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Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind

Full History - 2022 - 04 - 11 - ID#u16fzg
97
I ordered a Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. This doesn't look right to me or is this how it is supposed to look? (i.redd.it)
submitted by EmotionalPie7
FirmDoughnut7840 384 points 1y ago
Looks right.
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 73 points 1y ago
Thanks! Never looked layered before so I was just checking!
gabby24681 125 points 1y ago
Ew yeah I’ve noticed people stir them but it’s supposed to just be shaken with the syrup and ice, then poured in a cup, then milk poured over top. I don’t know why a lot of people mix them before handing them out it makes me nervous like it’s wrong.
fyodors_anemia 6 points 1y ago
usually we don’t stir/shake everything together unless asked the BS and espresso get shaken together and any other syrup you may add but nothing else
wheres_mayramaines 3 points 1y ago
I've seen people mix mine before and it always upsets my bc I get extra ice and extra shots....
they end up not giving me extra ice or pouring out some of my drink :(
Bell-In-A-Box -67 points 1y ago
Personally I would greatly prefer it mixed, when you guys do it it saves me the trouble. I dont want to taste pure espresso then pure oatmilk with syrup, I want both in the same sip

Edit: geez guys I was just saying that even though it isnt to standard, it's the opposite of a problem for me when someone happens to shake the milk in because I actually like it better that way. I genuinely dont understand why that's a problem??
ProfessionalRock7940 67 points 1y ago
Then order the shaken espresso but ask for the milk to be shaken in. And understand that the standard is milk poured on top 🤷‍♀️
ravenousbloodunicorn 39 points 1y ago
well that’s what the drink is, so order a latte then
Overall-Diver-6845 33 points 1y ago
Why is this getting Down voted? U guys weird as fuck
gabby24681 12 points 1y ago
I totally understand. I would also prefer it that way. And while trying to not sound like a jackass as it appears everyone else is trying to, it just makes it easier for us if you ask to have it shaken in as we get in trouble for not following standard and also not everyone wants it that way. I learned early on you have to give people exactly what they order and correct them if they want it different just for consistency sake as I’ve had so many people tell me “blah blah the other store did it this way blah blah you’re bad at your job” when I’m literally doing my job 😅
So I think that’s why this is such a touchy subject sorry you stumbled on it
Apophis90 3 points 1y ago
Lol I love my baristas; they make my mornings. However, I am wary to post in this sub as a customer. Take your drink and slurp up the syrup, coffee and then the Espresso like the rest of us 🤣 🤣
wok3less 2 points 1y ago
i agree with you lol but i also think the same about the caramel macchiato. i guess its just for aesthetics? that being said its not like i mix before i hand them out but like its just gonna be mixed anyways
humiddefy 2 points 1y ago
For some reason Starbucks subreddits downvote you to shit for anything that deviates from a standard somewhat jaded baristas opinion on everything.
Upstairs_Raise7450 1 points 1y ago
I have no idea why you're being downvoted. It's just personal preference and if I didint make them on the daily according to "standard" I would mix it too.
2166K 1 points 1y ago
Idk why you’re getting downvoted to hell for this. I’m a barista AND I agree that I’m usually happy when I get it and it’s already been mixed a bit. I’m would ASK them to mix it for me… but nothing wrong with acknowledging you like receiving it a certain way.
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
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NiteLiteOfficial -12 points 1y ago
bro same. i’m that way with every drink. even cream and cold foam i mix it in. i want the blended taste of the whole drink, not a few separate drinks.
Loh-Doh -16 points 1y ago
Because it tastes better, every single time.
gabby24681 19 points 1y ago
Yeah but then people get mad when we follow standard and if I don’t follow standard boss gets mad soooo
FirmDoughnut7840 19 points 1y ago
What I do before drinking my brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso is I give it a little swirly-twirly by holding it from the top of the lid region and by performing some light wrist magic. It mixes it up well enough to drink every time.
2166K 12 points 1y ago
I do this with literally any drink I ever get, and will now be calling the motion “a swirly-twirly” indefinitely
FirmDoughnut7840 2 points 1y ago
Yesss! 💕 I even find myself doing it with ANY drink with a lid. 😹
kattsmeow17 10 points 1y ago
That move used to be copyrighted at the Starbucks swirl. Haha it was in training guides.
