What Makes Starbucks Singapore's Shiok-Ah-Ccino Unique

When a company like Starbucks decides to take on a market, it doesn't just look for the right place or the right staff — it also needs to look for the right way to appeal to local audiences. That can mean adapting its logo as it did in Saudi Arabia by replacing its iconic mermaid with a crown or working with local architects and designers to create a structure that might seem out of place in a big U.S. city, as in the case of Japan (via Real Business).

But the work doesn't end with design. As in the case of other fast-food chains that have made successful inroads into local markets (we're looking at you, McDonald's), Starbucks is also happy to customize its drinks to make them more acceptable to other parts of the world, as it has done in Canada, the U.K., and in many parts of Asia. Britsh drinkers have their butterscotch brulee latte, Filipinos enjoy a chocolate cream chip frappuccino, Indonesians can sip a rich salted caramel mocha crumble, the Thais get a sweet ice tea mixed with peach juice and peach jelly, and South Koreans get a happy cheese white mocha (via The Spruce Eats). And elsewhere, Singaporeans get their Shiok-ah-ccino (via SethLui).

Starbucks positions its Shiok-ah-ccino as an "East meets West" beverage that was created to celebrate its National Day, which takes place on August 9. The drink is as local as it gets — from the way it's named to what goes into it. 

The Shiok-ah-ccino gets its name from the word "shiok," a Singaporean expression that can also mean "cool" (via BBC). So you can think of this iced drink as enjoying the distinctly un-Asian characteristic of standing out and tooting its own horn. This frozen treat packs a caffeine wallop because it contains a blend of both hojicha tea and Starbuck's signature coffee that Eatbook says is a nod to a Singapore coffee house classic, the yuan yang, which is also a coffee-tea blend. Chocolate chips are also added to the drink before it is finished with a dollop of whipped cream and a bear-y Singaporean topper — the Starbucks bear dressed up in the island's symbol, the Merlion. And to appeal to the culture's love of a good bargain, it comes with a freebie: the SHIOK! spoon (via SethLui).

The Shiok-a-ccino makes an appearance every year around National Day, making it a limited-time offer that Singaporean Starbucks fans can get behind.