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Starbucks 'Unicorn Frappuccino' assaults all your senses

Coffee behemoth Starbucks dips its toes into fairy tales with a gaudy frappuccino inspired by unicorns.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read
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Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!

Starbucks

If you've spent any time on social media in the last year, you've probably noticed the trend of multicolored "unicorn" foods ranging from pastel toast to cupcakes with sparkly toppings. Coffee giant Starbucks is catching, saddling and riding this eye-popping food fad with the introduction of a limited Unicorn Frappuccino blended beverage.

Here's what's in this drinkable beast: "a sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a creme Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping."

The mythological unicorns are supposedly prized for their purity and the magical healing properties ascribed to their distinctive horns. It appears no actual unicorns were harmed in the making of the libation.

The drink is engineered to change colors and flavors. It starts off purple with swirls of blue with a sweet, fruity taste. Stir it up and it turns to pink while the flavor edges into a tangy realm. What dark magic is this? Starbucks must have a Merlin working in the product development department.

Starbucks announced the eye-searing frappuccino on Tuesday. Sorry, UK and Australia, the myth-inspired beverage is only available at participating stores in the US, Canada and Mexico from April 19-23. The rest of you will just have to capture and juice your own unicorn if you want one of these drinks.

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