Starbucks Vegan Frappuccinos

These days you might think you could get a frappuccino everywhere, but no. Just at Starbucks. The name's a registered trademark. So when you're drinking those Mochalattas or Coolatas, get up and look at the nameplate on the front of the store. You're someplace else and you missed your date, who's now icy. Or possibly steaming. Not that Starbucks invented frappuccinos. George Howell did, at the Coffee Connection. Guess who bought out the Coffee Connection, though? Right.

Starbucks secretly will introduce vegan frappuccinos starting on May 5th. Not secret secretly, of course. Internet secretly. With a gradual rollout so that a million sites can breathlessly announce the news. The best account seems to be at The Consumerist.

The old method to make them used a base that contained dairy, but the new way you basically add a thickening syrup to base of milk/flavour syrups/coffee depending on the drink, so as long as the drink is made with soy it’s vegan. The coffee and creme frappuccino bases are vegan, however, the light one is not— and all the other inclusions and toppings are vegan except for whip (duh) and caramel drizzle.

The whole process is fraught. Worry about the White Mocha and the Java Chips, which contain dairy, and make sure that the soy comes from the right pitcher.

Or make your own and put it in a thermos.

By the way, here's a secret that you'll only find on the Internet: that water you pay more for than gasoline to buy in bottles with a fancy brand name? It now comes from tubes that are being run into houses. Almost free. Just like the Internet itself.