Feel FOMO No More — Starbucks New Rose Honey Latte Is Available in the States, Y’all
If you’re feeling some serious FOMO over the release of the new Starbucks Strawberry Honey Blossom Créme Frappuccino in Thailand and Hong Kong, then you’re going to love what the Starbucks Reserve has just released in the States. You can now get your hands on a Rose Honey Latte ($6 for a grande) at Starbucks Reserve bars across the country. We got a chance to chat with Amy Dilger, a Starbucks Research and Development manager, about the creation of the beverage.
The Rose Honey latte is made with Reserve espresso and milk, combined with a “fragrant infusion of caramelized honey, rose water, and earthy cinnamon.” We tried it and it’s a little different from the usual Starbucks line up. It’s light and airy but warm and comforting at the same time, making it a real treat worth the trip to a special Reserve bar. And yes, you can absolutely taste the rose with the espresso. “We wanted to introduce a floral note, because our Reserve coffees have lovely floral and citrus notes,” says Dilger. “The rose water heightens those notes.”
Perfect for the first few blustery days of spring, the Rose Honey latte is based on a popular Middle Eastern drink. “The beverage was inspired by sahlep, a hot, comforting Turkish beverage popular in the winter,” says Dilger. “Sahlep is hot milk (or water) thickened with orchid root powder and flavored with rose water, cinnamon, and sometimes cardamom.”
If you’re more of an “iced coffee all the time” type of person, then you should swing by the Starbucks Reserve in Seattle and try another new beverage: the Gin Barrel-Aged Cold Brew. The beans for this cold brew are rotated over time in a gin barrel before roasting so they take on hints and aromas from the barrel. It’s bright, summery, and completely non-alcoholic (so you can still take it to your morning meeting).
If you try the new Rose Honey latte, snap a pic and share it with us on Instagram.
(Photos via Starbucks)
