The Juniper Latte, available December 5, starts with Starbucks’ Reserve Christmas 2017, a coffee blend featuring flavors of orange and mulled spices that comes from the Starbucks farm at Hacienda Alsacia in Costa Rica. It is brewed as espresso, and combined with steamed milk and a syrup made with dried juniper berries, sage, and mandarin.
The latte is finished with latte art and a sparkle of juniper sugar (plus a sprig of fresh sage if at the company’s Reserve Roastery in Seattle).
Starbucks is serving the Juniper Latte at its Seattle Reserve Roastery, as well as its U.S. stores that feature Starbucks Reserve coffee bars, for a limited time. The espresso can also be served with a scoop of Mora juniper ice cream for a Juniper Affogato.
“Coffee is our muse,” says Lillian Ontiveros from Starbucks R&D. “We started with our Christmas Reserve. That earthy aged Sumatra inspired the woodiness, while the citrus flavor in the Hacienda Alsacia ties in that note of sweet orange.”
“With the first sip, you’ll inhale that woodsy aroma and the savory woodiness of the juniper,” Ontiveros goes on to say. “On your second sip, you'll get the mandarin. The sage follows on the backend. It's a well-rounded experience.”
