Starbucks : Wintry Juniper Latte debuts at Starbucks Roastery, Reserve bars

Holiday memories are often tied to the senses - the smell of freshly cut trees, a cold breath of winter air, the sound of footsteps crunching on snow. Starbucks Juniper Latte conjures up a sleigh ride over the river and through the woods, with a woody aroma and flavors of sweet mandarin and mulled spices. The new holiday beverage is available for a limited time at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle and participating U.S. stores with Starbucks Reserve coffee bars.

The centerpiece of the beverage is Starbucks Reserve® Christmas 2017. The coffee has become a holiday tradition, with lively Latin American beans from Starbucks farm at Hacienda Alsacia imparting flavors of orange and mulled spices. The Indonesian component features a rare, spicy coffee from the island of Sumatra, carefully aged to bring out their deep notes of cedar and sweet, black licorice.

'Coffee is our muse,' said Lillian Ontiveros from Starbucks R&D. 'We started with our Christmas Reserve. That earthy aged Sumatra inspired the woodiness, while the citrus flavor in the Hacienda Alsacia ties in that note of sweet orange.'

The beverage starts with Starbucks Reserve® Christmas brewed as espresso and steamed milk infused with a syrup made with dried juniper berries, sage and mandarin. The beverage is finished with latte art and a sparkle of juniper sugar (plus a sprig of fresh sage at the Roastery).

'With the first sip, you'll inhale that woodsy aroma and the savory woodiness of the juniper,' Ontiveros said. 'On your second sip, you'll get the mandarin. The sage follows on the backend. It's a well-rounded experience.'

For a cooler take on the wintry beverage, there is Juniper Affogato, made with a scoop of Mora® juniper ice cream and a shot of Starbucks Reserve® Christmas 2017 espresso.

Starbucks Reserve Christmas will return to hundreds more Starbucks stores that offer Starbucks Reserve coffee starting Dec. 5 for a limited time.

Starbucks Juniper Latte and Juniper Affogato are available at the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery in Seattle and the following U.S. stores with Starbucks Reserve coffee bars: New York at 10 Waverly Place and 85th & Madison; Los Angeles at 4th and La Brea and Hillhurst & Avacado; the Chicago area at North & Damen, Oak & Rush, and Western & Deerpath; the Bay Area at Stevens Creek & DeAnza in Cupertino, Broadway & Hamilton in Redwood City, and Blossom Hill Pavilion in Los Gatos, and 7th & K in Sacramento; Seattle at 1st & University; Palm Springs, Calif., at Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon; Birmingham, Mich., at N. Old Woodward & Maple; and in Texas at Legacy West in Plano, McKinney & Olive in Dallas and Domain II Northside in Austin.

For more information on this story, contact us