Cool down this summer with these Starbucks frappuccinos and food items

These past days, I’ve been “dying” from the heat. So it’s a comfort to know that I can cool off at Starbucks with the latest frappuccinos (there are 4!) and a new selection of food items.

The summer beverages and food items, as well as other summer Starbucks merchandise including two new cards and a coffee blend, were introduced in a fun, island carnival event called the Siren’s Island. Set within the Music Hall of SM’s Mall of Asia, Siren’s Island treated bloggers and the public to the carnival feel.

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Enjoy Christmas 2016 with Starbucks holiday food and beverage items

It’s my favorite time of the year again — Christmas time! Starbucks holiday food and beverage items are here once more to put us in that Christmas spirit as early as now. Going by the Christmas theme: “Crafted by Hand and Heart“, Starbucks’ food and beverage choices indeed celebrate the treasure of creating by hand and from the heart.

Let’s start with the holiday beverages! There’s a new variant this year, making it three (3) holiday beverages in all.

HOLIDAY BEVERAGES  (from November 2, 2016 to January 8, 2017)

Santa Hat Dark Mocha Frappuccino

Santa Hat Dark Mocha Frappuccino
Santa Hat Dark Mocha Frappuccino (Blended Beverage)

 

Santa Hat Dark Mocha (Hot)
Santa Hat Dark Mocha (Hot)

This is the NEW holiday beverage – Looking like Santa’s hat, this frappe is made from dark mocha topped with classic and strawberry whipped cream, strawberry drizzle and a dollop of snowy white whipped cream on top. I love the strawberry flavor so sipping this one was a delight and a strong contender against my holiday favorite — the next beverage I’ll talk about.

The Santa Hat Dark Mocha is available in hot, iced and blended variants. Tall – PhP 170; Grande PhP 185; Venti– PhP 200.

 

 

 

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The Starbucks Art of Macchiato + new Starbucks cards

Macchiato (pronounced mah-kee-ah-to) comes from an Italian word meaning “marked” or “stained” (Wikipedia). Wikipedia continues by saying it usually describes two distinctive drinks:
* Caffe machiato – espresso with a little milk
* Latte machiato – steamed milk with a little expresso

Starbucks is bringing macchiato drinks into their menu from February 23 to April 18, 2016 and it looks they will be offering both the caffe and latte variants in 3 beverages: 2 hot, 1 cold.

HOT MACCHIATO BEVERAGES

Chocolate Hazelnut Macchiato
Chocolate Hazelnut Macchiato

The Chocolate Hazelnut Macchiato has layer upon layer of chocolate and hazelnut flavors are combined with the espresso Starbucks is known for.

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‘Tis the Sip ‘N Go Season at Starbucks with new beverages and a promo!

This summer is just one of the hottest I’ve ever experienced. Good thing there are a few things that go well with the hot summer and that includes two of the latest frappes from Starbucks.

They’re introducing the Strawberry Cheesecake Frappuccino and the Caramel Triple Coffee Jelly Frappuccino till July 27, 2015.

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2013 Midyear Offerings at Starbucks — Beverages, Sandwiches, Desserts and Contests!

It’s the middle of 2013 already and it’s time once again for some things new from Starbucks.

This time, its more exciting because not only are they offering a new concoction of beverages and food items but there are exciting digital contests for Starbucks fans to join.

First, the yummy beverages.

Something’s different with these two frappuccinos you’ll get to try from July 16 to September 9, 2013. Starbucks has introduced a white chocolate pudding as a twist to the usual frappes. I tried both of them and the pudding has the texture of the pudding in the milk teas I’ve tried. But….this one’s white chocolate-y!!!

Dark Mocha (Tall- PhP 190; Grande – PhP 200; Venti – PhP 210)
Green Tea (Tall – PhP 180; Grande – PhP 190; Venti – PhP 200)

The Dark Mocha Chocolate Pudding Frappuccino combines the deep flavor of dark chocolate with the velvety smooth white chocolate pudding, the signature Frappuccino Roast coffee of Starbucks, chocolate chips, milk blended with ice topped with whipped cream and chocolate powder.

The Green Tea White Chocolate Pudding Frappuccino, on the other hand, combines premium green tea with white chocolate pudding for a soft creamy texture, and tops it with whipped cream.

They’re both yummy, trust me. But if I had to recommend which one to try first, it would be the Green Tea variant!


Next come the new Sandwiches and Desserts.

Now that your appetite has been whet by the new beverages, it’s time to check out the food items.

The Spinach Artichoke and Mushroom on Herbed Multi-Grain Bread (PhP 160) is something vegetarians will go for. A warm artisam multi-grain rye bread is stuffed with a blend of cheese, spinach, artichoke, mushrooms, garlic and onions.

A super cheesy grilled sandwich with 6 different kinds of cheeses is in the Bacon and Cheese on Herbed Ciabatta Bread (PhP 165) . A combination of Gruyere, Emmenthal, Provolone, Mozzarella, Feta and Cheddar are mixed in with crispy bacon strips. This is finished off with a seasoning of creamy pesto sauce on herbed ciabatta bread.

