There are few words...
that strike as much anger, post traumatic stress, and caffeinated rants in specialty coffee circles as Starbucks. It brings up a lot of feelings. For some its memories of our first barista job while being berated by angry Karens. For others it's the frustration of explaining to someone that a macchiato is actually a two ounce hot drink, and not a 20 ounce iced drink with caramel and whip. But even still, we have to all admit to ourselves that Starbucks has done quite a bit of good for our industry. They made paying five dollars for a latte acceptable. They made WiFi a cafe staple. They even were instrumental in bringing La Marzocco to the United States. So with all of that under their belt, they can create a decent, or dare I saw a good drink from time to time. Drinks like the legendary Undertow, otherwise known the "Breve Blast" or the "John Wayne" for some reason I don't fully understand.
Granted, I'm not a huge fan of their coffee, and I generally only find myself visiting when I'm in an airport or being dragged in there by my mom or sister. But they do have a few gems buried deep beneath those oily, over-roasted beans. I mean, who doesn't love a coffee milkshake from time to time? They even have some of their best drinks on the "secret" menu. One such drink is the undertow, but it could use a bit of a third wave update. So in this video I'm going to be taking the Starbucks Undertow and making some changes to highlight the espresso and balance the sweetness of the creamy base. So hit play on that video above and lets dive into upgrading the Starbucks Undertow!