pumps last year used to be small because of the concentration and quality of the syrup, whereas this year they are not small pumps (which also leads me to believe it is not as good as last year). The flavor doesn’t seem much different to me, but I believe last year’s was a better quality. The syrup in this drink is also very sweet, so be warned if you order it; in an iced or frappuccino form it may seem sweeter than it would be hot(especially ordering it as a frappuccino). However, I can’t say there would be too much difference between a caramel latte and this drink, except for again, a more buttery flavor.

Chestnut Praline Latte

The Chestnut Praline Latte is actually very yummy. The syrup is sweet, but it has some earthy, nutty tones that really blend well with the espresso and milk. It is also good in both iced and frappuccino form, and it is one of the only holiday drinks that I would willingly order (along with the Peppermint Mocha).

Eggnog Latte

Do not order this. The Eggnog Latte is one of the most disgusting drinks that I have ever tried in my time at Starbucks, and the other baristas and I have had competitions trying to make the most disgusting drinks before if that attests to anything. By the second sip of tasting this drink last year, it nearly made me sick. The eggnog and milk mixture is very heavy, and the egg flavor does not go well at all with espresso. Unless you absolutely love eggnog, do not pay for this drink, regardless of if it is hot, iced, or a frappuccino.

Sugar Plum Cheese Danish

The Sugar Plum Cheese Danish is by far my favorite item that we sell all year; I look forward to its arrival each year, and am always one of the first to track one down for a taste. This item is croissant bread with a layer of cream cheese, and a finishing layer of spiced sugar plum jelly. It is by far the most delicious item on the menu, and it definitely gives you that sense of holiday cheer. I highly recommend ordering it, and if you do, for the first few weeks of the launch you may want to get there early, as they run out VERY quickly since they are in such high demand.

Cranberry Orange Scone

The Cranberry Orange Scone is also very good. It is on the dryer side like most scones, but unlike the other scones on our menu, it has a wonderful flavor. This scone was a menu item a few years back, but it got discontinued and has now returned in place of the Gingerbread Loaf (which will not be appearing on the menu this year). I think this would pair well with a morning coffee, latte, or just espresso. Overall, it is a good item to choose if you enjoy scones and breads.

In sum, there are some items on the holiday menu this year that are worth the hype, and others that really aren’t, so don’t waste your money on something you aren’t sure about. I hope that this can give you some insight into making that decision, although my personal preferences certainly shouldn’t stop you from trying something you think you’d like. If you have tried these before or will try these this year, comment below and tell me how you like them. Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone! I know that this week has been kind of a drag, and I’ve even found myself driving to my work each morning to get a coffee just to wake up. Since I’ve been frequenting Starbucks and have my own go-to drink, I thought I might share the go-to drinks of several baristas at my store in case you want to try something different, or can’t decide on what to get.

1. Aaron

To start off our partner go-to drinks we have Aaron, who has been with Starbucks for over three years. He is a simple man of simple taste, so his favorite drink that he orders on any occasion is a Nitro Cold Brew, and yes it is black. He occasionally will have it with a *very small* amount of cream, but typically has it black. Nitro Cold Brew, for me personally, is kind of sweet on its own because of the added gas, but it is a great drink to pair with syrups and any cold foams or milks of choice. If you have never had Nitro Cold Brew, I recommend trying it, as it is also one of my favorites to down if I need a boost of energy.

2. Gavin

Secondly, we have my shift supervisor, Gavin. He has been with Starbucks for over four years, so we like to tease him that he’s old. He has very interesting tastes that range from black hot coffee to sweet drinks like his go-to drink, an Iced Chai Tea Latte. While Gavin is also a man of simple taste, he does put one pump of sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup in his drink, adding some sweetness and spice. Iced Chai Tea Lattes are also a very good drink that I highly recommend, and it is delicious with the cinnamon dolce syrup.

3. Cat

Next, we have my good friend Cat, who I got hired with over a year ago. Cat loves Starbucks Iced Green Tea, so she likes almost anything with it as the base. While this is true, she does have her favorite that she orders more than any other, which is an Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade with no sweetener. I can confirm that this drink is wonderful because I also order it quite frequently. If you like iced tea, or green tea, you’ll love this.