FirmDoughnut7840 1 points 1y ago
No way?! How cool is that?
-Zispy 16 points 1y ago
It's meant to be layered
dazedandconfusedhere 82 points 1y ago
That looks right, it looks like it might have a bit extra milk but the amount varies a lot based on the ice and how you shake it
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 6 points 1y ago
Ok got it! It just didn't look Shaken to me at all. But I don't want to be an annoying customer, so thought I would ask here.
dazedandconfusedhere 97 points 1y ago
So we only shake the espresso and syrups! The drink is then topped with milk. The foam on the top is my clue that they did shake it
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 29 points 1y ago
Oh! I thought they shake it with the milk. That explains how to get the layers and guessing this wasn't made right all the other times!
tinseltesseract 31 points 1y ago
Yep sometimes people are lazy and they just fill the shaker up with milk and shake the whole thing instead of following all the steps. Or they just weren’t trained right and don’t know
lordthangsy -1 points 1y ago
It still foams when you shake and pour the milk over though? Lol
dazedandconfusedhere 3 points 1y ago
Do you see the foam on top of the milk?
cookiemonstah87 15 points 1y ago
Not sure why people are down voting you, as a barista, I LOVE when customers ask questions here! You're more likely to get the correct answer because you'll hear it from a number of different sources, vs asking the one barista you could catch in the cafe, who easily could be on their second day of work and are too nervous to ask someone else.
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 5 points 1y ago
Yes! I thought asking here would be best! And the store I go to, they are so short staffed, I really don't want to hold up their lines. Especially on the weekends!
francescugh 4 points 1y ago
there’s literally foam on the top from being shaken
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 0 points 1y ago
I didn't realize that until it was pointed out haha.
Puddle_Duck88 1 points 1y ago
You can go onto the Starbucks app and see what’s in each drink and how it’s made as well as a photo of how it looks if you ever what to know in the future and don’t want to ask
liz_runs -35 points 1y ago
Pro tip: don’t order a shaken espresso if you don’t know what it is
shawnp6298 29 points 1y ago
Pro tip: don’t be a dick to a customer that is simply asking a question politely.
Kambina_Smoke 24 points 1y ago
Another barista here, how are people supposed to know what things are if they never try them or ask about them?
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 23 points 1y ago
I was seriously just trying to learn. It is the first time this drink looks like that and I get it every week!
arcanalalune 14 points 1y ago
Sorry you got downvoted. It was made wrong all the other times if it didn't have a layered look, but it makes sense for you not to know that! Thanks for being nice about it and to your baristas :)
shawnp6298 7 points 1y ago
Sorry for the asshats being rude to you. Thank you for asking politely and getting clarification instead of being the typical rude customer and throwing a fit there in the store.
nicolelynnejones 66 points 1y ago
That looks right, but some people have complained about the amount of oatmilk in that drink specifically. I always order my shaken espressos with extra extra ice and very light milk. Idk why but I find they turn out better than just asking for extra ice
cookiemonstah87 17 points 1y ago
I do a grande with an extra shot. Basically the same as a venti with light milk and extra ice, only there's less ice to water it down when I inevitably don't have time to finish my drink in a normal time frame because I'm at work. Haha
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 9 points 1y ago
I am going to try this. I think that's what I'm going for.
Jena876543 19 points 1y ago
That’s right what your used to is wrong and a result of rushing the drink.
DaddyGray69 15 points 1y ago
Looks right to me. People forget that the pictures in the app and on the menu boards were likely taken in a perfect scenerio or aren't even the real products we serve.
nutmegkoffee 13 points 1y ago
They probably shook it like normal and then added extra unshaken ice to make sure there was enough in the cup! Everything looks right though I wouldn’t be concerned!
Chhhloem4 12 points 1y ago
For this drink, we shake the ice, espresso, cinnamon and syrup on the shaker, pour it in the cup then top it with oatmilk. Looks like you asked for extra ice so that exactly what the barista did then topped with oatmilk. Exactly how you ordered it.
