By Tess Peterson
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – You know its fall when your favorite coffee shop offers up autumn-themed expresso drinks! This fall, Starbucks will add a new flavored latte in addition to its traditional pumpkin spice latte.
Starbucks will offer the first new seasonal drink in four years: the toasted graham latte.
Yoke Wong, Starbucks research and development manager, created this new drink after being inspired by the “back to school” themes in advertising.
The research showed that the taste of cereal milk was very popular in the United States, so Wong went to work to create this cereal milk taste in an espresso drink. She tested between 20 and 30 beverage concepts.
“I knew I was getting close to the final recipe when I began to notice that one of the samples was the favorite time and again,” she said.
This new flavor is an espresso drink with steamed milk, flavors of graham and sweet cream, finished with a hint of cinnamon.
Barista Bridget said that the traditional pumpkin spice flavor is still the favorite, but the toasted graham latte is “gaining popularity.” She said that some days the two flavors are equally requested.
“Just this week we have been averaging 100 toasted graham lattes, and about 110 pumpkin spice lattes,” Bridget said.
During a 45-minute period at the Starbuck at Chatham Road and West Monroe Street, six customers ordered the pumpkin flavor and four chose the new one.
One student, Becky, was drinking a toasted graham latte, but said that she still prefers the pumpkin spice choice. She said she loves to try new flavors for “the adventure,” just to see if she will like them.
Wong said research shows customers will try a new flavor once, and if they like it, they will order it multiple times in the season.
Two other customers at the Starbucks, Angie and Hannah, explained that they love to try new drinks, especially at Starbucks. Angie and Hannah try new drinks “just for fun.”
Angie said she is “sticking with pumpkin spice,” while Hannah said her new favorite espresso is now toasted graham.
Stop by your favorite coffee shop and try the seasonal flavors, traditional, or new, before they’re replaced with the Christmas selections.
Tess Peterson can reached at [email protected].