4. Casey

Now, we have Casey, who has also been with Starbucks for around three years. Casey, Aaron, and several other partners including myself adore Starbucks Cold Brew. So, it is with no surprise that Casey’s go-to drink is a Salted Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew with no caramel syrup, and substitute it for hazelnut syrup. This drink is also a great choice, but the salted cold foam on top always makes the roof of my mouth feel funny, so if you’re someone who doesn’t like odd textures, I would not advise getting this.

5. Veronica

Lastly, we have another one of my shift supervisors, Veronica. She has been with Starbucks longer than any of the other partners listed here (although I don’t know exactly how long because she just transferred to our store). Given that she also loves Starbucks Cold Brew, she’ll be a great addition; Veronica’s go-to drink is a Nitro Cold Brew with a light amount of heavy cream. The heavy cream in this drink might balance out any bitterness for those who are scared to try, but I can assure you if you like coffee, any kind of cold brew from Starbucks is the way to go.

For reference, I did not prompt any of the baristas to choose cold brew, they just all gravitated towards it. That is how good it is. To all who drink iced coffee, switch to cold brew because it is one hundred times better than any iced coffee. Starbucks Cold Brew is also much better than Dunkin’s -I know since I’ve had both.

These are all great drinks, and I do apologize for the multitude of cold brews as I was not expecting three out of five of them to choose that. If you are indecisive about drinks or just want to try something new that baristas get frequently, I hope this helped you. If nothing else, it certainly gave you an insight about how much we really love cold brew! If this wasn’t as intriguing for you, I hope that next week’s post will be much better because in lieu of the holiday season approaching, I will be going over the best items Starbucks has to offer in our holiday launch which happens next week! Get ready for Red Cup Day!

For this week, I’ve decided to share why you should become a Starbucks barista. While there are many reasons being a barista is great, my top three are definitely the benefits, atmosphere, and coworkers. So, I’m going to share with you why they are so great, and maybe even persuade you to leave your current job (if you have one).

1. Benefits!!

This is one of the biggest reasons to get a job at Starbucks, because the benefits that we receive are phenomenal! For starters, starting thirty minutes prior to and ending thirty minutes after a shift you receive unlimited free drinks and one free food item. During the pandemic, Starbucks also extended this benefit to one free drink and one free food item on the days that you do not work, and have extended it indefinitely. To add to the free items, you get one pound of free coffee every week, and you can receive a free college education from ASU’s online programs. Also, on the drinks and food that you buy that aren’t part of your free markouts, you get a 30% discount on them as well as any Starbucks merchandise like cups. Tips are also something we receive weekly, and if you work a lot, you’ll receive a good amount in tips – I worked nearly forty hours one week this summer and received sixty or so dollars in tips. In addition to these wonderful benefits, you can receive health, dental, and vision insurance if you work more than twenty hours every week, and partners can start a 401K whenever they choose. Lastly, the CEO gifts each partner stocks at the end of every year which is why they call baristas “partners” since most own shares in the company.

Starbucks can be a busy and stressful job, but with all of the benefits and other perks like holiday parties and “wear your pajamas to work days” and such, everything balances out.

2. Atmosphere

I’ve been at my job for over a year now, and I can say that it has been the best job that I have ever had. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming to anyone who decides to join our team of baristas. Most baristas start out with a trainer to learn the basics, so you at least start to get to know them and any other new baristas in training. After trainers, you will bounce around to other baristas to finish up any further training that is needed, if needed. This gives newer baristas a chance to get to know other baristas in the store, ask them questions, and learn more about anything they still need help with. After a while, you’ll get to know everyone in the store, and while Starbucks does hire to fill their positions, they tend to hire people with similar personality traits so that most everyone gets along well.

There has never been any hostility in my store, although I can’t vouch for other stores. The only time anything big happens is if someone is fired, and there is always proper cause like stealing, which has only happened once in my time there. Most of the time everything is smooth sailing, and I’ve never dreaded going to work because of the good environment.

3. Coworkers

Personally, my coworkers are what keep me coming back to work each day with a smile, and it is the biggest reason for me to continue working at Starbucks. Once you find your place at Starbucks and your schedules begin to become more predictable with shifts, you will most likely work with the same people frequently. This happened for me: I’m considered “night crew” because I only work night shifts and closing shifts (even though I used to work mornings on the weekends). As I became a “night crew” barista, I worked with the same people over and over again, but we soon became close. My coworkers are some of my greatest friends, and we keep in touch through group chats, playing games together, “family zooms” to check up on partners who left, and even hanging out outside of work. Here’s some of our fun moments inside and outside of work:

Graduation Photos

One of several brunches

Aaron Throwing Ice

Bagel Baseball

We do consider ourselves to be like a little family. I know this may not be true for all stores, but mine certainly has given me hope that there would be similar circumstances at others. If you don’t want to risk it though, just apply to my store on North Atherton St. if you’re on campus or commute!

