But you don’t need to fly to Florida to get a taste of J.K. Rowling’s sweet invention—all you have to do is head to your nearest Starbucks. You will not see it on its menu, but as long as the coffeehouse has toffee nut syrup, your favorite barista can make it for you.
It doesn’t stop at butterbeer. There’s a whole slew of secret drinks you can order at Starbucks, all unofficial and invented by baristas and customers from different parts of the world. (You can invent your own, too.)
There are even websites devoted to cataloguing these drinks, with people arguing over the merits of using this over that syrup.
We spent way too much time looking through Starbuckssecretmenu.net and, armed with a notebook full of secret drink recipes, headed to a nearby Starbucks to do a road test.
We ordered a Butterbeer Frappuccino and the barista didn’t bat an eye. “Do a lot of people order the butterbeer?” we asked.
“Yes, kids love it,” she said.
Then we ordered the Captain Crunch Frappuccino. Lee Ann, our barista, was unfamiliar with it, but all we had to do was show her the recipe and we were back on track.
Same thing with the Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino.
The websites were right—as long as you have the recipe and Starbucks has the ingredients, the barista will mix the drink you want. Note that you will pay for the add-ons, so the more complex your recipe is, the more expensive your drink will be.
We ordered a Cotton Candy Frap, another drink that isn’t on the menu but one Starbucks was already familiar with. “Kids order that a lot, too,” Lee Ann said.
We hit a roadblock with the Banana Split Frap. Starbucks didn’t have banana syrup or real bananas. We also couldn’t order the Sour Gummy Worm Refresher and the Virgin Margarita Frap—they require ingredients available only at Starbucks stores in the United States.
Instead, we went for the Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato, substituting gingerbread syrup for the cinnamon dolce syrup. We also ordered a Candy Cane Frap and an unnamed green tea and strawberry mix that Lee Ann suggested.
Here’s the lowdown on what we ordered, in case you want to try them, too. Recipes and prices are for tall-sized drinks. Your barista can make adjustments.
And next time I go to Starbucks, I’m bringing one and one-fourth packets of salt with me. That’s all I need to turn my Toffee Nut Frap into a Buttered Popcorn Frap.
The recipe: Caramel Cream Frap + toffee nut syrup + caramel drizzle (The websites recommend starting with just a Cream Frap and adding pumps of caramel syrup but Filipino baristas use Caramel Cream Frap as the base.)
What it’s supposed to taste like: Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling described butterbeer to Bon Appetit over 10 years ago, saying, “I made it up. I imagine it to taste a little bit like less sickly butterscotch.” People have described the Rowling-approved drink served at the Harry Potter theme park as cold, frothy and creamy, like cream soda mixed with butterscotch or Werther’s caramel candy.
What it really tastes like: Starbucks’ version is a creamy, nutty, caramelly sweet treat that reminds us of those Peter’s Butter Ball candies from our childhood.
The verdict: There was one thing missing from the Starbucks version of the butterbeer—the fizz. But still, we’ll take it. It will do until we get to Florida or decide to finally make our own version at home (there are recipes for that, too). Out of the seven drinks we tried, this was the first one to disappear. I can imagine some adults complaining about how sweet it is, but it’s a guaranteed hit with kids.
The cost: P160 for a tall one
Tip: If you want your butterbeer hot, order the Hot Butterbeer Latte.
The recipe: Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino + ½ pump of caramel syrup + 1 pump of toffee nut syrup + ½ pump of hazelnut syrup + java chips
What it’s supposed to taste like: Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries cereal
What it really tastes like: Like strawberry deliciousness. Seriously.
The verdict: I loved it. In fact, this was my favorite until it was unseated by Drink #6 which you will read about in a bit. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Cap’n Crunch fan or not, if you like strawberry-flavored drinks like I do, you need to order this drink.
The cost: P210 (Blame it on the java chips.)
The recipe: Java Chip Frappuccino + 2 pumps of mocha syrup + 1 pump of hazelnut syrup + whipped cream
What it’s supposed to taste like: Ferrero Rocher chocolates—decadent layers of milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts, thin wafer, hazelnut cream and a whole hazelnut, otherwise known as little pieces of heaven covered in gold foil.
What it really tastes like: This drink is dark, nutty and chocolatey but it does not taste like Ferrero Rocher.
The verdict: I’d like to change this drink’s name to Not Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino. Trust me, I have eaten enough Ferrero Rochers in my lifetime to be considered an expert on the subject.
The cost: P180
The recipe: Vanilla Cream Frappuccino + 1 pump of raspberry syrup
What it’s supposed to taste like: Cotton candy
What it really tastes like: Like Vanilla Cream Frappuccino with raspberry syrup
The verdict: This is one of the popular items on Starbucks secret menu so I had high hopes. I wanted to love this, I really did. Cotton candy is one of my favorite flavors and I would love to be able to order a cotton candy-flavored drink at Starbucks. But it just didn’t taste like cotton candy to me. There was a hint of cotton candy in the aftertaste but that was it. If you are searching for a cold cotton candy-flavored treat, I suggest trying Cold Stone’s cotton candy ice cream. I’m obsessed with it.
The cost: P155
The recipe: Iced Soy Caramel Macchiato + 1 pump of vanilla syrup + 1 pump of gingerbread syrup
What it’s supposed to taste like: Snickerdoodles—those tasty cinnamon-sugar cookies
What it really tastes like: Snickerdoodles, liquid snickerdoodles!
The verdict: Lee Ann was right. Gingerbread syrup worked as a great substitute for the cinnamon dolce syrup suggested by the websites. If you like gingerbread, cinnamon or snickerdoodles, you will enjoy this drink.
The cost: P165
The recipe: Vanilla Cream Frappuccino + 1 pump of peppermint syrup + peppermint sprinkles
What it’s supposed to taste like: Candy canes—sweet, creamy and minty
What it really tastes like: Candy canes—sweet, creamy, minty and so delicious. This drink tastes like Christmas and the crushed peppermint is a beautiful touch.
The verdict: This is my top pick. This is the drink that stole Captain Crunch’s crown. Out of the drinks we tried, this is the one that makes me want to go to Starbucks tomorrow so I can drink it again. If you love peppermint, if you love candy canes, if you love Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha, you will love this drink.
The cost: P155
(We don’t know the actual name for this drink so let’s just call it Drink #7.)
The recipe: Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino + cream + strawberry syrup
What it’s supposed to taste like: We’re not sure, really. But we trusted the barista when she said she tried it once and it was delicious.
What it really tastes like: Creamy green tea with a twist.
The verdict: Kids might be put off by its color. “Ew, it looks like a vegetable frap!” we heard one 11-year-old say. But it really is quite a treat for green tea lovers.
The cost: P180