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 0 points 1y ago
Thank you! I get this every week and it just looked really different this week.
noahaiken 5 points 1y ago
You probably want a latte bud
molwalk 5 points 1y ago
Looks better than how I've been making them lmao
monicamac52 5 points 1y ago
looks like a trenta cup to me
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 8 points 1y ago
Definitely a Venti cup lol.
monicamac52 7 points 1y ago
whoops! haha
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 7 points 1y ago
It's a bad angle haha
jazzysoranio 3 points 1y ago
I was about to ask if they just had very tiny hands or if that was like a Trenta cup. It almost looks bigger than a trenta.
dazedandconfusedhere 5 points 1y ago
Three lines = venti, two lines = trenta
jazzysoranio 2 points 1y ago
Oh true! I didn’t even think of that
monicamac52 2 points 1y ago
🤣🤣🤣
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Way to make me self conscious lol! haha, BTW just kidding
redbullgay 4 points 1y ago
It might not have mixed like it normally does because of all the extra ice
cookiemonstah87 4 points 1y ago
I think a lot of customers are confused by this drink, I'm glad you asked! As others have said, this looks right.

Something to note:
This drink used to be made with "a splash of milk" but was recently changed to "add milk to fill the cup." This means in a larger cup, even with extra ice, you'll likely be getting more milk. If that's what you want, awesome! Unfortunately the fact that it was changed somewhat recently, it's entirely possible not every barista is aware (there has been a lot of discussion of this recently, some don't know it was ever just a splash, some don't know it changed to full the cup) so getting a larger cup with extra ice may result in the liquid volume not filling the cup. If that happens and you wanted more milk, don't be afraid to ask for a bit more milk! Only takes us a few seconds to pour more in for you.

Edit to add: if you ever do a mobile order and don't pick it up right away, the foam does die down over time which will make the cup look like it isn't all the way full, but I promise it was, unless the drink was made wrong!
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Thank you! I never expect the cup to be full when I ask for a small size in larger cup. I only do that because I like extra extra ice in my drinks. But this is good to know as there was Definitely more milk than usual in here
intoner1 4 points 1y ago
Mine usually are a bit darker but it looks right.
RinnTheOtter 3 points 1y ago
Looks normal to me?
Makorra45 3 points 1y ago
It’s right, my friend. It’s not supposed to look shaken.
Koalastars009 3 points 1y ago
When I shake them it’s 50/50 it looks like this or like the picture. Results may vary from tiredness
tiara1020 2 points 1y ago
I have noticed if people mobile order it and come 5 mins after it was finished it will blend together… I had a customer say it wasn’t right when all it did was blend together… she said she wasn’t coming back and someone warned her about our store I was like huh I’m sorry but before I could finish she left
Haunting-Sink3063 2 points 1y ago
Yep that’s right, it has space because you ordered a smaller drink in a bigger cup. Only the espresso is shaken with the ice then it’s topped off with milk.
Anngggiiiee 2 points 1y ago
They made it right
Puddle_Duck88 1 points 1y ago
Funny because I had a customer come through today and say that they didn’t think theirs looked right as well and I said “yeah, it looks right to me” 🤷🏻‍♀️ and she goes “I don’t think it does”, gives me a mean look, and pulls off. Like why’d you ask then if you weren’t going to believe me?
turtleben248 1 points 1y ago
I'm just curious, why do you get a grande in a venti cup?
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
So I can get extra, extra ice because I love really cold drinks.
Hazeys_Nightmares 1 points 1y ago
Okay I can't tell if it's a weird angle or not but I'd that a Trenta chip


Edit: I'm and idiot and glanced over in a venti
OrderedMyLaughOnEbay 1 points 1y ago
It’s right but it does look like a little more milk than should be in there 🤷‍♂️
RubySapphireSage 1 points 1y ago
Sometimes it comes like this when the ice doesn’t always melt down , it’s fine it’s the shots syrup and water than the milk . Milk never gets shaken .
thatonegirl0518 1 points 1y ago
that barista might just shake it less than other do 🤷🏼‍♀️ we were never given a specific shake amount so my coworkers and i all shake differently - the ice and the shaking affect the looks of the drink a lot
zeushiroll 1 points 1y ago
I freaking hate when it gets mixed, tastes awful.
