Since I started college, my coffee obsession has skyrocketed. Back at home in Southern Illinois, I had to drive 20 minutes just to get to a Starbucks. But here at SLU, there are so many coffee shops on and around campus that I'm pretty sure there's more caffeine than blood in my veins at this point. So naturally, when Starbucks announced their newest concoction, called the Unicorn Frappuccino, I was immediately intrigued.
When I started looking into the Insta-worthy drink, Twitter had a variety of reactions to the idea, ranging from disturbed to overjoyed.
With such divided opinions, I knew I couldn't rely on the Internet to tell me how Starbucks did on this one — I had to try it for myself.
My Initial Thoughts
The Unicorn Frappuccino sounded like straight-up witchcraft. As a nutrition major, I'm slightly wary of whatever food science craziness they used to pull this off, but nonetheless, I was drawn to it. According to Starbucks, if you stirred it, it would change between various shades of pink and purple. It also changed its flavor, from a fruity, sweet taste, in the beginning, to "pleasantly sour" at the end — like a reverse Sour Patch Kid.
I don't know about you, but I don't really associate coffee with a sour taste, so it kind of turned me off. Was it candy or was it coffee? But, ya can't knock it 'til you try it, so I traipsed across the street to Starbucks to examine the source of the hype.
The Frapp in the Flesh
First things first, I noticed how pretty it was. Everything about it reminded me of a unicorn, from the sour blue drizzle to the pink "fairy powder." The color-changing element was a little disappointing, though. Upon stirring, all I got was a change from pale purple to pale pink. This drink is already twice as Instagrammable as anything else, but is that all it's good for? I was about to find out.
I cautiously took my first sip, and it tasted... sweet. A pleasant, refreshing kind of sweet that made me want to take another sip. And another.
But that's when I got some of the sour drizzle and it took me completely by surprise. It was like I abruptly stopped drinking a mango smoothie and started sucking on a Warhead. After that, I avoided the blue stuff at all costs. But, I finished the Frapp and overall, I didn't think it was that bad.
Why All the Hate?
Most of the reviews and opinions I've seen on the Unicorn Frappuccino have been so, so negative. A lot of people were let way down by this supposedly magical creation and many, like me, were vehemently opposed to the sour blue drizzle. Some say the mango base was way too sweet as well.
But as for me, I honestly don't regret trying it. I mean, was it mindblowing? No. Would I order it again? Probably not, but mostly because I'm looking for coffee when I head to Starbucks, not weirdly sour smoothies. Also, a grande had a whopping 59 grams of sugar — definitely not something you should be making a regular part of your diet.
While it seems to me like y'all are overreacting a little about how terrible the Unicorn Frapp was, I heard that experiences varied by store or even by barista. Luckily, for the haters, the colorful concoction is no longer available. But if you missed out or are looking for another Instagrammable sip, there's always Starbucks' secret Matcha Pink Drink... just don't tell your barista you heard it from me.