Magically Delicious

I had a scrumptious cinnamon dolce latte at Starbucks today. Since it was the highlight of my day, I was going to write about it, praising my friends Starbucks for giving us more sugar-free syrup options. But while searching for an image of the CDL (as those in-the-know call it), I came across this:

The leprechaun latte!

I discovered that these lattes are like their mythical namesake: elusive little critters. Starbucks only offers them for a month leading up to St. Patrick’s Day in the six New England states. F you Starbucks for crushing my creamy green dreams!

This reminded me of the sad saga of the Shamrock Shake. As a youth in Connecticut, I fondly remember rolling through the McDonald’s drive-thru to get my fix. But now they’re nowhere to be found. At least not in California – It seems those lucky East Coasters still might come across that pot of gold if they search hard enough.

Here’s what I have to ask the food and beverage industry: Why don’t you appreciate us? Why do you think it’s OK to play favorites, ignoring us when it comes to festive, seasonal beverages?? Is there anything you offer here that our northeastern counterparts can’t have?

Steve theorized that it all comes down to one variable: Dunkin’ Donuts. He thinks if Starbucks sold “pee in a cup” here, people would buy it. With a Dunkin’ Donuts every 10 feet in New England, offering such a fine array of treats, competitors need to really step up their game to attract customers. He’s probably right. Which gives us reason No. 38,847 why Dunkin’ Donuts needs to expand to California.