I hope this gave a little insight into why I love my job, and maybe help you if you’re looking for one. Additionally, if you ever have any questions about Starbucks, whether it be drinks or about my job, feel free to email me at anj5273@psu.edu. Thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for next week when I disclose some of our barista’s go-to drinks!

As a barista, I see people order drinks day after day to simply “try them out” to see if they like them. While it is great to try new things, it isn’t fun to waste money on something you don’t like -especially when the drinks are decently expensive. In all honesty, I feel bad handing out certain drinks to customers knowing that they are not good. In light of this I’ve decided to share with you the worst drinks to order at Starbucks so that you hopefully will not find yourself in this predicament. In addition to revealing these drinks, I will rank them from 1-5 with one being the worst, and I will be honest in my opinions of these drinks so feel free to laugh.

1. Kiwi Starfruit Refresher

In the top spot for worst drinks at Starbucks is the Kiwi Starfruit Refresher. To give an idea of how gross this really is, the initial launch of this drink was meant to take place in early August, however, it was recalled and did not end up launching until early September. Before this drink was recalled, my coworker and I tasted it and both of us had headaches and stomach aches for the rest of our shifts, as well as gagged and spit it out upon trying it. In short, it was a god-send that this drink did not launch until it was proper. While the new base does not give consumers these side effects, it still tastes as horrible as I remember the first time: exactly like Amoxicillin, a drug prescribed to the sick.

At my store, we never sell much of this drink, and now you know why. Even the Kiwi Starfruit Lemonade and the Star Drink are abhorrent. Personally, I feel worst when handing out these drinks knowing that the customer paid money to try it, and it should be taken off of the menu.

2. Golden Ginger Drink

Coming in at number two for worst drinks at Starbucks is the Golden Ginger Drink. The drink is made with coconut milk, pineapple ginger syrup, and golden ginger powder. The coconut milk and pineapple ginger syrup are delicious, however, the golden ginger powder should rather be a topping for food instead of mixed into a drink. The powder itself contains ginger and turmeric, which makes the drink spicy. Personally, I do not like to drink something iced that is spicy as it is not pleasing to the palette and somewhat shocking to the brain. The flavor itself also doesn’t feel complete, but the spicy nature of the drink is the biggest “turn-off” since it seems too odd to ingest. We also don’t sell many of these at my store, and it is not something I think should be on the menu or we should charge for.

*Update: this drink is also being discontinued.*

3. Iced Caramel and Cocoa Cloud Macchiatos 

At number three we have the Iced Caramel and Cocoa Cloud Macchiatos, in which all cloud drinks will be discontinued shortly -thank god- but I still thought I should touch on them because they do not bring anyone joy in making or drinking. The drinks by themselves would be wonderful if not for one ingredient: cloud powder. One of the ingredients in this powder is egg, which means when you drink this you will have the slight taste of egg in your mouth and the aftertaste is even worse. The powder may make the drink thicker or creamier, however egg is not something I prefer to drink. Knowing the baristas as I do, a lot of the time newer baristas forget how much powder to put in the drink and put extra powder “just in case” which enhances the egg taste.

4. Iced Coffee

For everyone who enjoys iced coffee like me, do not order Starbucks iced coffee. It’s just terrible. Go to Dunkin’. Seriously. As a barista, I swear to you that Dunkin’ has better iced coffee than Starbucks, so you’d be better off getting it there since it will taste better and cost less. If you like iced coffee, just get cold brew at Starbucks; it tastes so much better than our iced coffee, is stronger, and Starbucks cold brew is better than Dunkin’s so it will be worth the money.

5. Violet Drink

Lastly, we have the Violet Drink. This is the most tame of the worst drinks which is why it is ranked last, but it is something customers really shouldn’t be ordering. If you like this drink, kudos to you, but I will judge you if you order this and like it. If you’ve ever been to a viewing at a funeral home, the smell of the funeral home is what this drink tastes like. I have only known one barista to not hate this drink at my store, and we employ around 50 baristas. The Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher is good, and the Very Berry Hibiscus Lemonade is lovely, but this drink is purely gross.

