Starbucks has some of the most delicious beverages out there, from Frappuccinos to Refreshers, and always have fun seasonal drinks—Lavender Crème Frappuccino, anyone? But unfortunately, the coffee giant is not immune to mistakes, and they’ve put some pretty foul options on the menu over the years. In a n0w-viral Reddit thread, former Starbucks baristas and customers alike shared what they remember as the worst drinks of all time. We’ve gathered the most common drinks mentioned—and now you can decide for yourself what the worst idea Starbucks has ever had is.
Blended Cold Brew Protein Shake
First up is the Blended Cold Brew Protein Shake, a relic from 2018. It's made with the classic Starbucks Cold Brew, almond milk, plant-based protein, almond butter, Banana Date Fruit Blend, and ice. Even just the description is questionable, as is the actual amount of protein that's in it–only 12 grams.
This was one of the most popular suggestions on the Reddit thread for worst drinks in Starbucks history. The first person to comment the Blended Cold Brew Protein Shake got 400 upvotes, and described it as "awful," noting that "they smelled like mulch!"
"They SOUND great," another person commented. "But in reality, they made everyone on the floor sick."
Witch's Brew Crème Frappuccino
Another common reply was the Witch's Brew Frappuccino, which already doesn't sound good, but imagine it's October and you're excited for Halloween. However, the description Starbucks provided didn't make it sound any better, in fact, it sounds even worse: "Our cauldron bubbles with a Halloween Frappuccino Blended Beverage Crème delight that's more treat than trick (or is it?)... The delicious orange crème flavor drink is dotted with imaginary Bat Warts and Lizard Scales."
The "bat warts" are chia seeds, and the "lizard scales" is whipped cream dusted with some sort of green powder...this might just take first prize for worst drink at Starbucks. At least, that's what Redditors think. "The witch's brew still haunts me," one person commented. "Purple drink with an orange creamsicle flavor and green chia seeds floating around inside." Yuck!
Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino
Next up is the Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino, which perhaps has the most potential for not being that bad. This includes funnel cake-flavored syrup blended with coffee, milk, and ice, layered with strawberry puree, whipped cream, and powdered-sugar-funnel-cake pieces. We're not exactly sure how you're supposed to drink the funnel cake pieces, and we can't imagine why the strawberry puree wouldn't be blended into the drink, but we still don't think this is the worst beverage Starbucks has ever produced.
However, some disagree. "The Funnel Cake Fraps were pretty awful," one person commented in the Reddit thread, earning over 100 upvotes.
"I can't believe they successfully made a frap that tasted like grease," another person agreed.
Unicorn Frappuccino
And finally, the Unicorn Frappuccino. Already this sounds like a three-year-old's vision of adding sprinkles and sparkles to sugar and calling it a day. This purple and blue drink was introduced in 2017, and went viral pretty immediately, though now we're looking back at it like what were we thinking? Made with ice, milk, pink powder, sour blue powder, crème Frappuccino syrup, mango syrup, and blue drizzle, this drink was 500 calories and had 76 grams of sugar.
"I remember the limited edition unicorn drink," one person commented. "It looked pretty. It did not taste so pretty."
"Witch's brew was nothing compared to this one," one former employee shared. "Trust me, you do not want to put this in your body." Luckily, this limited edition beverage isn't available anymore... and that's probably a good thing.
