Frapp Attack

Starbucks+Unicorn+Frappuccino+which+was+available+between+April+19+and+April+23.+

Starbuck’s Unicorn Frappuccino which was available between April 19 and April 23.

by Alyssa Kitz, Staff Writer

Between April 19 and April 23, you may have gotten the chance to try Starbucks’ limited edition Unicorn Frappucino. The highly anticipated drink took the Internet by storm when Starbucks announced its limited appearance in the company’s US, Canada, and Mexico locations on April 19th, 2017.

Although the drink had some original aspects, the idea wasn’t a Starbucks original. Unicorn culture has been sweeping the Internet. There have been multiple food and drink creations that are marketed as “unicorn”. On some Starbucks secret menus, a frappuccino order had been published years ago that makes one’s drink look like a unicorn and taste sweet.

Some of Starbucks’ original ideas for the drink include the claim that the drink is “color-changing, flavor-changing, and potentially life changing.” That sure does sound magical, but that magic comes with a price. A minimum price of $4.25, in fact, which is the price of a tall (Starbucks’ equivalent to a small) unicorn frappuccino. As size goes up, not only does price rise so does the amount of sugar.

In a tall unicorn frappuccino, there are 39 grams of sugar. In a grande (Starbucks’ equivalent to a medium) there are 59 grams of sugar. In a venti (Starbucks’ equivalent to a large) there are 76 grams of sugar. According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of added sugar men should be taking in a day is 37.5 grams and for women 25 grams. Just the small size of the frappucino would be over the amount that would be healthy.

Not only is the drink extremely unhealthy, it is a complete scam in taste and price. It essentially tastes like a mango smoothie (which is not what one can imagine a unicorn tasting like) and once it is mixed, becomes sour. Also, the claimed color-changing magic of it is not that magical. Once the drink is mixed, the already dominantly purple, magenta color turns into a deeper purple. So magical!

Why would someone want to play almost $5 for a drink that tastes like a sour tropical drink? Maybe because it was advertised as “unicorn”, which is a popular style in the current society. It also could have been the fact that the drink was limited edition, so one would want to get her hands on it before it’s gone. Whatever the reason was, overall the cons outweigh the pros schemed by society and the internet.

However, some people enjoyed the drink. Some people also believe in unicorns.