For some of us, Starbucks Coffee is a daily routine. Its something we need just to get through the day and to prevent us from falling asleep in the middle of a physics lab. Others, however, just enjoy the huge variety of fun and interesting drinks that Starbucks has to offer.  From their funky frappucinos to their tasty teas, Starbucks has a drink for everyone.  Starbucks has an amazing selection of drinks, but what most people don’t know is that there are actually hundreds more to choose from with the help of the elusive secret menu!

So what makes Starbucks so popular?  The answer is in its history.  Starbucks first store was founded in 1971 in Seattle.  The company took off in 1982 when Howard Shultz joined the works and brought the mocha and the latte back from Milan and added them to Starbuck’s menu.  These items took off in Seattle and soon enough, Starbucks cafes were popping up all over the country.  The name was inspired from a character from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick named Starbuck.  (There was discussion over naming the store Pequod, the name of the ship in the famous novel.)  The famous Starbucks logo depicts a sea siren, which is not surprising considering Starbuck’s addictive, alluring nature.

The key to Starbuck’s success is that it did what no other coffee shop did.  It did away with the traditional concept of coffee that says it has to be plain or with just milk and sugar.  Instead, Starbucks experimented with different ingredients to blend with coffee and the result is the hundreds of items on the regular menu and the secret menu.

The Secret Starbucks Menu is an online compilation of drinks that Starbucks goers have invented from various ingredients and shared on a website (starbuckssecretmenu.net). Here, these creative drinks are shared for all Starbucks fans to try.  Two examples of items on this menu include: The Butterbeer Frappucino, consisting of a creme frappucino base, 3 pumps of caramel syrup, 3 pumps of toffee nut syrup, and topping it off, a caramel drizzle, and the Purple Rain Refresher, which is a spin off of the Cool Lime Refresher with added lemonade and raspberry syrup.

Tiffany Chinwuba, junior, said she heard about the menu through 17 Magazine.  Her favorite drink on the menu, she said, was the Cinnamon Roll Frappucino.  “It’s very sweet and it tastes like a cinnamon roll if you order it right.”  To order this drink, order a vanilla bean frappucino, add white mocha syrup (1 pump for a tall, 2 for grande, 3 for venti), cinnamon dolce syrup (same ratio), and top it off with cinnamon dolce powder.

Mr. Flanigan had a completely different opinion of Starbucks than most of the students interviewed.  “I go to Starbucks because people or relatives who don’t know what I want assume that, because I’m a teacher, I must be addicted to coffee and corporate America.”  He had never heard of the Starbucks Secret Menu and he chortled at the idea of it.  Flanigan’s go-to drink at Starbucks is the regular coffee. “For me, coffee is about the smell.”

Shreya Patel is perhaps the biggest Starbucks enthusiast at this school.  She has come up with a variety of her own drinks as well as gained inspiration from the secret menu.  Her favorite drink on the menu is the Swedish Berry Iced Tea.  This drink is essentially the Iced Passion Tea, but with berry hibiscus juice substituted for water and with classic and raspberry syrup and a scoop of berries added.  Shreya describes this drink as “the new and improved passion tea lemonade.”

Alicia Bisplinghoff, junior, said she heard about the menu through friends and Twitter, however she has never ordered something from it.  Her favorite Starbucks drink is the sweetened Passion Tea Lemonade.  “It tastes sweet and fruity,” she said.

Lindsay Leskinen, another junior, has also never ordered anything from the menu, but instead created her own blend of Starbucks ingredients.  Her favorite drink is the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappucino with a creme base, substituted for the original coffee base.  This drink is seasonal, but the ingredients are always available, so it can be ordered anytime of the year.  “The texture is a mixture between a slushy and a milkshake.”

Yesterday, I took my routine trip to Starbucks, and feeling adventurous, I decided to substitute my typical Peach Tea Lemonade with something from the secret menu.  After some research, I decided upon the Oreo Frappucino.  To order, I asked for a Vanilla Bean Frappucino with java beans mixed in.  The secret recipe calls for a cookie crumble topping, but I decided to add a new twist and ordered the seasonal candy cane topping instead.  The drink really did taste like an Oreo milkshake, but with a crunchier texture and a richer flavor.  To taste one of these for yourself, visit starbuckssecretmenu.net.