• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

2

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy

3

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

1

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

2

Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy

3

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
RetailStarbucks

Starbucks Wants Its New “Cold Foam” to Be the Next Pumpkin Spice Latte

By
Anne VanderMey
Anne VanderMey
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Anne VanderMey
Anne VanderMey
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 17, 2018, 2:18 PM ET

How to describe Starbucks’ new Cold Foam? It’s looks like the head on a Guinness beer, but it doesn’t dissipate and dissolve into the rest of the drink. It has a similar mouthfeel to the marshmallow topping of a key lime pie, but it’s easily sip-able. And it has a name that evokes the villain of a Michael Crichton sci-fi novel, but it actually tastes pretty good.

Cold Foam is Starbucks’ newest addition to its drink menu. It’s made from whipped milk, but it’s not exactly a coffee creamer. It’s designed to sit atop a cold beverage without instantly vanishing (a la typical cappuccino foam from steamed milk), and gives customers the option to adorn their iced-cappuccinos with something other than whipped cream or, well, hot foam.

The new menu item is part of Starbucks’ effort to capitalize on a larger trend, as iced coffee has exploded in popularity. Soon, the coffee giant aims to bring in half its sales from cold beverages. But while the company has been an innovation powerhouse in many arenas (hello #PSL), it hasn’t had the same breakout success in recent years with cold beverages. Unless you count the Unicorn Frappuccino. Which, to be clear, we do not.

Enter Cold Foam, just in time for summer. The foam is created by putting milk in a blender, using a process that ensures it doesn’t get too hot. In some drinks, the substance is then sweetened with Cascara, which is the recently trendy dried fruit of the coffee plant (the coffee bean is the seed).

To start out, on April 17, Starbucks will be featuring three different Cold Foam drinks: the Cold Foam Cascara Nitro Cold Brew, Cold Foam Starbucks Blonde Iced Cappuccino, and the Cold Foam Cascara Cold Brew. The foam topping will be available as an add-on for any cold beverage.

So how was it? As someone who takes a lot of milk in their coffee, it was a little frustrating to have the foam sit on top and not blend in with the rest of the drink. But Cold Foam does taste good (see video above for a candid take). The ability to get a hit of curiously frothy cream along with a taste of cold brew is refreshing. And in the Starbucks Reserve shop where we sampled it, hands already shaking from caffeine tremors, your correspondents kept going back for more.

 

About the Author
By Anne VanderMey
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

coo
ConferencesCOO Summit
From ‘reinvention exhaustion’ to ‘friction absorption’: the e-commerce elves who make your groceries and clothes appear are worn out
By Nick LichtenbergJune 3, 2026
9 hours ago
kirol
ConferencesCOO Summit
‘Stop building silos of excellence’: Peloton’s COO has a Navy playbook for the new era of supply chain chaos
By Nick LichtenbergJune 3, 2026
13 hours ago
How Victoria’s Secret CEO ditched its identity crisis—and delivered record-breaking results
RetailVictoria's Secret
How Victoria’s Secret CEO ditched its identity crisis—and delivered record-breaking results
By Eva RoytburgJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
petersson
ConferencesCOO Summit
Anthropic’s office launched an AI-run vending machine. It evolved into AI-run stores and cafes within a year
By Nick LichtenbergJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
Macy's collage
Magazine250 Years of Innovation
An AI overhaul at Macy’s is fueling the 168-year-old retailer’s turnaround
By Phil WahbaJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
How to save the internet—according to Sam Altman’s all-seeing Orb  
EuropeEurope
How to save the internet—according to Sam Altman’s all-seeing Orb  
By Sam BirchallJune 1, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
North America
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
By Katie Savin, Callie Freitag, Matthew Borus and The ConversationJune 2, 2026
2 days ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
13 hours ago
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 3, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 3, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 3, 2026
14 hours ago
Southwest exec says the free bag and assigned seating overhaul is already paying off
Travel & Leisure
Southwest exec says the free bag and assigned seating overhaul is already paying off
By Preston ForeJune 2, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 2, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.