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Shortbread Lattes from Starbucks

SBL, shortbread latteLast week, the Starbucks stores in my neighborhood rolled out their holiday drinks – namely the gingerbread (yum!), peppermint mocha and eggnog lattes. I noticed that several stores had special announcements of another drink: a shortbread latte. The drink wasn’t on the regular menu board, but merely written up on the chalkboard with the rest of the specials. My first thought was that it was a concoction that some creative baristas came up with, but as I saw it listed at more and more stores, I realized that it was a new, up-and-coming holiday drink. My barista confirmed my suspicions and was more than happy to make me up a sample.

The drink is made like a typical latte – espresso and steamed milk - but enhanced with a shortbread syrup and topped with whipped cream and shortbread cookie crumbs. I was completely surprised that I liked the drink, given that “shortbread” usually makes me think of butter and the idea of a butter-flavored drink (my initial expectation) was not particularly appealing. The drink actually tastes much better than it sounds, subtle and buttery with a cookie aftertaste. The shortbread crumbs are delicious and a very unusual touch. I’m never one to get whipped cream, but I’m glad I tried the full drink for the shortbread crumb effect.

No idea if – or when – Starbucks will put this drink out into a wider release, but if it’s available in your area and you’re a fan of shortbread (or even just of cookies in general), it’s definitely worth a try!

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12 Comments
  • JEP
    November 6, 2007

    The roll-out is Thurs here in IN. I understand they will also have a sugar-free gingerbread syrup this year. Hoping I will have a chance to try the shortbread latte!

  • lori
    November 7, 2007

    Oh darn, I was hoping that you could’ve shown what the top of that drink looked like. LOVE shortbread, but am not sure how I’d take to it in a drink.

  • Nicole
    November 7, 2007

    Sorry I didn’t get the top of the drink! If you want to try and picture it, think of a fluffy cloud of white whipped cream with small white balls of cookie on top. The shortbread and the whipped cream were identical in color (part of the reason it wasn’t a fantastic picture) and looked almost like a tiny – but tasty – snowscape.

  • miriam
    November 7, 2007

    this one sounds wonderful…i’m a peppermint mocha gal myself, but i wait all year for the holiday drinks!

  • Cakespy
    November 7, 2007

    Shortbread latte!?!? How have I not seen this!? I live near the original Starbucks after all!

  • Mia
    November 8, 2007

    No shortbread lattes here in Maryland. A good friend is a store manager and I asked her about it. She hadn’t even heard of it. But I did find a recipe on line that she is going to experiment with to make it.

  • Mrs. L
    November 8, 2007

    Shortbread Lattes? Be still my thunder thighs…sigh…I’m doomed. But thanks anyway for the tip, I’ll start looking for them in my area!

  • ptahcha
    November 13, 2007

    The shortbread latte is a test market item. It’s available in the Fairfield County in CT. Alas, the trade-off is they are not selling any gingerbread latte in stores where they offer shortbread latte. 🙁

  • Nichole
    November 19, 2007

    Can anyone give me an exact location in the Southern California area where the shortbread latte is being tested? I am driving from San Diego to Nor Cal on Thursday and would love to stop and try one of these.

  • ptahcha
    November 20, 2007

    It’s available in the Valencia/Santa Clarita Valley area starbucks – at least the one on McBean and Valencia Blvd. Exit I-5 North at Valencia, turn right, go for about a mile, catty corner from Shell station.

  • Erik
    November 20, 2007

    The SBL is available in Studio City, CA at the Starbucks on the corner of Ventura Blvd and Vineland.

  • philadelphia botox
    August 5, 2009

    I do love Shortbread Lattes from Starbucks. It’s a unique kind of drink that everyone would love. So spread the news about this. 🙂

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