SunBusiness8291 1 points 1y ago
I wish I could get one that looks like that.
axriane 1 points 1y ago
Just like that!
2166K 1 points 1y ago
This is right. It probably looks like this because you got extra ice.
impasse602 1 points 1y ago
Stir it its fine
MK2730 1 points 1y ago
Looks right! I’ve also gotten some that look like this, like the oatmilk isn’t mixed throughout. It depends on how the oatmilk is poured into the cup because it’s poured over the shaken espresso. So sometimes it mixes and sometimes it sits like this :)
FfierceLaw 1 points 1y ago
It's supposed to look layered like that, are you not accustomed to seeing the layers or is it something else? They are not supposed to look uniformly pale brown. Or is it that it's not full to the lid? It could have been shaken more, to incorporate more air, make more foam and fill your cup more so there would have been little to no space between the liquid/ice and the lid, is that it? That it's not quite filled? See, you have me guessing here about what you mean when you say "doesn't look right." The two things I can come up with is the layered look or the space at the top, please narrow it down
EmotionalPie7 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Haha sorry to confuse you! But I can see you have had to deal with a lot of complaints with this drink lol. I have never seen the layered look. Every time I have gotten this it has been one uniform color. So I thought that the barista didn't shake it or made it differently.
FfierceLaw 4 points 1y ago
Yes, if you haven't seen layers it has either waited a while before being consumed or made wrong. When we get one that just looks and feels heavy like a latte at our drive through window we ask the partner on bar to remake it (nicely because they're probably new.) But on the bottom it should have foamy brown sugar cinnamon espresso goodness with a splash of oatmilk making a pale layer at the top. The cup should be filled but feel lighter in weight than a latte because of the incorporated air. It has more espresso than a latte (feel free to request and extra shot of espresso, may be worth the extra $1.) In my opinion it is a beverage for a coffee lover with refined taste when correctly built, not for someone who wants all coffee flavor blanketed in milk
verytinycat 0 points 1y ago
is it silly to order one of these decaf? Love the drink but can't have caffiene!
ItzBoogieMan 0 points 1y ago
This just looks like all the espresso piled at the bottom. It don’t look right to me, as if it weren’t really shaken
mls91314 2 points 1y ago
The espresso, syrup and cinnamon are shaken with ice poured into cup and then the oat milk is poured after.

Edit* yes I know… I forgot a comma in there and some clarification. Should read “The espresso, syrup and cinnamon are shaken with ice in a shaker, poured into the plastic cup and then the oat milk is poured after.”
ItzBoogieMan 2 points 1y ago
…. You’re supposed to shake it with ice, not ice after. That’s what gives it the foam. Then top it off with Oat milk on top.
joshberry777 0 points 1y ago
It's correct. Sometimes the milk dilutes the layers before it reaches the customer. Same contents, just not mixed, as it should be.
Keithxmizu 0 points 1y ago
you’re awesome for asking on here :)
mewwissa -4 points 1y ago
It kinda doesn’t look shaken to me?? Like ofc the milk is always sorta layered on top, but the espresso on the bottom doesn’t look right to me…maybe they did shake the original drink, then added more ice on top before adding the milk, giving it that more solid layered look. If the drink tastes right I wouldn’t worry!
defendtrevornoah -2 points 1y ago
Some baristas gotta study the recipe cards :)
champshere -2 points 1y ago
You fool
Overall-Diver-6845 -14 points 1y ago
Ewww. No. I get that all the time and it’s never looked like that 🤢
Overall-Diver-6845 -13 points 1y ago
It’s called a SHAKEN for a reason. Dow. Vote me then because I’m paying $6 for a drink that should be down right. You want it your way good for you. People downvoting people for having a preference 🙄
blxckedge -12 points 1y ago
looks like they didn’t shake it and just pored shots on the ice and filled it up with too much milk
OakTreeTrash 5 points 1y ago
The shots and syrup are shaken with the ice poured in the cup and then the milk is poured on top. That is the way it should be made.
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
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JunipherStar -10 points 1y ago
Doesn’t look like it’s been shaken very well
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