1989 isn’t just the name of a Taylor Swift album. It’s the time frame when the Starbucks Latte Macchiato was listed regularly on the menu. Earlier this month, I mentioned that I have a 1989 Starbucks store training booklet. You can take a look at what kind of beverages were on the menu. Do you see the Latte Macchiato in there?

2 - 1 - Front of 1989 era Starbucks book 1246780010153772882011341_913806242_n2 - 1 - 20151220_115148 espresso drink recipes 1989I have a 1990 booklet that’s very similar and it lists the same drink. I think this was a standard espresso beverage offering at Starbucks from the very beginning to about the mid -1990s. While Starbucks was founded in 1971, the company didn’t sell espresso drinks before 1984. Howard Schultz took control of Starbucks in 1987, creating what it is today.

Lo and behold, beginning January 5, 2016, the Latte Macchiato will make its comeback! Earlier this month, Starbucks launched a digital coffee passport which includes a section on espresso beverages. The Latte Macchiato is already listed in it, as if to get ready for the next promo! It’s no secret! This drink is already popular and available in a number of international Starbucks markets.

1 - 1 - Screenshot_2015-12-30-20-23-27 screen cap of espresso beveragesScreenshot_2015-12-30-20-23-38When you order this drink, you’ll get a beverage similar to this:

2 - 1 - 20151220_113306 Latte MacchiatoA short and tall size Latte Macchiato come with two shots of espresso as the standard. The grande and venti sizes come with three shots of espresso. Whole milk is the default milk for this drink, regardless of what size you order. You barista aerates milk, and pulls espresso shots into a small 5-ounce size pitcher:

2 - 1 - 20151220_114211 pitcher for the Latte MacchiatoThe customer’s cup gets filled with steamed milk, topped with foam and then the espresso shots are slowly poured through the foam, “marking” the steamed milk with a signature espresso dot. Every drink with the word “macchiato” in it, is “marked” by something. Usually, this means that the thing it’s “marked” with is poured, drizzled, or somehow on top of the drink. In the case of the Latte Macchiato, the espresso is slowly poured over the milk – it should take the barista about 10 seconds to pour the espresso over the drink.

So you’ve got 9 main espresso drinks to explore. On a scale from most espresso forward, to most milk forward, here they are:

  • Doppio – Two shots of espresso. Nothing else. Just flavor-intense espresso.
  • Americano – Espresso with hot water.
  • Espresso Macchiato – Espresso shots with a just a dollop of steamed milk and foam atop the espresso.
  • Latte Macchiato – Lightly foamed whole milk, marked with Starbucks espresso.
  • Flat White – Sweet ristretto shots of espresso with the perfect amount of steamed whole milk for the perfect balance between milk and espresso.
  • Cappuccino – Espresso with steamed milk, topped with a deep layer of foam. This is always a foamy drink!
  • Mocha – Espresso with bittersweet mocha sauce and steamed milk, topped with sweetened whipped cream.
  • Caramel Macchiato – Freshly steamed milk with vanilla syrup, marked by espresso and topped with caramel drizzle.
  • Latte – Rich, full bodied espresso in steamed milk, lightly topped with foam.

Which one is your favorite? My favorite drink is still black coffee!