A tuna lover? The Tuna and Cheese on Dark Ciabatta Bread (PhP 175) is for you. Inside is a hearty healthy classic tuna dill salad, slices of hardboiled egg and creamy melted cheese.

The Salami and Cheese on Marbled Rye Bread (PhP 165) is a soft and chewy bread, filled with slices of salami, provolone and cheddar cheese.

Available only in Metro Manila outlets is The Clubhouse (PhP 175). This popular sandwich is stuffed with roasted moist chicken breast and pickle relish mixed in mayo mustard dressing, tomatoes, slices of honey ham, bacon and cheese slices on country bread.

A returning favorite is the Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread (PhP 165). You can’t have enough of chicken breast fillet tossed with pesto mayo sauce and Shiitake mushrooms. Melted Emmenthal and cheddar cheese serves as the topping and placed in between grilled flat bread.

The very colorful Outrageous Cheesecake (PhP 130/slice; PhP 1,450 whole) is actually a rich, creamy cheesecake filled with bits of mangoes, blueberries and strawberries. These fruits are also generously used to decorate the top of the cheesecake together with white chocolate snowflakes. It looks like an early Christmas dessert!

You know cookies. What about a cookie SANDWICH? Starbucks took two soft and chewy cookies and made them the sandwich ends with Belgian chocolate chunks and roasted marshmallow cream icing in between. That is what the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (PhP 80) is made of. Great with any Starbucks drink!

The Beef and Mushroom Pie (PhP 95) on the outside is a golden brown, flaky and buttery pastry crust (almost like a croissant). But on the inside there are tender beef strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots and creamy mashed potatoes. Biting into this is more like a surprise because you can’t seem to tell from the outside what it is you’ll discover upon eating it.

I’m a fan of warm, soft pita bread so the Greek Chicken Wrap (PhP 170) is something that appeals to me – filled with tender chicken breast fillet and flavored with roasted fresh zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, sliced black olives and drizzled with sour cream.

And there’s more! Here are 3 digital activities that can win you Starbucks items and merchandise! Read on…

#1: Facebook App: Snap of the Week

This runs from July 16 to August 8, 2013. Remember Starbucks’ Snap of the Week activity before? This time they’ll run it including the new beverages. Starbucks fans need to upload photos based on a weekly theme using the Facebook application. Chosen photos will be winners of various Starbucks items and merchandise.

#2: Instagram #StarbucksCoffeeJourney Photo Contest

From August 15-31, 2013, Instagram followers (Philippine residents only) can upload a photo of themselves with Starbucks’ featured beverages anywhere in the Philippines using the hashtag #StarbucksCoffeeJourney. Chosen photos will be awarded a Starbucks item.

#3: Blog Contest

All bloggers can join this one. All they need to do is write a blog post on the featured beverages. The chosen blogger will be featured in the Starbucks Facebook page and will be given Starbucks prizes he/she can use for his/her own contest. This contest will run from July 16-31, 2013. Four (4) winners will be chosen and featured each week. For more detailed mechanics, visit their Facebook page.

Asian Frappuccino Blended Beverages and more at Starbucks

In my last Starbucks event we were asked to guess what the upcoming Asian Frappuccino blended beverages would be. Many guesses later, it’s finally here — the Starbucks’ versions of the now popular milk teas in the country – Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino and the Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino.

Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino

Hojicha, a kind of Japanese roasted tea, is combined with Starbucks’ Tazo Earl Grey tea-infused jelly in the Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino. You get to taste the nutty and toasty hojicha i addition to the earl grey jelly bits.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino

The Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino is a blend of whole kernels of red azuki beans and matcha. Matcha is one of the best green tea forms in Japan and is finely milled so that you get that matcha flavor together with the sweetness of the azuki beans.

Both frappuccinos go for PhP 155 (tall), PhP 165 (Grande) and PhP 175 (Venti).

And that’s not all. Starbucks introduces a line of new food items – their second new batch for 2012.

Green Tea and Berry Cheesecake (PhP 140)

Green Tea and Berry Cheesecake has blueberries sitting on a crispy walnut crust. It’s topped with white chocolate ganache curls. My cheesecake girl is sure to go for this first.

Purple Yam Cake with Macapuno and Red Bean (PhP 110)

The Purple Yam Cake with Macapuno and Red Bean sounds like a combination of Filipino desserts. You’ve got 3 layers of purple yam chiffon cake with macapuno strips and red bean mixed into it. Between the layers are purple yam buttercream icing with sprinkles as an added touch on top.

Beef and Mushroom Pie (PhP 95)

Pie lovers will go for the Beef and Mushroom Pie – beef strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots and fresh mashed potatoes inside a flaky, buttery pastry crust baked to a golden brown.

