New spring seasonal drinks are right around the corner for Starbucks, and I am currently mourning the loss of my beloved iced pistachio latte.
There’s a bit of a down season after all the excitement of winter-themed drinks when it comes to Starbucks. Everyone always remembers the peppermint latte and the cranberry bliss bars, but I’m here today to give the pistachio latte the accolades it deserves before it is inevitably sent off when the next round of seasonal drink promotion comes out.
The pistachio latte truly is, in my opinion, the best limited seasonal drink that the store carries. It’s nutty and warm, but not overwhelming. The actual flavor of it is light on the palate, and it tastes near exactly like pistachio ice cream. With how frigid the past few months have been (at least in comparison to the first few weeks of winter) a lighter drink like the pistachio latte has been a necessity. I adore the peppermint mocha latte, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not exactly an “everyday” sort of drink. It can get a little overwhelming to drink every day just because of how cloying the flavor is.
The lighter taste of the pistachio latte is genuinely what makes it a good choice for daily coffee, at least in my opinion. I can drink coffee that’s bitter, strong and all-around gross, but if there’s too much sweet flavoring in it, I generally can’t force myself to drink the rest. The pistachio latte is the best of both worlds, as it’s sweet without being overwhelming and still manages to taste like coffee without also being bitter.
It’s also one of the few drinks that I can confidently say is as good iced as it is hot. Coming from an iced coffee girl, this is high praise! I rarely opt for warm drinks even when it’s freezing outside, but the pistachio latte has been my warm drink of choice when it’s 23 degrees outside and my car still hasn’t warmed up despite running for more than five minutes.
Also, this is a fun fact I learned from a barista while I waffled over whether to get it iced or not, but the venti iced pistachio latte has three shots of espresso whereas the venti hot pistachio latte has only two! I honestly had no clue that there was even a difference in espresso shot amount that varied on whether it was iced or not!
If you’re the type who also gets pastries and sweets from Starbucks whenever you visit, the pistachio latte also goes well with a slice of coffee cake or a cake pop. It’s also neutral enough that it can match well with one of their meaty breakfast sandwiches. Normally, drinking something seasonal with one of their biscuit breakfast sandwiches is a little disgusting, but the pistachio latte goes with it well enough!
Overall, I really do think that it’s one of Starbucks’ best seasonal drinks, and if you haven’t had it yet, I suggest you try it out before it’s taken off the menu! I know that once it’s gone, I’m going to be waiting for its next appearance with about as much excitement as people wait for pumpkin spice lattes to come back.