News

The Unicorn Frapp Looks Magical

by Jenn Rose

Social media has been abuzz with rumors of a new Starbucks drink for a while, and now, those rumors have been confirmed. Finally, customers have the details on what a Unicorn Frappucino is, and how to get one. The talk started last Wednesday, according to Food & Wine, when a Reddit user uploaded a (now deleted) photo of blue dust to the site, captioned as "Unicorn frapp topping." Later, a photo of pink dust emerged, and then, of course, the 'grams followed.

Honestly, this drink seems made for Instagram. Starbucks finally confirmed the drink on Tuesday, and according to the company press release, the swirly drink "comes with a bit of magic," because it changes color and flavor as you stir it. The flavor part might not seem that impressive — a caramel macchiato tastes like espresso until you stir it, after all – but Starbucks claims that the color changes from purple and blue to solid pink, which anyone who's ever mixed paint will tell you is impossible. Stirring the drink somehow subtracts all the blue from it? There's no video evidence yet, because the drink hasn't officially launched, but if that's true, it really is magical. The Unicorn Frappuccino will only be available from April 19 to 23.

But what does it taste like? According to the company statement:

The Unicorn Frappuccino blended crème is made with a sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping.

So, is it good? A few employees, friends, and social media influencers have gotten their hands on the drink, and the general consensus is that if you're into really sweet and really sour things (read: if you're under the age of 12), you'll probably love it. Grown-up tasters assumed, based on the colors, that it was raspberry-flavored. One described it as a "7-Eleven Slurpee Frappucino" and another said that the counterbalance of sweet and sour made it taste "almost like fresh fruit."

Others have said that the drink is "prettier than it tastes," "a hot mess with a cute appearance," and you don't have to speak Spanish to understand this one-word review: "No." If you're into Sour Patch Kids and take your coffee with five sugars, the Unicorn Frappuccino might be the best thing you've ever tasted. Otherwise, try ordering it "easy on the blue." Or just 'gram it and then toss it, because we all know that's why you're really ordering it, anyway.