Starbucks Corp. kicked off the New Year by introducing the Cortado espresso drink to its menu, starting Jan. 3. Although this Spanish blonde espresso beverage was announced as part of Starbucks’ winter menu lineup, alongside the return of the Pistachio Latte and Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, the Cortado will be a permanent addition.
The Cortado is a beverage made with three ristretto shots (more concentrated than a regular espresso shot) of blonde espresso cut with the customer’s choice of milk. This Spanish coffee drink is Starbucks’ first addition to its core espresso beverage lineup since the Flat White was introduced in 2015, and the rest of the lineup includes the Doppio Espresso, Caffè Americano, Espresso Macchiato, Espresso Con Panna, Cappuccino, and Caffè Latte.
“Espresso is the heart and soul of Starbucks,” Ricky Gonzalez, a member of the Starbucks beverage development team, said in a statement. “Our goal was to create a new way for customers to experience espresso from us.”
The addition of the Cortado beverage seems to be a direct response to CEO Brian Niccol’s promise that Starbucks would get back to its coffee roots.
“To improve throughput quality and consistency, we will cut down our overly complex menu to align with our core identity as a coffee company,” Niccol said during Starbucks’ fourth-quarter earnings call in October.
The Cortado is only available hot, and in an eight-ounce “short” size. In addition to this original beverage, Starbucks is also offering a nondairy version with a sweeter Brown Sugar Oat Milk Cortado.
Also available at Starbucks this winter are a vegan spicy falafel pocket, a vanilla bean custard Danish, a Valentine cake pop dipped in red chocolate icing, and single-origin Ethiopian whole bean coffee.
Starbucks is also now offering customizations for matcha beverages, including sweetness level adjustments. Reserve Roasteries are also welcoming back the Hot Honey beverage lineup for a limited time.
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