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Mysterious Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino Expected in April 2017

A new Starbucks drink is rumored to involve pink and purple glitter and contain no coffee.

Published April 17, 2017

 (Instagram)
Image Via Instagram

Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino definitely sounds mythical, but a growing body of evidence suggests that the buzzed-about beverage will be in stores on or around 19 April 2017.

Initial rumors about Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino emerged on Reddit, where some confused baristas shared photographs of incoming stock they didn't recognize. On 12 April 2017 one such post appeared on r/Starbucks, where a user and ostensible Starbucks employee queried fellow workers about an unusual new shipment of pink powder:

Does anyone know what this is for? from starbucks

One day later reports emerged of additional components appearing in stores, although the launch date for Starbucks Unicorn "Frapps" was not clear:

Unicorn frapp topping ? from starbucks

On the same day, another user started a thread including a photograph of a bright pink beverage:

Unicorn Frappuccino 2017 from starbucks

Rumors about the new drink circulated on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as well, but some of the early posts disappeared for unknown reasons:

Starbucks_Unicorn_Frappuccino___

As of 17 April 2017 we found no official confirmation from Starbucks about the drink, but a Kotaku writer and Starbucks barista's husband reviewed the new offering that day:

What is a Unicorn Frappuccino? Looking at the drink without foreknowledge, one could not be blamed for thinking it some sort of berry concoction. But that pinkish-purple is no better flavor. It’s mango, colored with some sort of powder. The whipped cream up top is dusted with sparkly sprinkles of intensely sour sugar, and the blue stuff in the cup is actual unicorn semen ... It’s actually a combination of white mocha syrup, one of the sweetest syrups known to barristae, simple syrup, while is basically more sugar, and a packet of powder that’s mixed with the two to make something bold, blue and painfully sour.

The review concluded that Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino "tastes nothing like unicorn," and included a photograph of a purple-pink and blue concoction. Notably, the drink is not expected to contain any coffee. Asked on initial rumors of the Starbucks menu addition, a company representative told Mashable that it was "still working [its] Frappuccino magic and don’t have any details to share at this time."

Sources

Fahey, Mike.   "Snacktaku Drinks Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino."     Kotaku.   17 April 2017.

Rainey, Clint.   "What’s the Deal With Starbucks’s New ‘Unicorn Frappuccinos’?"     Grub Street.   14 April 2017.

Scribner, Herb.   "Why Starbucks' New Unicorn Frappuccino May Appeal To Non-Coffee Drinkers."     Deseret News.   14 April 2017.

FastCompany.   "Starbucks May Be Introducing A Unicorn Frappuccino For Your RDA Of Edible Glitter."     14 April 2017.

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.