The Most Expensive Drink at Starbucks
I recently received a coupon to get any drink I wanted at Starbucks. They do this if something goes awry with a previous experience as a nice gesture.
I decided to use the coupon for an experiment: What is the most expensive drink I can order?
Luckily (or unluckily), I happen to live in Manhattan and that makes Starbucks prices expensive. Yup, they fluctuate from region to region (and even store to store). The first thing I did was call a dozen Starbucks stores around Manhattan to see who had the most expensive prices. I used my regular order of a tall soy chai to make the comparison. I figured a Starbucks in Times Square would be more expensive than where I live on the Upper East. It’s even a cool idea itself to create a Starbucks heatmap of Manhattan.
Boringly, most Starbucks in Manhattan (no matter where located) rang my drink up at $4.23.
My next problem was I needed to find out the most expensive stuff to put in a drink. I called up my sister Lauren who happens to work at a Starbucks. She told me that I definately need to go with the venti white mocha and to add as many shots as possible.
I then went to Starbucks to make my drink. I told the barista that I was there as part of a contest to make the most expensive drink. She played along, trying to squeeze as much as we could into a venti cup. She thoroughly enjoyed the problem at hand (although other customers on line were getting peeved).
And the ultimate yuppified result: A 13 shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. It cost a total of $13.76 (with tax).
After she rang up the amount, I then presented her the coupon (which I didn’t reveal beforehand). She laughed, comped the entire drink, and I left.
At first taste, it tasted just like a shot. The 13 shots in it were just too strong. However, when I got home, I mixed it more with a spoon and it became drinkable (even enjoyable to my girlfriend). It was very sweet and I’m still shaking a bit. I didn’t attempt to drink the entire thing since I’d like to sleep tonight.
Here is a shot of the receipt (note: 2 shots come with the drink, so she only rang up 11):
And me wincing at first sip.
Think you can make a more expensive Starbucks drink? I challenge you to do it and post your shot of the receipt here. Bonus points if you do it with a comped drink coupon too. (note: you can inline images or link them)
UPDATE: We put it in the freezer and it’s delicious frozen!
96 Comments, Comment or Ping
Mommy
I wish I could have been there to taste it!
Most cool report.
I love Starbucks.
Sep 29th, 2007
Vivian Cesana
Billy! You are freakin hysterical. I love that you did that! Many hugs, Cousin Vivian
Sep 30th, 2007
AL
Hey, Billy… nice work!!
Oct 2nd, 2007
DShen
What a crack up! I’ll have to try that next time. Where did you get that coupon again?
Nov 13th, 2007
Jerlyn
haha that’s incredible, I should try that sometime.
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[found your site through stumble upon
Nov 18th, 2007
Hal!
You are a brave man. I would never be able to get past 4 or 5 shots. Beyond that I would feel I am going to throw the whole space time continuum out of aligned. . . because starbucks has the ability to do that you know.
Nov 27th, 2007
grdnrofeden
Holy cow,13 shots of espresso!
We use their coffee grounds in the garden. Did you know they give them away for free? Best compost around.
Dec 12th, 2007
Pablo
Dude….Get a life !
Dec 12th, 2007
Pablo
Dude…Get a life !
Dec 12th, 2007
SADRU JASANI
HEY BILLY! CONGRATULATIONS! STARBUCKS PASSED THE TEST (EXTREME TEST) OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY DID NOT KICK YOU OUT OR BANNED YOU FOR LIFE FROM RETURNING TO STARBUCKS!
YOU ARE INGENIOUS! PUT YOUR SKILL TO SOME BUSINESS VENTURE. GOOD LUCK. BY THE WAY, YOUR STORY IS FUNNY.
Dec 13th, 2007
Mandi
Wow, almost $14 for a cup of coffee! That is impressive, even better that it was free. I’m just curious, how did all those extra shots make you feel? I would need a coupon for the ER for when I totally freaked out!
Dec 13th, 2007
Bradfields
Just stumbled upon you
I’m amazed they let you use the coupon, no way they’d have let you walk out of a Starbucks in England with a drink like that for free.
Dec 13th, 2007
MyStarbucks
Wow, that is impressive. I’m surprised they actually had no limit on the comp. What a great story!
Dec 13th, 2007
traci latta
there is a limit – it is $5. i am an employee. the barista should have known that, but maybe she thought this might happen… the shout out on-line.
Dec 13th, 2007
coms
senseless…… that’s why poor countries hate u…
Dec 14th, 2007
dew
I hope you tipped her for making that ridiculous drink.
Not a fan of Starbucks. If I want a a milkshake, I’ll go buy a milkshake. If I want a coffee, give me some freaking coffee, not this soy latte caramel mocha stuff.
Dec 15th, 2007
Rance Mohanitz
Hahaha, Pablo double-posted while trying to insult somebody! That makes it even more fun to insult Pablo now! Stupid Pablo!
