A simple beverage that’s ripe for customisation.

Starbucks has gone totally fruity this summer, starting the season with strawberries before setting them aside for mangoes as the star ingredient on the menu. While the limited-edition Frappuccinos are currently stealing the limelight, diehard fans will be seeking out a more understated new beverage called the Mango Au Lait, which focuses on simplicity to allow the fruit to shine.

Made with only milk and fruit pulp, this is a drink that’s bound to explode in popularity as the weather heats up. Not only is it refreshing, but the simplicity makes it super easy to drink.

While it’s usually served without cream, in-store baristas recommend customising it with whipped cream for an additional 55 yen (US$0.38) and a free sprinkling of cinnamon powder, so we went with their advice and were glad we did, as the spice added an exotic aroma to the mix.

With mango pulp at the bottom of the cup, and blended into the milky body, this is a drink that lets you enjoy full-on mango flavour when you sip it as is. Stirring the mixture together, however, creates a mellower, creamier experience with a sweetness that becomes more pronounced in every sip.

The simplicity makes the drink suitable for a wide variety of customisations, and the cinnamon tuned out to be a perfect partner for mango, adding a dash of extra flavour to excite the taste buds right through to the very last sip.

This is the kind of easy-to-drink beverage that you’ll want to order again and again, so it’s a good idea to alternate between the standard version and a few customisations while it’s available until 8 July. Priced at 590 yen, this is a great alternative to the more well-known drinks on the menu, and a nice palate cleanser for the super spicy Hot Honey Oriental Mango & Tea Frappuccino, which is currently burning mouths around the nation.

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