Bacon and Cheese on Italian Country Bread (PhP 150)

Bacon and Cheese on Italian Country Bread is for the open-faced sandwich lovers. It’s a cheesy mix of 6 cheeses: Gruyere, Emmenthal, Provolone, Mozzarella, Feta and Cheddar) mixed in with crispy bacon strips.

Chicken Parmigiana Wrap (PhP 150)

Chewy pita bread filled with chicken breast fillet, sliced eggplant and drizzled with Italian tomato sauce and grated cheese is what Chicken Parmigiana Wrap is all about.

Lastly, there’s a new roast blend out. The Three Region Blend combines beans from three coffee-growing regions: Latin America, Africa/Arabia and Asia Pacific. It’s herbal, lemon and current notes all in one.

Coming soon from Starbucks: Hot lunch sandwiches, new beverages

Beginning August 9, 2011, Starbucks patrons will be treated to a whole slew of new, hot lunch sandwiches. At a recent blogger event I was invited to, we were served seven (7) new sandwiches and got to taste two (2) new beverages coming up.

Celine Clemente, Starbucks’ Senior Category Specialist, is the woman behind these new sandwiches. I found out from her that they normally change menus once a year. (Hint: if you have a favorite lunch sandwich now, better eat it before August 9, hahaha).

We were also told that not all these sandwiches are heated up inside and out. Some of these sandwiches are served with the bread hot but the filling cold. That was a surprise for me as I always thought that everything was served hot. Apparently, some sandwiches’ tastes come out better when the filling is cold. This kind of heating, where only the bread is warmed, uses a convection oven. Note — each Starbucks branch has this kind of oven.

Another note. Only 4 out of the 7 sandwiches will be available nationwide. Another 2 will be available in all Starbucks branches except in Baguio, Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu, CDO, Davao, Iloilo and Naga. And to make up for this loss, the seventh variant will be available to those places that don’t serve the two sandwiches.

It was a good thing I skipped merienda that day because we got a taste of all 7 sandwiches. Here they are:

ALL BRANCHES

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese is a grilled cheese sandwich that has six different types of cheeses – Gruyere, Emmenthal, Feta, Provolone, Mozzarella and cheddar with slices of Hungarian sausage. Biting into it, you can taste a hint of roasted garlic and Italian herbed butter on the bread slices as well. I think this will be a favorite of cheese lovers.

A healthy option is the Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread. It’s got roasted chicken breast fillet tossed with aromatic pesto mayo sauce and Shiitake mushroom and topped with melted Emmenthal and cheddar cheese on grilled flat bread.

Carnivores can opt for The Beef Brisket — slices of beef brisket covered with caramelized onions and Emmenthal cheese melted on chewy and crustyead. As I chewed on my share of this sandwich, I could distinctly taste the Dijon mustard spread which gave this sandwich a nice kick.

Vegetarians around the country can now celebrate a sandwich with them in mind. The Roasted Vegetables on Flat Bread sandwich is made of Mediterranean vegetables marinated in Italian spices and drizzled with mild chili dressing, served with grilled flat bread.

IN ALL BRANCHES (Except Baguio, Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu, CDO, Davao, Iloilo and Naga)

The Clubhouse is your traditional club sandwich stuffed with chicken breast. It is generously slathered with a pickle relish mixed in mayo mustard dressing with sliced tomato, honey ham, cheese and greens on toasted flat cranberry bread.

I love raisin bread. I love Waldorf salad. I love tuna. This sandwich puts them all together into a delicious hot sandwich. The Tuna Waldorf on Raisin Walnut Bread is a tuna salad tossed with red and green apples, roasted chopped walnuts, crunchy celery in yogurt mayo dressing and topped with hard‐boiled eggs, served in a raisin walnut bread.

ONLY IN BAGUIO, BORACAY, BACOLOD, CEBU, CDO, DAVAO, ILOILO, NAGA

Tuna Melt is tuna salad and creamy, melted cheese on toasted rye bread. It is topped with melted mozzarella cheese and sprinkled lightly with Spanish paprika.

TWO NEW BLENDED BEVERAGES

Coming to you too on August 9 in ALL BRANCHES are 2 blended beverages whipped up from other popular Starbucks beverages already: Hazelnut Mocha Frappuccino and Mint Java Chip Frappuccino.

Some of my blogger friends loved the Hazelnut Mocha variant but me? I went for the Mint Java Chip frappe because I just love mint chocolates and this one reminded me of it.
PLUS: A SINFUL CHEESECAKE
Our tummies were filled (almost) to the brim with the sandwiches and beverages but when there’s dessert, you always make space, right?
The name alone – Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cheesecake – is enough to warn people of its gustatory nature. It’s a rich, creamy and velvety chocolate cheesecake loaded with chewy-chunky fudgy walnut brownies and chocolate chips baked on a dark chocolate cookie crust. Yum!
On August 9, go to your favorite Starbucks branch and choose from any of the hot sandwiches and new blended beverages. Don’t forget the cheesecake! 

Thanks to the Starbucks team behind the event for having us.