The Foamy Starbucks Drink That Had Reddit Divided

There have long been issues with the inconsistency of the Starbucks shaken espresso drink, not only between stores but sometimes even between orders. Although there are certain ways a drink is intended to be made, it can be hard to nail down what it is exactly supposed to look like when everyone's opinions and tastes are different.

A unique drink for espresso lovers, the Starbucks shaken espresso — introduced in March 2021 (via Starbucks) — seems to draw its inspiration from an Italian iced espresso drink called a shakerato. The shakerato consists of espresso and sugar or simple syrup added, with ice, to a cocktail shaker. The mix is then shaken for 10 to 20 seconds before being served, typically in a martini glass or coup. The finished product is a chilled espresso with lots of foam on top (via Serious Eats). Picture an espresso martini, minus the alcohol.

But the iconic topping sparked some discussion on Reddit when a Starbucks barista asked if their shaken espresso had too much foam on top. As expected, Redditors were not shy with their opinions.

Redditor u/escapedsober posted a picture of one of their made drinks to the Starbucks subreddit, asking, "Are my brown sugar shaken espressos too foamy? I've had some customers say it's too foamy." Although the shaken espresso is meant to carry some amount of foam on top, users seemed divided as to exactly how much.

Many commenters agreed that what was shown is what they usually want when ordering a shaken espresso. Several claimed that it was perfect, with one noting, "This is my dream." Another echoed those sentiments while complaining about the majority of other baristas who cannot seem to make the drink correctly. "80% of the time, they add so much milk. It's basically a latte. Wayy too milky for my liking." There were a few dissenters, though, with one exclaiming, "Too foamy!" while another remarked, "She a lil thicc." 

A few Starbucks baristas recommended scooping some foam out until you hit the desired level, and some offered advice on shaking the beverage less to minimize the foam. With Reddit fostering some slight divisions, the consensus seemed to be that the more the merrier when it comes to your shaken espresso foam.