The original macchiato was introduced to the Starbucks menu in the late 1980s. Now, It’s getting a twist and some help in the promotions department from Ariana Grande.
Starbucks’ latest addition to its permanent menu is the Cloud Macchiato, a coffee-based drink inspired by the Spanish drink leech merengada and made with “Cloud powder,” which includes egg white powder to give the drink a meringue-like texture.
“The original Spanish beverage combines cinnamon and lemon zest, with a frothy texture which inspired us to reinvent the beverage as a macchiato,” said Erin Marinan, from Starbucks research and development team. “The texture of the Cloud Macchiato is luxurious and by adding espresso and our Starbucks signature caramel cross-hatch, we’re making it ours and opening up even more ways we can bring new beverage experiences to our customers.”
The cloud macchiato comes in two flavors: caramel and cinnamon. Grande tweeted out an images the Cloud Macchiato and of herself Tuesday wearing the Starbucks’ signature green apron, adding the hashtag “StarbucksAmbassador.”
“We’ve long been fans of Ariana Grande’s and were excited to work with her to celebrate our shared love of clouds,” a Starbucks spokesperson told CNN.
The drink is Starbucks’ latest attempt to capture customers through new offerings and partnerships. In 2014, Starbucks partnered with Oprah Winfrey to create the Teavana Oprah Cinnamon Chai Tea Latte.
Starbucks has also announced plans to roll out 10 Starbucks Reserve stores this year. The high-end versions of the coffee chain offer a more artisanal experience than its traditional stores. In 2016, then-CEO Howard Shultz said that he wanted to open 1,000 Reserve stores. In recent years, current CEO Kevin Johnson has said that number was an “aspiration” and that the rollout will start much smaller.
