I Tried Ariana Grande & Starbucks’ Caramel Cloud Macchiato So You Didn’t Have To

If you haven’t heard enough of Ariana Grande, recently, she collaborated with Starbucks to release a new drink for all her caffeinated (and non-caffeinated) fans. Starbucks teased the drink on their Instagram with ASMR-like videos of cutting squishy material in the shape of clouds. Ariana tweeted at Starbucks the day before with cloud emojis as well.

As a daily drinker of caramel macchiatos, I knew this drink was right up my alley. This drink is built with espresso at the bottom, a layer of airy whipped cold foam, topped with delicious caramel drizzle. The cloud macchiato also comes in a cinnamon version infused with lemon syrup. However, the drinks do contain egg white powder in the foam, so, unfortunately, it’s not vegan-friendly. Both drinks are available either iced or hot.

I waited in line at the busy GSU Starbucks and finally got my drink after 10 minutes or so of waiting. Here’s what it looked like:

Caption: They finally spelled my name right!

I got a grande (of course) Caramel Cloud Macchiato. It’s certainly aesthetically pleasing. It’s a wonderful cascade of gradient from the white fluffy cloud foam that seeps into dark espresso at the bottom. I would advise to not leave it untouched for too long, as the cloud foam will inevitably melt. As far as the taste goes, it’s not as satisfying as a regular caramel macchiato. The cloud foam takes up most of the volume of the cup so there is not much espresso as it seems. It is, however, pretty sweet! Perhaps a little eggy from the egg white powder, but nothing a little extra caramel can’t fix.

I asked my friend Anchita Khurana (QST’22), who also tried the drink, about her thoughts. She said “It’s cute, but I probably won’t get again. It’s watery and sweet.” While I disagree that it’s watery, I probably won’t be purchasing this drink again. I’ll stick to my regular order of a grande iced blonde caramel macchiato with extra caramel and non-fat milk, please.

Summary Taste: 6/10

Presentation: 9/10

Sweetness: 7/10

Caffeinated-ness: 7/10

Fluffiness:10/10

But anyways, I still stan you Ari!

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• Ariana Grande
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