Is there anything Starbucks won’t try? The innovative coffee chain is known for constantly adding cool, new items to the menu, both seasonal and just for kicks. But now they’ve introduced a drink that is very different from anything they’ve done before. Starbucks has just announced the addition of the Espresso Cloud IPA to the Evenings menu as the company’s first ever cocktail drink. And let me tell you, as a lover of both coffee and beer, I am HERE. FOR. THIS.
The Espresso Cloud IPA is inspired by the classic Italian “shakerato,” according to Starbz, where the espresso is shaken until it gets frothy. For this drink, the espresso is shaken over ice with chunks of orange and a hint of vanilla, which sounds totally mouth-watering on its own. This foam is then poured on top of the beer. The remains of the citrusy espresso is then served in a shot glass alongside the coffee beer. The company suggests pouring the shot in your beer, which creates the “espresso cloud” the drink was named after.
And don’t worry – this isn’t some amateur experiment. The Espresso Cloud IPA recipe took a year for the Starbucks Research & Development team to perfect. The team was led by Burns-Beach, who worked as a barista in Phoenix for eight years before joining the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room in 2015 located in Seattle. It’s pretty safe to say he has a lot of experience with coffee and its many tastes.
Admittedly, coffee and beer sounds like a really strange combination. But consider that coffee and espresso often have darker, more bitter undertones in their taste – that is what Starbucks is using to their advantage. Not to mention, coffee stouts and beers already exist among beer companies, and are successfully delicious. Burns-Beach explains how the drink works in the video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CIspaZMIIE
Creating a new drink has been a longtime dream for Burns-Beach according to the press release. We’d say he did a damn good job, since Starbucks has never had a cocktail drink before. Burns-Beach described the Espresso Cloud IPA as “a truly interactive and unique beverage experience.”
We’re definitely ready for the Espresso Cloud IPA to hit the stores. Will you be trying it the next time you hit up Starbucks?
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[H/T: Bustle]