Unknown to most students, the Starbucks location in MacVittie College Union holds a plethora of “secret menu” drinks that can be concocted using the ingredients already in stock. These drinks can be a fun mix-up to your everyday order.
For all of the chocolate milk fans who are sick of paying high prices for the selections offered on campus, Starbucks offers a version of this simple home-style classic at a cheaper price. Just order cold milk with Starbucks mocha flavoring shaken together. You can also mix up what type of milk you want to get––from regular to skim to soy to the newly introduced coconut. This serves as a delicious and cheaper alternative to the small cartons of chocolate soy and almond milk that are sold in dining halls for close to $4.
If you love the Very Berry Hibiscus, Valencia Orange or Lime Refresher, spice up your drink by asking to have it shaken with lemonade instead of water. My personal favorite is the Hibiscus Refresher shaken with lemonade, creating a raspberry lemonade-esque flavor. You can even go further and ask for your refresher shaken with different types of iced teas.
If you love the taste of peach rings, ask to have your Valencia Orange refresher shaken with Passion Tea instead of water and then ask for three or four pumps of peach syrup. Of course the possibilities are not limited to these, so get creative.
One of the classic Geneseo drinks that is only advertised for part of the year, but exists on the un-advertised menu year round is the Geneseo Sunset. This drink is named after the beautiful sunsets that we have here at Geneseo because of its yellow, orange and red coloring. A delicious frozen blend of lemonade and raspberry, this drink is particularly refreshing on warmer days.
Lastly, for die-hard Harry Potter fans, there’s the Butterbeer Frappuccino. Named after the famous drink coined by J.K Rowling, this drink combines a caramel-nutty taste in order to mimic the drink as if it were served right from Hogsmeade. When ordering, ask for a Frappuccino with a crème base––preferably whole milk. In addition, ask for three pumps of caramel syrup, three pumps of toffee nut syrup and a caramel drizzle topping. This creates a magical drink for any student, Harry Potter fan or not.
All of these drinks are only the beginning of what Starbuck’s “secret menu” holds. The key is to get creative and to not limit yourself to the physical menu. This will ensure that you never get bored, and is a perfect way to spice up your daily Starbucks run.