Thank you for reading my take on these drinks, and if you do decide to try them for whatever reason, let me know how you find them and if you are in agreement. I in no way represent the views of everyone at my store, or every Starbucks barista, but I do implore you to at least take my word for the first two drinks. Best of luck, and stay tuned for next time when I discuss why you should become a barista!

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!

Now that we’ve established some helpful tips when going through Starbucks’ drive-throughs, I think it’s time to get to the fun part: drinks! Even as a barista, I know how hard it can be to figure out what drink you’d like to get; when you’re trying something new, it’s best to have some insight on the drink beforehand so you don’t waste nearly five dollars on a drink you don’t even like. Since there are six categories of drinks at Starbucks (refreshers/teas, frappuccinos, cold brews, cold coffees, hot coffees, and hot drinks), I intend to share my favorite from each. So, without further ado, these are the six best drinks to order (in my personal opinion).

1. Dragon Drink – Refreshers & Teas

In my personal opinion, the Dragon Drink is by far one of the best drinks at Starbucks. This drink is a combination of our Mango Dragonfruit refresher base and coconut milk, so for those of you that are dairy-free like me, or even vegan, it’s the perfect cold drink for any day. Don’t worry though, even if you don’t like the taste of coconut (as I’m not much of a fan) the flavors of the drink are so well crafted that you don’t even really taste it. If the coconut milk is too much of a turn-off, no problem! Any kind of milk (almond, soy, whole, etc.) can be substituted for the coconut milk – although I think the coconut milk pairs best with it. Also, this drink has no coffee, but it does have caffeine! It’s an extremely smooth and refreshing drink that I highly recommend trying if you haven’t before!

2. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino – Frappuccinos 

In terms of frappuccinos, this one is by far the best. You can get it with or without coffee, so don’t be alarmed by the word “mocha” since that typically implies coffee. As an insider tip: our mocha sauce is actually just chocolate sauce, and it doesn’t contain any dairy or coffee. The blend of peppermint and chocolate (and coffee if you choose) is just delicious. You can also get it dairy free, as I prefer to order mine with soy milk -to add elements of vanilla- and no whipped cream. Also, it may be a seasonal drink that is only “on the menu” from around November to January, but you can get it year round! Starbucks always has the syrups needed to make these on-hand, so never be afraid to ask for it when it isn’t in season.

3. Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew – Cold Brews

To put things simply, this cold brew is lovely. By far, our cold brew is the best cold coffee that we have on the menu, but when paired with the seasonal flavor of pumpkin it’s phenomenal. The composition of this drink is vanilla syrup and cold brew, with the foam being sweet cream (heavy whipping cream, vanilla syrup, 2% milk) and pumpkin syrup. This drink is a customer favorite during fall, but it is a seasonal drink, so grab one now while you can!

For those who are dairy-free or vegan, this is not the drink for you; every element of this drink contains dairy except for the cold brew itself. If you are dairy-free or vegan, I suggest the Cinnamon Almond Milk Cold Foam Cold Brew. The composition is cold brew with the foam being vanilla syrup, almond milk, and cinnamon. It is delicious, with the sweetness of the foam offsetting the bitter cold brew. Personally, I prefer this cold brew over any other and typically order it with our nitro cold brew.

4. Doubleshot On Ice – Cold Coffees

If you know you have a long day ahead of you and need an extra boost of energy, the Doubleshot On Ice is perfect for that. The drink is a shaken blend of espresso, classic sweetener (which can be substituted for any syrup or syrups can be added) and 2% milk (which can also be changed to any milk preference). The amount of espresso can seem a little much at first, as there are two shots in a tall, three in a grande, and five in a venti, but I can assure you that it is not overpowering if you enjoy the taste of espresso. It’s my favorite of our cold espresso drinks, and surprisingly, not many people know about it. So, I invite you to give it a shot – ha, get it, because espresso shots?

5. Cappuccino – Hot Coffees

For those who prefer hot coffee, or hot espresso drinks, a cappuccino is one of my favorite hot drinks to order. The blend of espresso and foam, as well as any syrup you’d like, is perfect for any occasion. I prefer to order mine with soy milk and dry, as ordering it dry means there will be extra foam -which is the best part! For the coming fall and winter months this will be a great drink to order for your morning coffee to give you that boost of energy while still being enjoyable.

