We catch Pikachu at Starbucks and receive an exclusive sticker, but how does the electric Pokémon taste?
Attention trainers! The Pokémon + Starbucks collaboration has begun!!!
This dream collaboration stopped us in our tracks when it was announced last week, and though it sounded too good to be true, when we turned up at our nearest Starbucks on release day on 30 September, the star drink was there on the menu, waiting for us to catch it…so that’s exactly what we did.
Called the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte (690 yen [US$4.55] for dine-in), this limited-edition creation is made with milk and espresso, but unlike a regular latte, the espresso shot is poured in from the top to help create a visual that conjures up the colours of Pikachu.
There’s a lot to love about this rare drink, starting from the fact that it was chosen from more than 700 Pokémon-themed beverage recipes created by baristas from across Japan, as part of the “Pokémon + Starbucks Barista Battle”.
▼ Kind of like the work of a Pokémon Master, with the skills of a coffee master thrown in.
Image: Press release
Then there’s the look of the latte, with honey and caramel sauce giving the drink a Pikachu-like hue, while heart-shaped sugar pieces on top of the chocolate sauce-slathered honey-flavoured whipped cream are designed to mimic the red colour of Pikachu’s cheeks.
The latte was so beautifully crafted that we found it difficult to bring ourselves to drink it, but our curiosity about Pikachu’s taste got the better of us, so we dipped our straw in and took a sip.
First, we tried it as it was, without mixing it whatsoever, and it tasted like a familiar Starbucks latte, but noticeably sweeter. We expected the caramel to be more dominant, but instead the honey really packed a punch, imparting a sweet zap that reminded us of Pikachu.
After mixing the whipped cream and toppings into the drink, the flavour became richer and creamier, with a mellow aftertaste. The honey-flavoured whipped cream had a smooth, rich flavour reminiscent of custard, adding even more depth of flavour to the mix, and though we thought the flavours might battle with the chocolate, it turned out to be a perfect partnership. Everything came together beautifully, with the richness of espresso playing a faint melody in the background, while the heart-shaped sugar pieces provided an exciting crunchy textural accent right to the very end.
Though it ran sweeter than a regular latte, the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte left us completely satisfied. It delivered a sense of excitement and adventure, which is what you want on an outing with Pikachu, and the sticker we received free with purchase gave us a lasting memory of our journey together.
▼ The sticker illustration features an original design by illustrator Hikaru Ichijo, depicting Pikachu and a trainer, or rather, a barista, with a coffee.
▼ You can even purchase a Starbucks gift card with exclusive Pokémon + Starbucks collaboration artwork for a limited time.
The only downside to the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte is that, like any good adventure, it’s destined to end all too soon. The latte is only on the menu for 9 short days, until 8 October, so you’ll want to get in quick to join the journey, and be sure to catch all the Pokémon + Starbucks merchandise available exclusively online too.
Images ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]
