’Twas the year 1996 when some Starbucks Partners squeezed caramel sauce on top of its latte macchiato in a 7/7/2 crosshatch pattern. And lo and behold, the legendary Starbucks caramel macchiato was born. 28 years later, the espresso-based beverage and its sweetness have become a staple on the international coffee giant’s menu. Starbucks sold over 570 million cups of caramel macchiato globally between 2021 and 2023 alone.
This year, Starbucks decided to update the now classic recipe with two new additions to its macchiato family: a lemon macchiato and a coconut macchiato. The lemon macchiato utilises the new(ish) blonde espresso, a lightly roasted coffee, as the base and paired it with a salted lemon sauce made with “Eureka” citrus lemon. The coconut macchiato is created with Starbucks’ classic espresso but with coconut and palm sugar to create a tropical flavour. Each beverage will set you back 41 RMB (5.76 USD).
At the same time, the coffee chain is also hosting an exhibition at the Starbucks Reserve branch at the Sinan Mansions in Shanghai. The exhibition will be open between 1 October and 2 November this year. Not only does it contain photos illustrating the creation process of the iconic caramel macchiato, but it also has drawings of all global variations of the drink throughout the 28 years since its invention. The branch is decorated with wallpaper with the “legendary” crosshatch pattern.
Upstairs, there is an interactive touchpoint with a stamp collection activity and you can order macchiato drinks from the bar. Ordering two beverages at the same time or tagging the event on social media can get you gifts exclusive to the event like tote bags (limited to 280 units) and fridge magnets (limited to 1,000 pairs).
This event is something new as it is not only a localisation, product-wise but also a promotion of Starbucks’ global brand heritage and image. It is great to see the brand diversifying after some viral localised campaigns. With leadership changes both globally and in China, it is exciting to see what the coffee goliath will come up with next in the highly competitive market.
