Grande Brewski, No Whip — Starbucks to Sell Beer and Wine?!
They know you rely on them to help kick off your AM and pump you up when you hit that 3pm slump, but now Starbucks wants you to start thinking about them at night. Starbucks, we blush! The chain is about to expand their Starbucks Evenings experience, a food and drink menu that include alcohol and fancy bites. And here we thought the new Vegetable & Fontiago Breakfast Sandwich was something to write home about (it is, it’s delicious).
It all started when one location in Starbucks’ hometown of Seattle began serving beer and wine a few years ago. A great idea like that is bound to spread, and ‘bucks dabbled with offering booze and happy hour-type fare at 26 locations. Now, it might be coming to a Caramel Macchiato Hydration Station near you, hitting thousands of stores in the next few years.
Starbucks Evenings stores will start serving beer and wine after 4pm along with some tasty-looking new treats including a truffle macaroni and cheese, bacon-wrapped dates, a blue brie cheese plate that will make your Protein Box look like a wimp and even chocolate fondue.
The wine list is not too shabby, with crowd-pleasing sparkling, white and red (even a Drake-approved sparkling Rosé) options you can buy by the glass or bottle. Beer changes by location but includes a mix of regular and regional brews (check out the menu at Seattle’s “Olive Way” here). And $5 or $4 each? We’ll bite/sip those happy hour-approved prices.
You’ll still order your food and drinks at the counter with the barista — or, now BARista, get it?! — and the regular menu of lattes and pound cake will be available at all hours if you can’t wrap your head around this whole late night Starbucks thing. We’re into it, even if we might not plan our next girls’ night there. We hope they’ll incorporate local beer and wine at every location, maybe expand to feature food from local artisans as well.
If Starbucks Evenings become the new after work hotspot, what could be next — spiked smoothies and after hours dance parties at Jamba Juice? A margarita bar at Taco Bell?
What do you think of Starbucks Evenings? What would you sip or snack on the new menu?
