The Costco Caffeine Embargo Is Over
I never did learn the reason why several Hawaii Costco locations were without caffeineated varieties of their signature Seattle Mountain Coffee whole coffee beans. But rest assured the caffeine is back in stock.
caffeine
Where’s the Caffeine, Costco?!?
Is this an epidemic or just bad timing? I’ve been to two different Costco locations in the past two weeks, and on both occasions, I haven’t been able to find their signature Seattle Mountain Coffee in anything other than decaf. What’s up with that?
There are other caffeinated coffee brands available like Starbucks, Kauai Coffee, Peet’s, and more, but my all around, go-to choice is missing. Hopefully, this is just a temporary outage, not a sign of permanent changes to come.
Thrillist Ranks Every Starbucks Drink
I’m not so addicted as to attempt what Thrillist has done – ordering and ranking every drink on a Starbucks regular menu. Keep in mind this ranking is on the regular stuff, not the seasonal specials. I won’t spoil the list since you should check it out yourself, but here are some of my comments.
My personal go-to drink, the Caramel Macchiato (hot) came in at a disappointing #33 with the iced version ranking at #25. I don’t drink Refreshers or any teas so I have no opinion on these.
I’ve rediscovered my current favorite, the Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice. Freshly made, this drink can’t be beat. It tastes great, is relatively inexpensive, and is low on calories. You gotta be ready for the caffeine kick though, and sadly once the drink starts getting watered down as the ice melts, its flavor profile changes. The recently added Flat White is surprisingly way up there on the ranked list although I don’t disagree. It must be the whole milk that smooths everything out.
Anyways, it’s a fun list to look at and see where your favorite Starbucks drink falls.
Who Peeked?
Hey, who peeked?!? The boxes at Starbucks explicitly say no peeking until November 12. Today’s still Veterans Day, November 11.
But if your Starbucks did set up their Holiday display just a tad early, it may look like this…
Or you could go to starbucks.com/shop for a preview as well. You can say this much, Starbucks is going all out with its Dot Collection for 2014. I lost count on all the cups, tumblers, and travelers offered, but I am liking the Black Stripes tumbler.
I Gagged on a Starbucks Chestnut Praline Latte
Sounds worse that it was, but it’s the truth. Upon my first sip of a cold Chestnut Praline Latte, I sucked in a praline crumb (which I wasn’t expecting) and coughed and hacked it out. I just wasn’t expecting a hard item in my CPL so it caught me off guard.
The drink itself isn’t bad. It’s very nutty and kinda vanilla-ish (to me but I guess that would be the caramelized chestnut and spice flavors). It seems like I’ve tasted a variation of this drink before in the past. Not overly sweet like the Pumpkin Spice Latte or the Salted Caramel Mocha. I haven’t tried the hot version and not all stores are selling the CPL before the official November 12 launch.
When you take your first sip of a CPL, watch out for them praline crumbs. 😉
More Starbucks Clovers in Hawaii
Whoa now, what’s this? Starbucks is expanding their locations featuring the Clover brewing system. Originally, this specialty brewer was only available at the new-ish Aina Haina location. But yes, though it’s there, the Clover is “out of commission” awaiting personnel training. So I’ve heard that training is indeed underway with a target date of October 23 as the Clover launch at Aina Haina and Koko Marina.
Say what?! Another east side Starbucks getting a Clover? That doesn’t seem fair. But wait, there’s more. How about Clovers in Kaneohe and in town? We’re talking Windward City and the Airport Trade Center locations.
Check out the official Starbucks map (as of October 15, 2014).
Starbucks Aina Haina Get Ka`u
With only 600 bags available for online purchase, the limited Starbucks Reserve Hawaii Ka’u has since sold out. But the Ka`u is making an appearance at the new Aina Haina Starbucks. This location is evidently going to be the premiere Starbucks on Oahu with this rare coffee available in-store along with the (non-functioning) Clover brewing system.
Thanks again to @yoda808 for the pictures.
Update: I stand corrected. Wayne’s World said the Ka`u reserve is still available online, and he is correct. I must have been using an old link or product code. Anyways, I updated the link in the post.
*At Participating Locations Only
So I was watching the @therealpsl Twitter account as it counted down to an early release of the seasonal Pumpkin Spiced Latte (PSL). @therealpsl would drop hints to unlock a puzzle at its Tumblr site. Today, all the clues were available. Figure out the answer, and you’ll unlock a free PSL drink as one of the #firstpsl drinkers.
