Taste Test: A Review of Starbucks Wicked-Inspired Drinks

(SPOT.ph) The film adaptation of Wicked has brought about the most eye-catching collaborations to further hype the film that stars Cynthia Erivo, Arianna Grande, and Jonathan Bailey. You've got the Aldo bags and shoes, the Forever 21 dresses and accessories, and the Starbucks tumblers and mugs. In this Taste Test, we're zooming in on Starbucks' Wicked-inspired drinks, Glinda's Pink Potion and Elphaba's Cold Brew, just so you know which drink to order (if not both) while you watch the magic happen on the big screen.

Also read: These Starbucks x Wicked Drinks and Merch Defy Gravity

A Taste Test of Starbucks' new Wicked-inspired drinks: Glinda's Pink Potion and Elphaba's Cold Brew

True to Wicked’s vibe, Starbucks is serving up drinks in shades of pink and green, a nod to Oz’s legendary duo, Glinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp. First up, there’s Glinda’s Pink Potion—a pastel pink concoction that starts with a Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage, hand-shaken with creamy coconut milk, ice, and a pop of real freeze-dried dragonfruit. But the magic doesn’t stop there—it’s crowned with silky non-dairy strawberry cold foam and sprinkled with pink crunchy cookie bits (unlike in other countries that use candy sprinkles).

According to Natalia Vasquez, the Starbucks beverage developer, this drink was inspired by Glinda's bright character and the association of all things pink. She says, “This colorful beverage is topped with a non-dairy cold foam infused with strawberry puree to add even more pops of pink, along with colorful candy sprinkles for a drink that is as vibrant as Glinda herself.”

Then, if there's a Glinda, there's also an Elphaba—they're a bundle. there’s the layered drink called the Elphaba’s Cold Brew. Per Starbucks, this drink is a cold brew, made with a "custom blend of beans grown to steep long and cold, handcrafted in small batches daily, for a super-smooth flavor." It's sweetened with peppermint-flavored syrup and topped with a non-dairy matcha cold foam and dust of matcha (in other countries they use green candy sprinkles).

Channeling Elphaba's fierce spirit and iconic green hue, Starbucks beverage developer Rosalyn Batingan shared the inspiration behind this enchanting creation. "Our signature cold brew takes a daring turn with a refreshing hint of peppermint, crowned with a velvety nondairy matcha cold foam—a nod to Elphaba’s signature shade—and finished with a playful sprinkle of colorful candy magic."

What do Starbucks' Wicked-inspired drinks, Glinda's Pink Potion and Elphaba's Cold Brew, taste like?

I didn’t think I would like Glinda’s Pink Potion—not because my favorite color is not pink, but because of what is added into the drink that makes it pink: dragonfruit. It’s just that most of the drinks I’ve had that have dragonfruit in it doesn’t taste like anything at all. In Gen Z lingo, “Go girl, give us nothing!”

But much like Glinda’s colorful character, Glinda’s Pink Potion is far from bland and boring. It was refreshingly sweet and citrusy—more mango and strawberry than coconut and dragonfruit—and the added crunchy bits on the top made the drink even more playful. Our only small issue with this drink is that it tends to separate quickly, so do stir (like Glinda with her wand) in between sips.

When it comes to Elphaba's Cold Brew, there's one thought that came to mind: "Not everyone will like this drink." This is mainly because, based on the promotional photo alone, one can be deceived that this is purely a matcha-coffee concoction. But what will take you by surprise is the strong and lingering taste of the peppermint syrup—and as we all know, there's always this great divide when it comes to minty flavor combinations.

"But there is a bigger likelihood that those who love the Christmas-special Peppermint Mocha drink will also love the Elphaba's Cold Brew," was the following thought that came to mind. This drink has a strong yet balanced coffee, matcha, and peppermint flavor that's also reflective of the character the drink is based on.

Should you buy Starbucks' Wicked-inspired drinks?

Between the two flavors, I like the Glinda's Pink Potion more—this is more welcoming than Elphaba's Brew. The sweetness and tanginess of this drink are something that would work well while you're snacking a bag of buttered and salty popcorn or potato chips.

But as someone who loves matcha, I also can't say I 100% disliked Elphaba's Cold Brew. There was some witchery when this drink was made—at least with the one I was served—because I could taste both the depth of the cold brew and the earthiness of the matcha in every sip. I can look past the peppermint syrup since I'm neither a fan nor a hater. I'm Switzerland when it comes to such controversial flavors.

I do have to make a sidenote about Elphaba's Cold Brew: If you want to stay fully awake for the entire movie (it runs for almost three hours!), then I'd strongly recommend going with green instead of pink. The caffeine in the cold brew and matcha kept me awake and jittery all day.

Starbucks' Wicked-inspired drinks will be available until December 3. Now, I understand that may not be long enough until we stop belting to "Popular" and "Defy Gravity" at random times, so take this as your cue to try the drinks while they're still on the menu.

Oh, just in case you didn't know: You can order your Wicked-inspired drinks and have them placed in the Wicked-inspired merchandise the drinks were launched with. Select items from the Starbucks x Wicked collections are now available at select stores, you can check the participating stores via the Starbucks Philippines promo page.

See a list of Starbucks branches. For more information, check out Starbucks' Facebook page.

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