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!
About me
I'm an artist and software developer.
Currently, I'm the CEO of a company I co-founded called, stickybits
Prior to stickybits, I co-founded betaworks, where I created chartbeat, a real-time analytics service and firef.ly, a chat service.
You can view my artwork at billychasen.com
Creations
Tweets
- RT @mashable: Reggie Bush Uses Foursquare and Stickybits for Football Scavenger Hunt - http://mash.to/2BqOF
- I declare @peretti to be the first pop tweetist. Carefully crafted tweets low on substance, but high on entertainment
- Definition of lazy: Netflix envelopes across the room, so I opened my netflix queue to see what's at home
- RT @seth: awesome! reggie bush using stickybits to give away an autographed football http://www.stickybits.com/redzones
- View from my hotel in Baltimore. Who needs tickets? http://twitpic.com/2lco45
September 29th, 2007 - 10:38
I wish I could have been there to taste it!
Most cool report.
I love Starbucks.
September 30th, 2007 - 12:40
Billy! You are freakin hysterical. I love that you did that! Many hugs, Cousin Vivian
October 2nd, 2007 - 09:51
Hey, Billy… nice work!!
November 13th, 2007 - 00:32
What a crack up! I’ll have to try that next time. Where did you get that coupon again?
November 18th, 2007 - 01:43
haha that’s incredible, I should try that sometime.
]
[found your site through stumble upon
November 27th, 2007 - 23:55
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.
December 12th, 2007 - 19:41
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.
December 12th, 2007 - 23:36
Dude….Get a life !
December 12th, 2007 - 23:37
Dude…Get a life !
December 13th, 2007 - 00:41
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.
December 13th, 2007 - 05:08
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!
December 13th, 2007 - 07:44
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.
December 13th, 2007 - 10:51
Wow, that is impressive. I’m surprised they actually had no limit on the comp. What a great story!
December 13th, 2007 - 19:35
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.
December 14th, 2007 - 05:54
senseless…… that’s why poor countries hate u…
December 15th, 2007 - 06:34
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.
December 15th, 2007 - 16:30
Hahaha, Pablo double-posted while trying to insult somebody! That makes it even more fun to insult Pablo now! Stupid Pablo!
December 15th, 2007 - 21:05
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
December 16th, 2007 - 00:36
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!
December 16th, 2007 - 07:57
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!
December 17th, 2007 - 03:35
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
December 20th, 2007 - 05:19
Did you tip her?
December 20th, 2007 - 05:49
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)
December 20th, 2007 - 05:59
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
December 20th, 2007 - 06:10
This vulgar atrocity has nothing to do with good coffee.
December 20th, 2007 - 06:26
haha thats awesome. must try one day just for the hell of it.
December 20th, 2007 - 07:33
Mmmmmmm!
You should’ve gone Soy… that usually adds another amount to the tab!
Great story
December 20th, 2007 - 08:00
LOL! Thanks for giving me a good laugh today, very cool.
December 20th, 2007 - 09:39
“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!
December 20th, 2007 - 09:52
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?
December 20th, 2007 - 10:30
I have nothing witty or funny to add, so I’ll just say it:
That, my friend, is awesome.
December 20th, 2007 - 10:36
Best blog post I’ve read in a while.
December 20th, 2007 - 12:00
guys guys two words google it “copi lukan” world most expensive coffee
December 20th, 2007 - 12:59
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.
September 15th, 2009 - 19:09
your drink was actually cheaper than what it would cost here in canada! or at least at my store
January 15th, 2010 - 02:29
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.
February 12th, 2010 - 08:03
I’ve got a free coupon and I’m thinking of doing the same lol
February 27th, 2010 - 02:19
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.
February 27th, 2010 - 20:24
you could get a free coupon every time you purchase a tumbler.at least well that’s what they do in singapore.
March 4th, 2010 - 15:45
omg, that is AWESOME! Gotta thank my wife for the share!
Congrats on stickin’ it to da man.
March 6th, 2010 - 11:37
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.
March 10th, 2010 - 16:53
…and it still has less caffeine than buying a good ol’ cup of their House Blend.
March 10th, 2010 - 19:11
How many calories?
March 10th, 2010 - 19:35
amazing. utterly and truly. If I weren’t making a meager £600 a month, I would attempt this.
March 10th, 2010 - 20:04
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 …
March 12th, 2010 - 01:19
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!
March 25th, 2010 - 01:24
There are definitely more expensive drinks to be had. Would they be worth drinking? No. Although I don’t consider this one worth drinking…
Regardless, depending on how each store/barista charges (e.g. some stores/baristas charge for one pump of syrup, some let it slide, even though we’re supposed to charge), you could basically infinitely modify your drink well over $13. Charge for many different pumps of syrup, extra shots, matcha, protein & fiber powder, vanilla bean powder, substitute milk, caramel sauce, etc., especially if you go with an iced venti size with no ice (24 oz. as opposed to the 20 oz. hot, although it comes with three shots included instead of two).
And to anyone who thinks working ANY job in the restaurant/food service/hospitality industry is easy and you shouldn’t tip, treat them like a human being, or so forth: you’re wrong.
March 31st, 2010 - 16:51
come to holland… at the time being a regular grande cappucino is like 8 dollar… thnx for the great exchange rate lol
April 2nd, 2010 - 10:42
I work at a Starbucks in Pittsburgh, and while I must agree that your experiment sounds like the most fun one to walk into any Starbucks, I think it needs to be repeated.
They’ve recently raised the prices on most of the drinks and on the modifications, so shots are now $.70 apiece (here at least) and all the drinks have increased by $.10-$.15. I would suggest trying this with White Mocha Frappuccino, add several shots, and add a syrup as well. Ounce-wise it will fit more shots, plus the WMF starts (again, here at least) at $4.76 while the hot version is only (ha) $4.23. Starting this summer, too, you’ll be able to make the frappuccinos with soy as well, adding another few cents.
Oooh, experiments are fun!
April 5th, 2010 - 16:25
I’m doing this today because I just reached Gold Member Status.
It’s going to be amazing. But I’m not getting the 13 shots, man. No way.