I have never been one to try new things. Especially when it comes to foods and drinks. I like having my same coffee order, same order of tea, and the same foods at every restaurant. I’m not a picky eater, yet I am a picky eater. I like a wide range of foods and drinks but some things just really bug me, and I won’t try anything too wild. If something is slimy, it will not go past my lips. If something smells rancid, it will not go past my lips. If something sounds too out there, it will most likely not go past my lips.
I have had the same two orders at Starbucks for years. It’s always either an Iced Caramel Machiatto or a Passion Iced Tea Lemonade (half classic, half raspberry syrup). The Iced Caramel Machiatto is a caramel goodness that makes me think it is how a cloud would taste, with the milk and coffee separated with drizzled caramel all over. When you get a sip with caramel drizzle in it, it reminds you of a warm summer day at the beach eating ice cream with caramel sauce. The Passion Iced Tea Lemonade, however, is a sweet refreshing flavor. It is just the right mix of sweet and sour. It takes me back instantly to my old job, as I would always come in with one.
I recently saw a video on Facebook for a new drink at Starbucks: The Cascara Latte. I thought it sounded interesting. The Cascara Latte is made with the shell that coffee beans come in. According to Starbucks, “Cascara is the dried fruit of the cherry itself”. At first, I thought it started to sound delicious. Then, I started to think, what if it tastes more like a fruit than coffee? Or what if the coffee and flavor of cascara don't go together?
I went into Starbucks to try it for myself. I couldn't help get nervous as I led into my first sniff and taste of the steaming hot drink. It smelled just like any other latte would smell, like coffee and milk so there was a good sign. I then went into my first taste. At first, I thought it was good. Fast forward 30 seconds and I was just about ready to throw up. During the first few sips, I couldn't really taste the cascara. But after you let the taste sit in your mouth, it shines through. After lingering for a bit, you start to taste rotten fruit. I felt like I had just eaten a three-week-old
orange that had been sitting already peeled.
My friend is a barista and she let me taste the syrup that is the ‘cascara’ and the topping that comes with it. Just the syrup alone smells like cough medicine and dried prunes. It tasted like it smelled. I had to drink a lot of water before I could fully get the taste out of my mouth. The syrup in the cup flowed just like a stream would as I poured it into the trash. Now comes the topping alone. The topping is made of sugar and the dried cherry extract. I didn't get one taste of the dried cherry, it tasted like just plain sugar. I felt like I could feel my teeth rotting from the sugar because I took a rather large mouthful for my taste test out of the cup my barista gave me.
Some people may like the Cascara Latte. Some people may hate it. But ultimately, if I drank it fast enough and didn't really let the taste linger in my mouth, it just might think it was delicious.
Some people may like the Cascara Latte. Some people may hate it. But ultimately, if I drank it fast enough and didn't really let the taste linger in my mouth, it just might think it was delicious.
