You Need to See These Surprise Starbucks Drinks

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Starbucks secret menu by now — or, should I say, Starbucks secret menus. If not, please take a moment to entertain the idea of drinking a Butterbeer or Cap’n Crunch Frappuccino...because you can. Though the idea of ordering a "secret" drink might be exciting enough for some, food news site Foodbeast wanted to do the opposite of dictating, ounce by ounce, exactly what should go into their caffeinated beverage of choice. They sent people into various Starbucks in Santa Ana, California, and simply asked the baristas to "surprise them."

The baristas certainly delivered with their own super-secret-yet-somewhat-coffee-related drinks. The challenge yielded a few wacky, yet very photogenic results. Some included pastries as ingredients, and some even came off more as art pieces than digestible liquids, but all of them were far beyond your average ol' Caramel Frappuccino. Oh yeah, and they all look pretty delicious too (I'm not going to lie).

But before we dive into a few of Foodbeast’s amazing Starbucks challenge discoveries, perhaps it’s time for a quick lesson on exactly how to order something off-the-menu at Starbucks. With all of the recent articles regarding secret menus and creative order ideas popping up, one should know that not every barista was trained to make 500 different drinks. Food Riot's guide to ordering off-the-menu at Starbucks reminds customers that it's important to not order these drinks by name, and that asking for a "custom order" followed by a list of ingredients is the best way to go (luckily, most sites include such details). The site also points out that not all baristas will be up for making an "Apple Pie Frappuccino" or whatever delicious coffee-related concoction you're hankering for — in which case, you shouldn't get upset. (After all, there's probably another location within walking distance.) Or, you could always go rogue and do as the Foodbeasters (Foodbeasts?) do and give them a little challenge — hopefully not during a morning rush!

Speaking of, let's take a look at a few of Foodbeast's discoveries (with ingredients, of course, so you'll be your local barista's favorite customer), shall we? Let's do this:

1. Neopolitan Frapuccino

Extra points for placement and proportions.

Ingredients: Strawberries & Creme Frappuccino, Java Chip (Extra $.50), Vanilla Bean Frappuccino (Extra $.50), and raw sugar sprinkled over the top

2. The Orange County Dream

Derek Zoolander would swoon.

Ingredients: Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, Valencia Orange Refresher, and whipped cream

3. The Mexican Flag Frap

The award for "Most Instagrammable Drink" goes to this one.

Ingredients: Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, Valencia Orange Refresher, and whipped cream

For the rest of Foodbeast's challenge results, go to foodbeast.com!

Images: Giphy; Peter Pham/Foodbeast,