These syrups aren’t only designed for coffee.

As much as we love Starbucks drinks, there are times when we just can’t be bothered to leave the house to buy one. This happens more often in summer, when stepping outside is like opening the door to a humid, relentless, steamed-up sauna, so we’re glad to know there’s a way to get a quick fix of Starbucks from the comfort of our air-conditioned homes.

This quick fix comes in the form of flavoured syrups, which are sold in stores and at the chain’s online shop. Though you might’ve seen them before, people tend to mistakenly assume they can only be used with coffees, but in actual fact there are other ways to use them, and we’ve got four tips that will show you just how versatile they are.

▼ The syrups currently come in four flavours – hazelnut, caramel, vanilla, and valenica – priced at 842 yen (US$5.22) per 375-millilitres (12.6-ounce) bottle.

Our top picks are Hazelnut and Valencia, the latter of which is particularly good in summer, due to its refreshing orange flavour. No matter which flavour you choose, the first, and most obvious way to use it is to add a splash to your coffee. Roughly one-to-two teaspoons is recommended, and though you can use it with iced or hot drinks, it works especially well with milk-based drinks like lattes. Although you might think a flavour like Valencia orange might clash with coffee, they actually go really well together, enhancing each other in deliciously exciting ways.

When served hot, the orange aroma rises gently with the steam, and when iced, the refreshing citrus notes stand out even more clearly. Add a bit of sweetness to taste, and your everyday latte is instantly transformed into something way more special.

The flavoured syrups aren’t just for coffees, as they also work well with hot or iced teas. Add it to milk tea – again, milky drinks work best – and you get a gentle, subtle finish that’ll instantly elevate your milk tea into a splendid brew. Another way to enjoy the syrup is in sparkling water, and it’s one of our favourite ways to have it in summer, as the lightly sweet orange flavour turns it into a refreshing flavoured soda that’s absolutely bursting with citrus fizz.

The final way we recommend using the syrup is by adding it to plain yoghurt.The result is simply amazing, with the fresh sweetness working to round out the tartness of the yoghurt, making it even more delicious.

Once you start using the syrups, you’ll be amazed at how versatile they are…and you’ll find yourself looking to experiment by adding them to all sorts of things. The only problem is, we could do with a larger bottle because ours tends to run out very quickly, and the orange Starbucks gummies just won’t do when we need our Valencia fix.

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