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!
I wish I could have been there to taste it!
Most cool report.
I love Starbucks.
Billy! You are freakin hysterical. I love that you did that! Many hugs, Cousin Vivian
Hey, Billy… nice work!!
What a crack up! I’ll have to try that next time. Where did you get that coupon again?
haha that’s incredible, I should try that sometime.
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[found your site through stumble upon
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.
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.
Dude….Get a life !
Dude…Get a life !
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.
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!
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.
Wow, that is impressive. I’m surprised they actually had no limit on the comp. What a great story!
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.
senseless…… that’s why poor countries hate u…
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.
Hahaha, Pablo double-posted while trying to insult somebody! That makes it even more fun to insult Pablo now! Stupid Pablo!
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
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!
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!
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
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Did you tip her?
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)
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
This vulgar atrocity has nothing to do with good coffee.
haha thats awesome. must try one day just for the hell of it.
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Mmmmmmm!
You should’ve gone Soy… that usually adds another amount to the tab!
Great story
LOL! Thanks for giving me a good laugh today, very cool.
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“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!
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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?
I have nothing witty or funny to add, so I’ll just say it:
That, my friend, is awesome.
Best blog post I’ve read in a while.
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guys guys two words google it “copi lukan” world most expensive coffee
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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.
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