Starbucks Japan's Halloween Frap Is Proof America Needs To Step Up Its Game

Starbucks, we need to talk. Why are you showing no love to our favorite October holiday, at least here in the U.S.? Sure, there are always those secret menu Halloween drinks that social media seems to spontaneously generate this time of year. Still, it would be fun to get in the seasonal spirit with something a bit more Halloween-y than that same-old, same-old PSL. In 2022, you guys were in the Halloween frap game with a spooky purple sweet potato-flavored version, which would have been really cool, but was only for the Japanese market. Now once again, you guys are teasing us with a new Halloween drink — in basic black this time — that conceals a hidden surprise (via Sora News 24). No surprise, however, is the fact that once again it is only available at Starbucks locations in Japan. 

We'd be over the moon on a witch's broom if we could get the same Halloween drink Starbucks is selling in Japan because it looks both dramatic and intriguing. The Booooo Frappuccino is built around a peek-a-boo theme. The black top layer of the frappuccino tastes of bitter caramel, but hidden beneath the inky depths is a bright orange surprise. If you poke your straw right down to the bottom you'll be sucking up sweet pumpkin pudding, as well.

The color scheme of the drink is pure spookily elegant drama. The jet-black frappuccino is topped off with white whipped cream and a tasteful swirl of black syrup, so its appearance is actually rather formal and suitable for any black-tie occasions that might be serving frozen coffee concoctions. One of the English-language comments on Starbucks Japan's Instagram post about this drink calls it "pure artwork." As to the flavor, we can't know for sure what most people are saying, but we did find one English speaker who enthused, "I had one and loved it!" Thanks for the info ... and also the FOMO.

Seriously, Starbucks? Why are we being left out? We want our Halloween frappuccinos, too! Okay, so you did bring us the Zombie Frappuccino in 2017, replete with bloody brains, and the Witch's Brew in 2018, and they were at least festive and fun to order. 2019's Phantom frap, though, with its green slime swirl, was only available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa — what was up with that? To echo the most common quote in English on Instagram, "Please put these Frappuccino flavors in your U.S. locations."