Starbucks' New Frappuccino Is Only Available Here

For people whose every trip to the store ends up six times longer and more expensive than anticipated, a coffee break is absolutely necessary. Caffeinated shoppers are happy shoppers, and happy shoppers don't brawl in the aisles over the last pumpkin spice candle. This fall, your aimless wanders through Target can have a special ingredient: the new Starbucks Dark Mocha Frappuccino, which can only be found at Starbucks stores within Target locations. If your idea of paradise is combing through the clearance section with a cup of semisweet caffeine, then your heaven on earth has finally arrived.

You already know and love the regular mocha and the many variations Starbucks releases every season. (Praised be the Chile Mocha.) So what's new about this one? True to its name, the Dark Mocha isn't as sweet as its chocolatey brethren. According to an announcement from Target, the drink contains "extra-dark cocoa, coffee, milk and ice," all blended together and topped with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.

When Starbucks Melody, an unofficial Starbucks blog, reviewed the frappuccino, the writer compared it to a bite of dark chocolate. "If you are not into that slight bitterness of dark cocoa, this drink won’t be your thing – or you might want to make it sweeter by adding in a syrup," she wrote.

The "latest Starbucks masterpiece," as Target describes it, was released to the 1,500 Starbucks cafes inside Target on Aug. 21, and it will be available as long as supplies last. As Delish notes, though, regular Starbucks stores carry the correct ingredients to make the drink, even if it may not be the official deal. Just ask to have your frappuccino made with dark mocha sauce, and voila! You've got yourself a Dark Mocha Frappuccino.

Needless to say, Starbucks lovers (and workers) are stoked about this development.

This is the most recent offering in a growing list of new, ever-so-Instagrammable releases by Starbucks. The neon-hued Unicorn Frappuccino was sold for just a few short days in April, but it certainly made a splash. In fact, the drink bumped up sales so much that in a conference call reported by CNBC, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said there were more unique, limited-edition drinks on the way, including "at least one... that is going to be as good as the Unicorn or better" offered during Frappuccino Happy Hour this year.

Sure enough, in June, Starbucks introduced two new frozen drinks to U.S. stores in honor of summer: the Berry Prickly Pear and Mango Pineapple Frappuccinos. Both were creme-based, meaning they didn't have any coffee, and like most other limited-edition drinks, they were ultra-colorful.

In August, the company began offering an official version of the Mermaid Frappuccino, a drink that had been circulating as part of the so-called "secret menu" for a while. Unfortunately for American customers, it was only available for a single week — in Mexico. Womp, womp.

Meanwhile, Starbucks has been gearing up for fall with a more traditional flavor. (You know where I'm going with this.) Yes, the pumpkin spice season of 2017 is finally, gloriously upon us. After teasing the date of the Pumpkin Spice Latte's return for days, Starbucks officially released the autumnal favorite on Sep. 5.

Who knows what drinks Starbucks will use to break the internet (or at least Instagram) next? One thing is for sure: The holidays are Starbucks' time to shine with limited-edition drinks. If the Dark Mocha Frappuccino sounds like your cup of coffee, head to Target to try it out while it's still available.

Images: Westend61/Westend61/Getty Images; Courtesy Starbucks