The Aerocano arrives at Starbucks
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Starbucks’ Aerocano is a modern take on the Iced AmericanoStarbucks
Starbucks is introducing its newest cold espresso beverage — the Aerocano — a modern take on the coffee giant’s popular Iced Americano. The launch comes to all the Seattle-based chain’s coffeehouses in North America on Tuesday to coincide with National Coffee Day.
The Aerocano is crafted with Starbucks Blonde Espresso instead of dark roast, then air-whipped for four seconds to create a light, velvety texture. For the grande size, the barista starts with three blonde shots that are steamed in a pitcher and then poured into a cup of ice. The aeration elevates the texture of the espresso and creates a layer of foam that cascades into the drink as it settles in the cup. The visual and textural effects combine to create a different coffee experience.
The Aerocano is also available as a Caramel Aerocano, crafted with caramel syrup along with the aerated blonde espresso and ice.
The new drink originated in Starbucks’ South Korean market, where the Iced Americano is a customer favorite. Chanda Beppu, senior vice president of Starbucks Asia Pacific, saw its potential when exploring coffee trends.
“It was something that caught my eye,” Beppu said in a statement. “The idea of Aerocano isn’t necessarily new to the world, but when you combine Starbucks coffee, barista expertise and a growing iced coffee culture, it felt like the right moment to expand on the Americano platform with something that feels familiar and new at the same time.”
It took some R&D to get the texture and look of the Aerocano just right and scale the technique to meet Starbucks’ volume. While the beverage uses equipment and ingredients already in place at the cafes, a recipe was developed to get consistent results across the vast Starbucks’ system.
“You have espresso and ice, and then you steam it,” Aleksandra Oršolić, who oversees coffee product strategy for Starbucks Asia Pacific, said in a statement. “But to actually get it consistently done in the same way, with the same foam thickness, and the cascade always being present, it took a lot of testing and iteration.”
Starbucks’ Mini Pies for fall
Also arriving at Starbucks on Sept. 29 are three new Mini Pies inspired by the season. The Apple Crumble Mini Pie is layered with apples and a buttery streusel topping, while the Pecan Mini Pie has a buttery pecan filling with toasted nut notes and caramelized sweetness, and the Pumpkin Mini Pie has a creamy pumpkin filling flavored with fall spices.
