Starbucks Is Unleashing New Ice Cream Coffee Drinks

Courtesy of Starbucks
Courtesy of Starbucks

Depending on what flavor you choose, a Starbucks Frappuccino is already more like a dessert than it is a coffee drink. But now, the coffee giant is taking that idea to the next level with a new Affogato drinks that combine coffee with actual scoops of ice cream. For real.

Starbucks announced Wednesday it is introducing several espresso and cold brew coffee drinks -- a Classic Affogato and a Cold Brew Float, among others -- that are made with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream -- just like the classic Italian dessert. The company first unleashed the Affogato drinks and ice cream to much success at its massive, Willy Wonka-eque Roastery in Seattle last June, and is now rolling them out to select stores across the county. In other words, ice cream is coming to Starbucks and it's kind of a big deal.

But don't get too excited just yet. The decadent beverages will roll out as part of a "Roastery Affogato" menu at only 10 of its locations with Reserve coffee bars in Los Angeles, Chicago, Maryland, Boston, and Washington DC as well as a similar “inspired by the Roastery” Affogato menu at 100 of its locations in Orange County, California, this week. All of the Affogato drinks are made with artisanal ice cream from Bainbridge, Washington-based Mora Iced Creamery.

Affogato drinks at Starbucks' Seattle Roastery | Courtesy of Starbucks

"The main difference is that for our stores with Reserve bars, those products will spotlight our small-lot Reserve coffees, which are roasted exclusively at our Roastery in limited quantities," a Starbucks spokesperson said via email. "The test in Orange County at our core stores will highlight our classic signature Espresso Roast and our classic Nariño 70 Cold Brew."

Here's are the complete Affogato menus, per the spokesperson:

Affogato menu at the 10 stores with Reserve bars:

Classic Affogato 5.5 fl. oz. - $6 / 240 calories: Two shots of our Reserve small-lot espresso poured over vanilla ice cream

House Affogato 6 fl. oz. – $6.5 / 270 calories: Two shots of our Reserve small-lot espresso with a touch of demerara syrup poured over vanilla ice cream and dusted with cinnamon

Cold Brew Float 12 or 16 fl. oz - $7.5 | $8 / 240 calories: Our Reserve small-lot cold brew with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Try with nitro - $8.5 | $9

Cold Brew Malt 12 fl. oz. - $8.5 / 450 calories: An ultra-thick spindle-blended malted milkshake with our Reserve small-lot cold brew, vanilla ice cream and chocolate bitters 

Affogato menu at 100 locations in Orange County:

Classic Espresso Aff­ogato Tall (12 fl oz) $5.25 / 240 calories: Two shots of espresso poured over vanilla ice cream

Starbucks Narino 70 Cold Brew Float Tall (12 fl oz) $5.95 / 240 calories: Our cold brew poured over vanilla ice cream (try with nitro for $1 more)

Starbucks Narino 70 Cold Brew Malt Tall (12 fl oz) $6.45 / 430 calories: Our cold brew blended with ice cream, malt and chocolate bitters

Starbucks said the new drinks are part of its ongoing efforts to experiment with new drinks at its Roastery and eventually roll out some of its most successful and well-received drinks, flavors, and other concepts to more people at its locations across the country. A good example of this is when Starbucks released Affogato-style Frappuccinos nationwide last summer. So, with any luck, your local Starbucks might have the fancy new Affogato drinks, too, someday. 

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Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and used to make affogato-style drinks and they're delicious. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.