Sadly, showing the above graphic means nothing if the Starbucks location is not participating in the #firstpsl giveaway. 🙁
Luckily, I did manage to get a real early #PSL last week Friday.
Is Starbucks Fizzio About the Social Peer Pressure?
I’m taking a guess here, but Starbucks latest venture into handcrafted sodas seems a little odd. The Fizzio is made fresh using no artificial flavors, no preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup, and is somewhat low in calories. Uncharacteristically for Starbucks, the Fizzios are caffeine-free. So why roll out the Fizzio, even if it’s only available in certain markets? It’s because of social peer pressure.
Have you encountered this scenario? Say you’re at work one afternoon, want a break, and decide to make a quick trip to a nearby Starbucks. You ask if any coworkers want to come along. The caffeine addicts duly agree needing a post lunch hit. Then there’s the tea drinkers who don’t want all the caffeine and coffee brown-ness, but they come along for the Teavanna drinks like the Shaken Iced Blackberry Mojito Tea. Lastly, there’s the non-coffee drinkers. Yes, they really exist and have no reason to visit Starbucks with their fellow peers. Until the Fizzio.
See, with the Fizzio, the non-caffeine drinkers have a valid option at Starbucks. They can join the social circle of Starbucks fans and can avoid awkward peer pressure. They don’t have to go along with everyone else just to get a cup of water or a non-appreciated drink. They too can enjoy a sophisticated drink that won’t make them feel guilty with an abundance of calories or cost. It’s an all-around win.
My First Starbucks Vanilla Macchiato
Walked into my favorite Starbucks this morning and was greeted by this interesting sign accented by the sunlight. Hmmm, a Vanilla Macchiato now joins caramel and hazelnut. I had to try it, and yes, it is good, similar but different from the other two. I ordered my VM (not virtual machine for you techies) non-fat, stirred, hot, and short.
I didn’t take the lid off before taking a sip, so I don’t know what a fresh VM looks like. Flavor-wise, the depth of the vanilla hits you right away. For me, the Caramel Macchiato is sweet then the aftertaste follows with the richness of caramel. The Hazelnut Macchiato is more mild with the hazelnut undertones, and I prefer substituting a few pumps of vanilla for mocha to waken this drink up. But the Vanilla Macchiato is more balanced from beginning to end. Flavorfully deep with a matching level of sweetness. The new drink for spring? Yes, indeed.
The Nespresso U Is Still Good
Say it with me, “Your Nespresso U is still good. Your Nespresso U is still good.” Don’t mind that Nespresso just launched their new VertuoLine that makes both espresso and coffee. Your recent purchase of the espresso-only Nespresso U is still a good buy at half the price of a new Vertuo.
So what if the Vertuo-made coffee features a crema top? And so what if the new hardware has a single button operation using lasers to detect what kind of drink to make? The Nespresso U is still good. I mean it has a positionable water reservoir, right?
You did capitalize on discounts and bonuses for your U purchase, right? You got those 200 Grand Cru capsules at a discounted price right? Because, the Vertuo uses a whole different capsule format and flavor lineup.
If you wanted coffee, you still have your coffee maker right? And really, the Aeroccino frother is still the same as what you got with your U bundle. So don’t head to Williams-Sonoma in Ala Moana to hear the demo and sample a full cup of crema-capped coffee. The Nespresso U is still good.
Do you really need the latest and greatest of caffeinated creations?
Well if you don’t share the sentiment that the Nespresso U is still good, let me tempt you…
The First Starbucks Start Dash of 2014 Is Hardcore
Now that’s a way to kick off 2014! Starbucks first Star Dash of this year is a doozy with the possibility of earning 20 stars! Of course, you need to earn 25 stars on your own to get the 20 star bonus in the span of less than two weeks (January 27 to February 9, 2014). That’s hardcore, 25 stars in 13 days.
This is definitely going to promote the irritating behavior of making individual purchases. You know the type of customer, ordering four drinks for the office but paying for them one by one to get four stars. Good for your star generation but sucks for those in line behind you as four separate transactions are rung up, especially when all you want is a cup of brewed coffee. Now if the store is empty, and there’s no line then knock yourself out. But in the early morning crush, don’t be pulling this obtuse impertinence.
If you earn seven less stars (18 stars), your Dash bonus will be halved to 10. I wonder if this Star Dash is continued indoctrination for those who bought the free coffee or espresso tumblers for January. Now that they’re addicted to the caffeine from multiple visits to Starbucks on a daily basis, this promotion might continue the behavior.
Naturally, I signed up for the dash, but I doubt I’ll make it.