Did you really think that the Mythological Creature Frappuccino train had left the station? Because HA, nope, we’re just getting started! If you order the right combination of ingredients, you can now get a “Mermaid Frappuccino” at Starbucks, because why stop at unicorns and dragons? It’s not an official item on the Starbucks menu (so, y’know, don’t roll up to your local ‘Bux and ask for a Mermaid Frappuccino unless you want to get some puzzled looks from the folks behind the counter); according to Starbucks Melody, the Mermaid Frappuccino is the creation of barista Jocelyn Freeman, who runs the delightful and informative coffee website The Modern Barista. But although it’s unofficial, like the Dragon Frappuccino before it, it will still inject some brightly-colored magic into your everyday life.
Although it was perhaps a given that the Unicorn Frappuccino would go viral, I don’t think anyone anticipated exactly how popular it would get. Days before it was even announced, let alone released, there was already enough buzz to get us all speculating about it in a big way — and then when the official announcement came from Starbucks on April 18? The phrase “I HAVE ARRIVED!” has never been more relevant.
Since it was only available for such a brief period of time, however — just a few days, from April 19 though 23 or while supplies lasted (and in many cases, supplies didn’t last beyond Day One) — it’s only to be expected that folks searching for that little bit of magic would start to get creative after it departed for the Great Rainbow Beyond. After all, as a Starbucks spokesperson told Bustle when the Unicorn Frapp’s first unofficial successor, the Dragon Frappuccino, started making the rounds, “In addition to the beverage options listed on our menu boards, there are more than 170,000 ways baristas can customize beverages at Starbucks, including selecting from a variety of milks, syrups, coffee/espresso combinations, and toppings. This high level of personalization allows our customers to tailor their drink to match their personal taste preferences.”
And, as it turns out, their personal visual preferences, too. Feast your eyes on the Mermaid Frappuccino:
Because, I mean, let’s be honest: These Mythological Creature Frapps owe a great deal of their popularity to their spectacularly Instagrammable appearances, right? To me, the Mermaid Frapp is kind of like an “inside out” version of the Dragon Frapp: Instead of being green with a purple stripe, it’s purple with a green stripe.
From what I gather, though, they taste pretty good, too — and honestly, the Mermaid Frapp sounds like the most delicious of the bunch. According to Starbucks Melody, Jocelyn Freeman's creation starts with a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with a few blackberries added to the mix — although where the real magic happens is the drizzle, which is apparently a combination of white mocha sauce, toasted coconut syrup (which you might remember from the Toasted Coconut Cold Brew that debuted last month ), and matcha. For the full effect, it looks like the drizzle should be added to the cup prior to being filled up with Frappuccino, similarly to the way the sour blue drizzle graced the sides of the Unicorn Frapp's cup; however, if your barista isn't down to make this somewhat complicated-sounding concoction, Starbucks Melody recommends just asking for the Vanilla Bean Frapp with blackberries, then requesting it be topped off with matcha on the whipped cream.
Not going to lie: I'm still holding out for the Shrieking Eels Frappuccino, but I'll settle for the Thestral Frappuccino in the meantime.
By the by, Freeman's website, The Modern Barista, is full of useful information and absolute deliciousness if you're super into coffee; she includes tons of delicious-sounding recipes for the perfect coffee-food pairings, and I can't wait until I get done with work today so I can read literally the entire site. You can also follow her on Instagram @themodernbarista.
