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No tricks, double treats as we try Starbucks Japan’s Halloween Witch and Princess Frappuccinos

Casey Baseel Oct 19, 2018
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Two enchanting newcomers just showed up at Starbucks, and we’re here to let you know which is right for you.

We’re happy to see Halloween becoming more and more popular in Japan, but we have to admit the situation is sort of bittersweet for us. See, while Japan has embraced Halloween costumes and decorations in a big way, trick-or-treating is just barely starting to catch on in shopping arcades and entertainment complexes, and even when we can find a place that’s giving out free candy, we’re a little too old to take advantage of the offer.

But luckily there’s another beloved cultural import from the U.S. here to soothe our heart and satisfy our sweet tooth. Last week, Starbucks Japan unveiled not one, but two special Halloween Frappuccinos, and being the thorough journalists/shameless gluttons we are, we hurried to our local branch to try both on launch day, October 18.

But just like there are multiple Halloween costumes to pick from, so too do the new dessert drinks present a choice of personas, with one dubbed the Halloween Witch and the other the Halloween Princess. Since we’re nothing if not acutely in touch with the darkness that dwells in our souls, we started with the Halloween Witch.

At first glance, the Halloween Witch’s appearance might look haphazard compared to the normally polished presentation Starbucks in known for. It’s actually a case of distress by design, though, as Dark chocolate sauce is added to the drink’s milk base in way that brings to mind the slowly dripping components of an enchantress’ potion, with the chocolate forming into sinisterly tempting tendrils seeping towards the bed of red apple compote that sits at the bottom of the edible abyss.

After we received our drink, we took a sip as quickly as we possibly could, and with equal speed the delicious dark chocolate possessed our taste buds. But like we said, this a witch’s brew, and like a sorceress at her cauldron, the contents’ true power is unleashed when they’re stirred. After a few swirls of our straw, our second sip was one not only of chocolate sauce, but of bits of crisp apple crunchy caramel cookie, plus the cocoa powder that had been sprinkled across the whipped cream topping.

For several moments we sat there, our spirit bound by the pleasures of the Halloween Witch. But from somewhere at the far corners of our consciousness, we heard a voice telling us not to give ourselves entirely over to its charms just yet…and it was the voice of the Halloween Princess calling us over to its cup.

Though both new Frappuccinos have a milky base and apple compote, they’re otherwise as different as night and day. The Halloween Princess is a regal pink in color, owing to its compote being pre-mixed (perhaps by a team of ladies in waiting), and instead of chocolate sauce, the Halloween Princess has white mocha and is crowned with a royal regalia of silver dragée confectioneries.

Both are delicious in their own way, with the Halloween Witch being the more ostentatiously decadent, and the Halloween Princess being the better option for elegantly sipping and slowly savoring. Since the two drinks are identically priced at 590 yen (US$5.30), choosing between the two really comes down to what you’re in the mood for on that particular day.

▼ Our reporter K. Masami, for instance, was craving some witchcraft on the day of our taste test.

Luckily, since both of the new Frappuccinos will be around until October 31, there’s time to take on both personas, right up until Halloween night itself.