In the age of Instagram, a cup of coffee's novelty factor can be just as important as the caffeine. Just ask the Glitter Cappuccino. Starbucks, the world's biggest coffee chain, is no stranger to creating products that are part beverage and part social media sensation. But, even a brand known for drinks that are intended for viral potential typically only has one or two particularly noteworthy standouts per year. While we didn't think it was possible to outdo the Unicorn Frappuccino, a drink that quickly sold out (not before inspiring Halloween costumes and internet rants alike), Starbucks latest beverage could be a contender.
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Butterfly Pea Lemonade Cold Brew arrived on menus today, February 20. As you can see from the photo, the drink changes colors as the consumer sips and stirs. It's a layered iced beverage that starts out with an ombre look, which features cold brew coffee, lemonade, and butterfly pea flower tea. According to a press release, butterfly pea flower tea is a currently a popular ingredient throughout Southeast Asia that has a natural blue hue, but is known to change color.
If you were planning to run straight to Starbucks to get a glimpse of those color-changing properties in actions, there's a catch. The new offering is only available at select Starbucks locations throughout Southeast Asia. Though, based on the posts we've seen of the drink so far, we're guessing there will be a social media campaign to bring the drink stateside in no time.
It might not have made its way to your local coffee shop just yet, but cold brew mixed with lemonade isn't a new concept. Eater wrote about the trend back in 2016, explaining that the beverage had been available on menus at coffee shops in Brooklyn and New York City since 2015. Another Brooklyn cafe serves a lemonade and espresso beverage that has been around for years. So even if the butterfly pea flower tea version takes a little longer to make its way to the U.S., you can still hack a lemonade cold brew, minus the technicolor Instagram, at any Starbucks location.
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