Ahead of the spring, Starbucks US has unveiled its Iced Shaken Espresso drinks, which are inspired by the art of mixology.
The unique mixing process allows baristas to quickly cool the rest of the drink while evenly mixing all of the ingredients together, making for a refreshing and perfectly balanced iced drink that consumers can look forward to enjoying in place of a typical iced coffee or latte.
The spring release also spotlights two new dairy-free options, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso. Both variations are made with Starbucks' Blonde espresso and a combination of lightly sweet flavors. The first includes both brown sugar and cinnamon, while the latter spotlights cocoa and notes of malt.
Image Credit: Starbucks
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Non-dairy Coffee Alternatives
- There is an opportunity for businesses to innovate by providing more non-dairy options for coffee lovers.
- Iced Coffee Mixology
- The shake mixology process can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for coffee shops to create unique iced coffee drinks.
- Sweet Flavor Combos
- Consumers appreciate sweet flavor combinations in coffee drinks, creating an opportunity for businesses to provide more creative options.
Where This Applies
- Coffee and Specialty Beverage Retail
- There is an opportunity for coffee shops to capitalize on the trend of non-dairy coffee alternatives and shake mixology to offer unique and on-trend drinks.
- Plant-based Food and Beverage Production
- Manufacturers of non-dairy milk and sweeteners can take advantage of the trend for more non-dairy options in coffee drinks.
- Flavor and Beverage Ingredient Production
- Companies that produce flavorings and syrups can benefit from the popularity of sweet flavor combinations in coffee drinks and develop new flavor profiles.