6. Matcha Green Tea Latte – Hot Drinks

Lastly, we have our hot drinks, which do not contain coffee. The Matcha Green Tea Latte only has two ingredients, our matcha powder, and milk. In my personal opinion this latte is wonderful, but matcha is certainly an acquired taste, so I don’t recommend trying this if you have never tried matcha before (as it can taste a little ~grassy~). The flavor, as described before, is very earthy, but with soy milk or vanilla syrup that can easily be toned down to fit any palette. Once you get used to it though, it’s a great caffeine alternative.

I hope this gave some good insight on our best drinks! While these are all on the menu, stay tuned for next week when I share the best drinks that aren’t on the menu -they’re all ones we created ourselves!

Starbucks is one of the biggest and most frequented coffee shops in America, and I just so happen to work at one. While we love our customers, I think it’s important to share some helpful tips so that our customers and baristas can have the best experience possible. Out of all of the possibilities, I think the insight on these three things is most important to share:

1. Saying “Hello” or “Hi” in the Drive-through 

On behalf of all baristas, when you anxiously wait in our drive-through line and finally slow down at the box to order, we ask that you please not say “hello” or “hi” until we greet you. I can assure you, we do know when someone has pulled up to the box, as a small ding noise goes off on our headsets. Baristas are always happy to greet customers, whether we are able to right as we are alerted, or a few seconds after.

Most of the time, if we do not greet you immediately, we are doing other jobs that we are meant to perform such as helping customers at the window, making backups of syrups and such, and restocking items so the bar area can run smoothly. Our job can sometimes be stressful juggling several tasks at once, which is why I ask that you do not say “hello” to us until we greet you first. Patient customers often will have a better experience, and it helps baristas to have a better, and less stressful shift as well.

2. Pulling Through the Ordering Box

Every Starbucks location with a drive-through has a box where we take your order before you can pull up to the window to pay and receive your drinks or food. Please do not pull right through the box without ordering. Most drive-throughs have one, and so does Starbucks, so please do not pull right up to the window and expect to order there. Our baristas work hard to keep a smooth system going to ensure efficiency and great service, and when someone pulls through the box and tries to order at the window, it puts a halt to the smooth sailing and adds slightly more stress to those making the drinks especially of orders with more than two items.

For mobile orders, I can see why you may want to pull up to the window without stopping at the box, but please do not do this. We ask that you stop at the box and tell us you are there to pick up a mobile order, and the name the order is under. This helps us immensely! If your order is ready, we then take it to the drive-through area to hand out to you, but if it is not, it helps us alert the baristas making the drinks on bar to make your drinks first so that we can have them ready for you at the window. If you do not stop at the box, get to the window, and your order isn’t ready -which is typical at my store as we are very busy- it frustrates you that you have to wait and frustrates us that we didn’t know sooner of your arrival. Many stressful and frustrating situations for both customers and baristas can be avoided by just stopping at the box to order, so please do!

3. Ordering from the “Secret Menu”

The Starbucks “Secret Menu” has always been a website used by teenagers and adults alike to try new drinks that aren’t on the typical Starbucks menu. Baristas do not mind making these drinks so long as you know the recipes for them or have them pulled up on your smartphone. If you come through the drive-through and ask for a Twix Frappuccino with no recipe or knowledge of what is in the drink, we cannot make it. The Secret Menu is not part of our menu, so baristas are not required to know it nor will we know it (since most baristas do not look at it). If you choose to order off of the Secret Menu, please have the recipe ready to read off to us at the ordering box.

Secondly, we are unable to make a lot of the drinks on the Secret Menu. Many of them include syrups and powders that are either seasonal or discontinued. I’ve had several requests in the past few weeks for a drink that has “blue powder” in it, however, we have no blue powder and if we did, it was discontinued years ago. So, I just ask that you keep yourself aware and up-to-date on those drinks as well so that you’ll never encounter a situation where we can’t make something for you that you have your heart set on.

However, if you are looking for things to order and you aren’t quite sure what you want, we are more than happy to assist you! Personally, I love when customers ask me what my favorite drink is or how something tastes because it ensures that the customer gets a drink that they like, and the whole experience is a positive one.

These tips might not apply to everyone, but don’t worry, I’ll be posting soon on the best drinks to order so stay tuned!