I compared Starbucks’ pistachio coffee to the real deal in Italy and was surprised by the differences
Sicily: If you love pistachio, you’ve got to visit Sicily. Everything there is flavored with this nut, and it’s amazing.
The pistachio craze has hit the UK hard, and for good reason. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and I fell in love with it during my trip to Italy in 2023. But I was curious to see how Starbucks would measure up.
So, I swung by my local Starbucks drive-thru, excited to try their take on the flavor. Since returning from Sicily, I hadn’t had much pistachio, so I was eager to see if they nailed it.
I went for the Pistachio Velvet Latte. I’d heard mixed reviews about the iced version, with some saying it lacked pistachio flavor, so I decided to stick with the hot drink.
My expectations were high because people were raving about it. Some even joked they’d give a kidney for the pistachio cold foam!
After letting the drink cool, I took my first sip and was surprised by how sweet it was. It was tasty, but I wished the syrup had a stronger pistachio flavor. It reminded me more of white chocolate than the nutty goodness I had in Sicily.
If you’re not a huge pistachio fan, you might still enjoy this drink. It’s tasty and not overwhelming, but I prefer a bolder flavor. For £5.50, it was cozy and satisfying.
Later that evening, I was at the Trafford Centre and saw samples of the cold version being handed out. I had to try it to see how it compared to the hot drink.
The cold version was just as sweet, but it had a stronger pistachio aftertaste. Maybe they added more syrup, but even a tiny sip was delicious.
While the syrup isn’t as strong as what I had in Italy, I’d still recommend this drink while it’s available. Next time, I might go for the cold version and try the loaf cake too!
