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Monday, February 25, 2008

Starbucks’ new flavor is honey

by Teresa Gubbins

Starbucks' latest seasonal flavor for its various coffee drinks is -- drum roll -- honey, officially available on February 26, the same day that the chain will close all stores for an employee training session (although it was already being served on Saturday February 23 at the Starbucks on US 75 just south of Parker Road in Plano).

Honey will be prominently featured in two drinks -- honey lattes and honey Frappuccinos. A honey-ish syrup (not honey) is added to the drink; then real honey is drizzled over the top which, in the case of the Frappuccino, would be drizzled over the whipped cream.

That Starbucks continues to dream up new flavors that can be paired with coffee is no small feat. Some, such as chocolate or, well, chocolate, go with coffee naturally. Others such as peppermint might not initially seem like a logical fit but turn out to be better than you might expect.

Honey is a fairly delicate flavor; you might question whether it's a "flavor" at all. But some people already add honey as a sweetener to their coffee and tea drinks. And for the cult of folks who like to try new things, honey seems like an inoffensive way to satisfy the novelty bug, not to mention it's sweet.

One odd thing: the timing, given that honeybees in the United States have been under duress, with their population declining by 25% in the past decade, possibly due a pesticide called imidacloprid, made by Bayer CropScience, that is theorized to confuse bees and make them forget their way back to the hives.

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

Will they use actual honey in the drinks, or will it be honey flavoring?

kirk Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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Um, Kirk -- from the second paragraph: "A honey-ish syrup (not honey) is added to the drink; then real honey is drizzled over the top which, in the case of the Frappuccino, would be drizzled over the whipped cream."

As the resident Starbuckian, I have to say that I'm not all that impressed with it. We started giving out samples of it on Saturday and I was met with general look of distaste from most customers. I think it's okay, but nowhere near my favorite.

Alex Bentley Staff

1 year, 9 months ago
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Thanks, Alex. I read that paragraph and assumed that it meant that syrup was used in the drinks. So I'll ask it in a slightly different way: Is real honey used in the "honey-ish syrup," or is it honey flavoring?

And a follow-up question, if it is allowed: If, indeed, it is honey flavoring, what are the ingredients of honey flavoring? Is it organic?

I am reminded of a comment health expert Covert Bailey made on one of his interminable PBS "specials." He said that he was always amazed by people who used honey as sweetener, and rationalized it as being okay because it is "natural." He told them, "Yes, well syphillis is natural, but I don't think you'd want that, would you?"

kirk Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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Good question -- didn't actually look at the ingredients of the syrup, but I would assume that there is little, if any, actual honey in the honey syrup. I'm headed in tomorrow <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/feb/12/starbucks-close-all-stores-including-those-dallas-/">for training</a>, so I'll try to remember to look at the ingredients and let you know.

Alex Bentley Staff

1 year, 9 months ago
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Obviously they're grinding up bees to make the syrup flavoring. This explains the bees' disappearance perfectly, and fits in perfectly with my plethora of other conspiracy theories.

Kirk: Why is honey not okay as sweetener, according to that guy? Was he just saying that they thought it was healthier than sugar?

Pavel Lishin Verified

1 year, 9 months ago
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Would Garth Brooks like this new drink?

xdavidwattsx Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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Yes -- yes he would.

Alex Bentley Staff

1 year, 9 months ago
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I wonder if these new drinks will help you if you have a sore throat, sorta like tea with honey......

hellofromfw Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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A spoonful of honey will quiet a cough and help with sore throats and allergies. With things in bloom, I take a spoonful every day....nature knows best...

pnewsgal Anonymous

1 year, 9 months ago
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Kirk -

Gotta jump in and defend honey's sweetening goodness. Of course, like all natural sweeteners, the amount of processing done before it gets to you is the main factor in how much of its original nutritional value is left, but in its pure form honey is a miracle worker. It has a low glycemic index, is naturally antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, and can claim a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/03/AR2007080301651.html?nav=rss_health">ton</a> of <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19526216.100&feedId=online-news_rss20">other</a> <a href="http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/study-tests-topical-honey-diabetic-ulcers-13148.html">benefits</a>. Besides, have you ever tasted the real stuff? (Not <i>raw</i> honey, <i>unheated</i> honey. There is a difference.) It's such good stuff.

David Gouldin Staff

1 year, 9 months ago
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David: I don't dispute honey's value as a sweetener, but I think you are mistaken when you say it has a "low glycemic index."

In the "standard" index, where pure glucose = 100, table sugar = 64 and honey = 62. (Fructose = 22; maltose = 105.) In another version of the index, where white bread = 100, sucrose/table sugar = 92 and honey = 83. (Fructose = 32; maltose = 150; glucose = 137.)

Yes, I have tasted the real stuff ... raw honey, too. I like some honeys, and am not terribly impressed by others. These days, though, my consumption of all sugars is restricted.

Pavel: In answer to your question, Bailey was saying that calories from honey are just as fattening as calories from sugar, even if it is "natural." By the way, a tablespoon of honey contains 63 calories (17 grams of carbohydrates) vs. 46 calories (12 grams of carbohydrates) in a tablespoon of sugar. (I don't believe there are any calories or carbs in syphillis.)