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Christmas arrives early at Starbucks in Japan with new Merry Cream Frappuccino

Oona McGee Nov 3, 2023
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Limited-edition beverage looks set to be the hit drink of the festive season.

Now that Halloween has come and gone, taking this year’s Booooo Frappuccino with it, it’s time to get a taste of Starbucks Japan’s newest offering — the Strawberry Merry Cream Frappuccino.

This limited-edition beverage was released on 1 November as the first festive Frappuccino for the holiday season, and our reporter K. Masami was one of the first in line to try it. Judging by its gorgeous looks and special “Merry Cream” topping, she had a feeling this drink would sell like crazy, and after tasting it, she’s even more convinced that it’ll become the hit drink of the season.

▼ The Strawberry Merry Cream Frappuccino is sold in a Tall size only, priced at 687 (US$4.57) for takeout and 700 yen for in-store customers.

For starters, the drink itself looks absolutely gorgeous, with its festive red-and-white hues and strawberry powder and silver sugar topping, which sparkled in the light like a Christmas ornament.

The sparkly visual was exciting to look at, and this excitement grew upon first sip, when she got her first taste of that special Merry Cream. It was different to any other whipped cream topping she’d had on a Frappuccino before, as it’s made with white chocolate and mascarpone cheese, which creates a rich depth of flavour that’s absolutely divine.

When combined with the fruity, chewy strawberry pulp base, Masami’s taste buds were sent straight to Frappuccino heaven, floating on pillowy, creamy strawberry clouds that they never wanted to return from.

The chewy texture and sweet and sour taste was a perfect partner for the Merry Cream, with the fruit providing a refreshing aftertaste to lift the creamy flavours, making it incredibly easy to drink.

Joining the Frappuccino for this limited-time release is the Strawberry Merry Cream Tea Latte (available hot or iced, priced from 550 yen for a Short through to 690 yen for a Venti), which Masami also couldn’t resist trying.

This latte combines the chain’s Earl Grey milk tea with strawberry juice and white mocha syrup. Like the Frappuccino, it’s topped with Merry Cream, strawberry powder, and silver sugar to finish.

While it’s perfectly delicious as is, Masami asked staff if they would suggest a customisation for the drink, and they recommended changing the regular milk to Breve Milk for an additional 55 yen.

Breve milk is a steamed half-and-half — one half being milk and the other half being cream — which increases the fat content, and the depth of flavour. It worked a treat on this latte, as Masami often orders the Earl Grey latte on its own and it’d never tasted this flavourful. The addition of strawberry helped to add a tart contrast to the mix as well, lifting the flavour profile with its fruity freshness.

▼ Two fantastic drinks to get us in the festive spirit.

In addition to the limited-edition drinks above, the chain also has a wide range of limited-edition sweets in store at the moment, including the Cranberry Bliss Bar (300 yen), which goes particularly well with the hot and cold beverages.

Fans of the chain will also be pleased to know that the holiday staples of Joyful Medley Tea Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Crème Brulee Latte are returning for a limited time this year, available from 1 November to 25 December.

The Strawberry Merry Cream Frappuccino and Strawberry Merry Cream Tea Latte are being sold for a much shorter time period, however, only on the menu while stocks last until 28 November. After that, we’ll have the as-yet-to-be-announced second festive Frappuccino to look forward to!

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[ Read in Japanese ]