Dec 15th, 2007
Sayne
Holy christ man 13 shots! My head almost exploded just thinking about that. At first i thought it was just 13 pumps of different syrup, but this is insane! Props
Dec 15th, 2007
AJS
The only thing that would have been more of a laugh would be if you took that drink to a different Starbucks, complained that it was terrible, & received a replacement drink–and another drink coupon!
Dec 16th, 2007
Jimbob
One way to get an expensive Starbucks is to buy it in the UK. A venti latte is £2.59 or just over $5. I’ve cut down my trips to one or two a week, their loss!
Dec 16th, 2007
Chelsea
Hi there Billy,
I am in Darwin Australia and we dont have starbucks here so would it count if I add on an airfare to the nearest one… Brisbane a mere 4500 km away!!! I found this page via stumbleupon.
LOVE IT
Dec 17th, 2007
Sebbie
Did you tip her?
Dec 20th, 2007
Jack Mehoffer
You’re an idiot, enjoy drinking your f’en coffee from a paper cup. By the way Paris still has you beat. You can still enjoy a real cup of coffee for $18 (1 euro = $1.5)
Dec 20th, 2007
toby
Hehe… take away the finesse of coffee drinking and turn it into a sickly sweet, diabloical conconction in an oversized slurpy cup.
America to a tee
X
Dec 20th, 2007
Angryman
This vulgar atrocity has nothing to do with good coffee.
Dec 20th, 2007
annie
haha thats awesome. must try one day just for the hell of it.
Dec 20th, 2007
Lisa
Mmmmmmm!
You should’ve gone Soy… that usually adds another amount to the tab!
Great story
Dec 20th, 2007
bazzo
LOL! Thanks for giving me a good laugh today, very cool.
Dec 20th, 2007
bob
“I hope you tipped her for making that ridiculous drink.”
—What a perverse attitude. Whatever happened to doing the job you are _already_ paid to do? If anything the employee should be giving the tip for an interesting order!
Dec 20th, 2007
FC
Corny. I wouldn’t label this as the “most expensive drink” since it’s merely shot after shot getting added. Would you write a piece on the most expensive pizza if you just kept telling them to add topping after topping?
Dec 20th, 2007
Will
I have nothing witty or funny to add, so I’ll just say it:
That, my friend, is awesome.
Dec 20th, 2007
cjwl
Best blog post I’ve read in a while.
Dec 20th, 2007
kib
guys guys two words google it “copi lukan” world most expensive coffee
Dec 20th, 2007
jaykay
I have to agree with Paris being the most expensive. A quick trip last month for, 2 large lates and one large coffee with a water cost me 40 euros. Or roughly $60 usd.
Dec 20th, 2007
courtney
your drink was actually cheaper than what it would cost here in canada! or at least at my store
Sep 15th, 2009
Lynsey
I work at Starbucks and I would have done the same thing! Plus, where I work, we probably all would have laughed and congratulated you. Well done sir.
Jan 15th, 2010
Chirs
I’ve got a free coupon and I’m thinking of doing the same lol
Feb 12th, 2010
Tay
For those of you unaware and wanting to try this (or any other ridiculous concoction out), you can get a free beverage with any Starbucks card in Canada or the US. They mail you the coupon for the free drink. Although I think you get shots, soy and syrup free with the card.
I’m actually trying to figure out a drink with the most words in it. I think I’m up to about 19 or 20.
Feb 27th, 2010
samantha
you could get a free coupon every time you purchase a tumbler.at least well that’s what they do in singapore.
Feb 27th, 2010
thecolor
omg, that is AWESOME! Gotta thank my wife for the share!
Congrats on stickin’ it to da man.
Mar 4th, 2010
Brittany
I don’t know why people are getting so mad about this, it’s just another coffee order at a Starbucks.
Looking at the receipt made it twice as funny.
Mar 6th, 2010
kristen
…and it still has less caffeine than buying a good ol’ cup of their House Blend.
Mar 10th, 2010
Art
How many calories?
Mar 10th, 2010
MaRy Mo
amazing. utterly and truly. If I weren’t making a meager £600 a month, I would attempt this.
Mar 10th, 2010
susurro
I got a freebee once from there and just got my regular drink; given all the bad service I’ve gotten without even an I’m sorry, I’m just grateful for any place who actually says “hey, not only did we screw up but you can have something free to make up for it.” The fact that they don’t even stipulate it has to be the equivalent or lesser value of what they messed up in the first place is unheard of …
Mar 10th, 2010
Jenna
I work at a Starbucks in Ontario, Canada and would have been delighted to be presented with this customer request.
I’m not sure how exactly Canadian prices differ, but my first thought would have been straight espresso with white mocha, if you were brave…how many shots can fit into a venti cup? It would have been interesting to find out. At least 15 bucks worth – probably more.
PS – white mocha goes very well in espresso, coffee, and the Americano. I suggest it to customers looking for something different to try and most start ordering it regularly afterward. Vanilla’s good too, and cheaper.
@Art: Calories? Well…the white mocha sauce is about 50 calories a pump, and Venti drinks get 5 pumps of sauce or syrup…the other syrups are 20 cals/pump…My arteries are clogging too much to do the math!
Mar 12th, 2010
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