It's hard to believe Starbucks hasn't run out of flavor ideas at this point. The Seattle-based coffee giant introduced an Iced Cherry Chai, Brown Sugar Cold Foam, and an entire menu of not-so-secret creations all within the last few months. Now, there's yet another debut drink: The Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.
The all-espresso-based bevy comes alongside returning favorites, the Summer-Berry Refresher and Summer Skies Drink. It blends Starbucks' light and sweet Blonde Espresso with cinnamon, vanilla, and subtle nutty notes reminiscent of the almonds and rice milk in traditional horchatas. When I caught wind of its arrival on menus, I knew I had to give it a taste for myself.
I stopped by my local chain to pick up a grande of the new shaken espresso and grabbed a Summer-Berry Refresher while I was it (I've never tried it, only felt right). Immediately, I was impressed with the color of the Horchata syrup-infused drink. It actually looked like coffee, which might seem like a given, but is not with the way baristas overdo the milk these days.
I was impressed after the first sip. Despite it being a blonde roast, the espresso flavor really shone through. It was rich and bold, and the spiced cinnamon and sweet vanilla were balanced perfectly. It had just the right amount of oat milk, which added a creamy, velvet-like texture to the drink and took some bite off the espresso.
While I would typically ask for half the syrup pumps, I went with the standard amount on this one (you know, for the full and authentic experience) and was so surprised at the result. It was sweet but not too sweet. Exactly how I like it.
I'm not the only one wowed by the new shaken espresso. Fans had quite the reaction, too. "Holy moly y’all! The new Horchata oatmilk shaken espresso is soooo good!! I’m regretting not getting a bigger size it was gone in the blink of an eye," one user wrote on X. "This starbucks horchata shaken espresso is crazy yo !!" another added.
"The starbucks horchata shaken espresso is 10/10 would recommend," a third person commented.
I have to agree!
Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.
