Local Barista Spills The Tea On Starbucks Hacks

Chloe Mikorski is a West Virginia University student and employee at Starbucks in Morgantown. Before working at Starbucks, she was surprised by the complexity of the menu and just how much you need to know as an employee. Appreciate your local baristas because they go out of their way to make sure they get your special drink order right every time. 

HC: What’s one thing you wish baristas could tell customers?

CM: “If your drink is wrong, don’t be afraid to tell the barista and they will redo it. Sometimes we might misread something or it doesn’t taste right, but we’ll be happy to redo it for you.”

HC: What is your favorite drink to make and why?

CM: “I like to make cappuccinos because it’s fun to froth the milk and make it really foamy. Or just a plain latte because you can try to make latte art, sometimes it works!”

HC: Going off of that, what’s your least favorite drink to make and why?

CM: “I don’t like making refreshers. It’s repetitive and doesn’t take any skill.”

HC: What’s your custom drink order?

CM: “It changes a lot, but it’s been a grande blonde iced latte with two pumps of pumpkin, one pump of caramel and one pump of white mocha.” 

HC: What’s the craziest drink you’ve had to make?

CM: “I’ve had a customer that named a drink after himself. It’s a grande classic hot chocolate with 4 pumps of caramel syrup, 2 pumps of vanilla, 8 pumps of mocha, whole milk, no foam, chocolate powder, light whip and extra mocha drizzle on top. I had to stir it after because half of the drink was syrup.”

HC: Are there special drinks that employees normally make for themselves?

CM: “There are two things that a lot of employees make for themselves when they’re feeling sluggish, a nitro bomb and an undertow. A nitro bomb is a nitro cold brew with shots of espresso in a shot glass dumped into it. An undertow is a drink in a short cup with any type of syrup coating the bottom, pour a little bit of milk or cream to cover the syrup and layer espresso shots on top. You drink it quickly so you get all three layers at once.”

HC: Are there different types of espresso shots that you can order for your drink?

CM: “There’s ristretto shots, long shots and affogato shots. A ristretto shot pulls less water through the espresso machine when it’s made, so it tastes stronger but has the same amount of coffee as a normal drink. A long shot is the same concept with more water. An affogato shot is an espresso shot poured over a Frappuccino, so the hot coffee melts the whipped cream and goes into the drink.”

HC: Are there any “hacks” that you think Starbucks customers should know?

CM: “Any normal espresso drink that you normally order can be substituted with blonde espresso shots. It’s sweeter and doesn’t have the normal coffee after taste. It technically has more caffeine than a regular shot. Also, the nitro cold brew is better than the regular. Its regular cold brew infused with nitrogen, so it’s foamy without adding any foam. You get more bang for your buck because there’s no ice in a nitro.” 

HC: Is there any advice you have for Starbucks customers?

CM: “Don’t be afraid to customize your drink. Sometimes people think it’s obnoxious to have a crazy drink order, but it’s not. Customize until you find your perfect drink order and your baristas won’t be mad at you.” 

—

Edited by Sydney Keener

• barista
• starbucks