Starbucks launches Tribute Blend, new pastries for 40th anniversary

Starbucks is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, and has rolled out a whole variety of new products this spring in celebration of that milestone. I was fortunate enough to attend the launch for the whole new lineup – both drinks and pastries – and got to try everything out just as they were released. The launch of these products actually marks the first time that Starbucks has done a global launch of new items, releasing everything to all of their stores world wide at the same time (although different areas/countries may have slightly different pastries according to local tastes).

The headliner is the Starbucks Tribute Blend, a bold coffee that is a post-roast blend of four different beans and is one of Starbucks best coffees to date. The blend includes aged Sumatra (my favorite), sun-dried Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and Colombia beans. The coffees in the mix were chosen primarily for the way the combined into one well-balanced brew, but were also chosen because they represent the diversity of Starbucks coffee beans from different parts of the world.

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Starbucks Card Mobile: Pay with your Phone!

Every time I’m in the grocery store, or any other store for that matter, I hear people complaining about how many cards they have to carry around in their wallets and about how many rewards programs they have to join. The Starbucks card is a little different because you can charge it up and pay for your coffee with it (not just use it to get a normal price on an overpriced box of cookies at the market), but it is still one more thing that you need to carry around with you. But Starbucks is going mobile with their cards and if you have a smart phone, you can download an app to access your card digitally. The app will tell you your balance and, when you press the button to pay, a barcode will appear that the barista can scan. Your bill will be deducted from your balance and you won’t need to fish around in your purse or wallet for yet another card (because we all know that we keep our cellphones handier than anything else, for the most part).

I still like my Starbucks card (which is from 2001!) a lot, but I’ve used this type of system for airplane boarding passes and have to admit that it’s pretty convenient, so I just might end up downloading the app myself. It is currently available for iPhone and Blackberry, with an Anroid app coming soon.

Starbucks rolls out “Trente” size

Starbucks is constantly testing new products and marketing ideas for their stores, running them in just a few test markets around the country at any given time to gauge consumer reactions. They’re rolling out one of these new ideas nationwide in the next few months: the Trente size. This new drink size is a whopping 31-ounces! To put this in perspective, the Vente size currently runs 20 ounces for hot drinks and 24 ounces for cold drinks. Moving up to 31-ounces is quite a big step! Other coffee shops that offer such large sizes tend to promote them for iced tea and similar drinks, rather than hot beverages, because it’s pretty difficult to drink a hot drink of that size and actually have it remain hot.

The new drink size will be rolled out Tuesday in 14 states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona.California residents will be able to buy them beginning Feb. 1 and the nationwide rollout should be complete by May 3.

Starbucks Hacks for the Frugal

I can’t count the number of former baristas who have told me that they hated the customers who ordered a huge cup with a single shot of espresso, then filled up the remaining 18-oz of their drink with water from the condiment bar. Mostly, this was because the customers tended to have an attitude even bigger than their cups when they pulled this “trick”  and never tipped on top of it. They were trying to save money – and who isn’t these days? – but there are better ways to do it even when visiting Starbucks without antagonizing the staff.

One Starbucks barista pulled together a whole list of helpful tips for frugal Starbucks shoppers, and tips to help you discern a good Starbucks from a bad one. Check out the whole list and see what you’re already doing, and what you might want to try on your next visit. Even taking your own cup in, while it only saves you $.10 per trip, will add up after a while!

Polar Bear Cookie from Starbucks

The holidays mean holiday baked goods in the pastry case at most bakeries and coffee shops. I’ll always prefer homemade baked goods but I couldn’t resist tasting this cute little polar bear cookie from Starbucks. It is a crisp butter cookie coated with a white chocolate-like glaze. It’s a good flavor combination and not too sweet, but even though I enjoyed it, you’re buying it for looks and not just for its flavor. Maybe it’s a decorating idea I’ll end up trying at home!