Under-the-radar drinks took Frappuccino customers by surprise on release day.

On 15 February, Japan released its first sakura Frappuccino of the season, drawing customers like our own reporter K. Masami, who got up early to get a taste of the drink as soon as it was released. However, what many of these customers didn’t know was that the chain had a surprise in store for everyone, as it was also releasing another sakura drink on the same day.

▼ The Strawberry Sakura Soy Latte is available hot or iced, in Short through to Venti sizes, from 550-690 yen (US$3.63-$4.55).

Every new Starbucks release goes through rigorous testing in its development stages, and when the combination of sakura and strawberry was hit upon, the development team discovered that soy milk was a better partner for the star duo than dairy. It was such a good combination that they’re now offering it as a free customisation, and giving it its very own place in the lineup with the Strawberry Sakura Soy Latte.

▼ Previously, soy milk customisations cost an additional 50 yen (US$0.33), but Starbucks is now making them free for all beverages.

The main feature of the latte is “a sweet and sour sauce with a bright strawberry flavour that mingles with a gentle aromatic sakura flavour”. The soy milk, with its its moderate richness and mellow mouthfeel, is said to make the strawberry and sakura flavours even more remarkable, allowing them to meld on the palate in even amounts, creating an addictive interplay between sweet, floral, and fruity components.

Starbucks says the drink displays the scent and colour of spring to “gently envelop your heart”, and if you happen to fall in love with soy milk through the sakura latte, the chain has a series of other beverages they’re keen to recommend.

▼ The Soy Caramel Macchiato, Soy Chai Tea Latte, and Soy Matcha Cream Frappuccino

While the soy milk beverages above are mainstays on the menu, the Strawberry Sakura Soy Latte will only be on the menu until 11 March — the same end-date for the currently available limited-edition cherry blossom Frappuccino — so you’ll want to get in before then to try the sakura-soy combination. As a special bonus, if you order any latte from 20 February to 3 March, you can get a second one for just 260 yen on the same day, thanks to the chain’s “ReDiscover Your Latte” promotion. Starbucks says the reduced-price second latte is a perfect opportunity to try out new latte customisations like soy or oat milk, so you can “rediscover” your favourite latte in new and exciting ways, and all you have to do is show your receipt to staff to get the cheaper beverage.

Source, images: Press release
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