The Starbucks Drink Reddit Says Helps Curb Nicotine Cravings

For years, people have said that Starbucks burns their beans. Starbucks itself describes its standard espresso as having "rich and caramelly notes," but to many others it tastes smoky and ashy. It's understandable because beans roasted to be as black and oily as Starbucks' Espresso Roast typically have some amount of carbon in them. It's precisely this flavor profile that is helping some people on Reddit overcome their nicotine cravings with what is being called the Cigarette Drink.

The drink is a black tea, lemonade, and a shot of espresso. No sweetener is added. One employee made it for themselves and reported on Reddit that "It tasted like dragging your tongue across a decade-old ashtray." Another employee claims people order this drink when they're trying to get over smoking. To be clear, unless anyone is steeping their own Zyn in a Cigarette Drink, there is no nicotine in this. It is more of a Proustian memory that the drink supplies to satisfy cravings. Somehow, we don't see this becoming as popular as the secret menu item that tastes just like an Andes Mint.

The mix of lemonade, black tea, and espresso may sound strange to some, but it's not an unusual combination. It's more the Starbucks dark roast flavor profile that makes this a liquid ashtray. Lemonade and coffee is not an unheard of drink in some cultures. On a recent trip to Colombia, a tour guide introduced me to a drink made with cold brew and lemonade. Another drink, Mazagran, originally from Algeria, that spread to France and Portugal, has strong coffee poured over ice with sugar, and now often includes lemon. It's tart, fruity, and delicious. Starbucks once tested a Mazagran drink that was a hybrid of coffee and cola. It came out to mixed reviews and did not last long.

In Hong Kong, you can get yuanyang tea, which is black tea and coffee combined. It's generally made with 30% strong coffee and 70% strong tea, and then milk and sugar. You may be able to find a version of this drink at specialty boba shops such as Hey Hey in Los Angeles.