The customized drink is out of control

[Velar Fricative]

www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/dining/drinks/customized-drinks.html?unlocked_article_code=1.LU4.tWEs.7z36sgTWAj0Z&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb&ngrp=mnp

(gift article)

I have so many thoughts on this. I think I’m just getting old when I read this and think about why suddenly coffee and tea with an add-on or two at most is passé.

Back in our day I had a mayor trying to ban soda! Bloomberg would be beside himself if he were still mayor.

The thing I do understand most here is how nice it feels to get a fancy drink. But I guess I’m the weirdo who’s cool with just tea. HOT tea. I seem to be in the minority now because I realize I now have to say “hot” with my order since the workers assume iced.

[laladypoet]

I just heard of Swig from the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. and now I wish we had one by me. and a CosMcs.

[sent]

It's all fun and games until your A1C gets out of control.

And then you train yourself to have coffee with no sugar.

True story. I'm old. I don't understand this at all.

[abs]

Okay some of those drink names and prices are looney tunes. I stopped reading after the $9.73 Starbucks drink. Sheesh!!

My drinks do cost more because I can’t drink regular milk at all. I sub oat milk for any treat drink but it’s a treat. Like once or twice a month with a family member that loves Starbucks.

Mostly I drink coffee at home. Black. And it’s the best.

[chilerellanos]

I do love a fancy customized drink. But I definitely get them as a special little treat. And not an every day thing.

[tacokick]

I think we are living in a hellscape and most people are looking for a little treat. Hopefully no one is going into debt over beverages but I’m all for scraping every drop of happiness out of life you can.

It’s the Lipstick Effect but in liquid form imo

[jinkies]

I am the most boring drinker ever-- I basically drink water or black coffee. I've never really liked soda or sweet drinks in general.

But one of these fancy soda shops opened near me recently. I went there and it was honestly really cool. There were a crazy amount of options, and they mix it into a soda can with a tab so you don't have to drink it immediately. (they did this even with an ice cream float, which was kind of funny bc you did have to drink that one immediately).

I think of it more like "treat" pricing (like an ice cream place or fancy bakery) vs "drink" pricing. I don't think it's out of line in those terms. I wouldn't get a drink there daily, or even weekly. But I think there's a place for it as a special treat.

ETA: tacokick put it much more succinctly while I was typing LOL.

[lilac05]

Sept 17, 2024 11:56:28 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I do love a fancy customized drink. But I definitely get them as a special little treat. And not an every day thing.

I loved how the person who went to a coffee shop 3x+ a day called it "a treat." If it's multiple times a day, it's a habit, not a treat! 

Drinks have totally become a status symbol. I love a gas station diet coke with the crushed ice, but definitely feel some judgment if I show up somewhere with that instead of a Starbucks. I don't care, and dislike anything coffee/tea related anyway, but I still feel it. Showing up with a sugar-laden Starbucks = Classy, but a soda with similar sugar/caffeine = Less Than. (Although that should be past tense, as I had to give it up because I'm also getting old.)

[sonrisa]

Sept 17, 2024 12:05:04 GMT -5 tacokick said:

I think we are living in a hellscape and most people are looking for a little treat. Hopefully no one is going into debt over beverages but I’m all for scraping every drop of happiness out of life you can.

It’s the Lipstick Effect but in liquid form imo

when your ‘splurge’ budget is down to $6 and nothing costs $6 any more, there is still a fancy beverage out there for you and the experience of going out and having someone make it for you.

[Velar Fricative]

Sept 17, 2024 12:18:52 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Sept 17, 2024 11:56:28 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I do love a fancy customized drink. But I definitely get them as a special little treat. And not an every day thing.

I loved how the person who went to a coffee shop 3x+ a day called it "a treat." If it's multiple times a day, it's a habit, not a treat! 

Drinks have totally become a status symbol. I love a gas station diet coke with the crushed ice, but definitely feel some judgment if I show up somewhere with that instead of a Starbucks. I don't care, and dislike anything coffee/tea related anyway, but I still feel it. Showing up with a sugar-laden Starbucks = Classy, but a soda with similar sugar/caffeine = Less Than. (Although that should be past tense, as I had to give it up because I'm also getting old.)

I absolutely feel this. Drinks have become a status symbol somehow. Thanks TikTok!

[sonrisa]

Sept 17, 2024 12:27:10 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Sept 17, 2024 12:18:52 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

I loved how the person who went to a coffee shop 3x+ a day called it "a treat." If it's multiple times a day, it's a habit, not a treat! 

Drinks have totally become a status symbol. I love a gas station diet coke with the crushed ice, but definitely feel some judgment if I show up somewhere with that instead of a Starbucks. I don't care, and dislike anything coffee/tea related anyway, but I still feel it. Showing up with a sugar-laden Starbucks = Classy, but a soda with similar sugar/caffeine = Less Than. (Although that should be past tense, as I had to give it up because I'm also getting old.)

I absolutely feel this. Drinks have become a status symbol somehow. Thanks TikTok!

I feel like that started decades ago when Starbucks got its foothold. It’s just expanded from there. TikTok is spurring off menu eccentricities.

[neverfstop]

I’m excited when a fast food place has a Coca-Cola freestyle machine and you can mix your own! I love peach lemonade.

[clairebear]

Sept 17, 2024 12:18:52 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Sept 17, 2024 11:56:28 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

I do love a fancy customized drink. But I definitely get them as a special little treat. And not an every day thing.

I loved how the person who went to a coffee shop 3x+ a day called it "a treat." If it's multiple times a day, it's a habit, not a treat! 

Drinks have totally become a status symbol. I love a gas station diet coke with the crushed ice, but definitely feel some judgment if I show up somewhere with that instead of a Starbucks. I don't care, and dislike anything coffee/tea related anyway, but I still feel it. Showing up with a sugar-laden Starbucks = Classy, but a soda with similar sugar/caffeine = Less Than. (Although that should be past tense, as I had to give it up because I'm also getting old.)

Absolutely! I feel weird showing up anywhere with my soda in a Racetrac gas station foam cup, but a coffee with the same amount of sugar and caffeine is totally fine. I've taken to putting the soda in an insulated cup so it's hides its origin and cuts down on disposable waste. But also I need it cut soda out.

[taratru]

The number of times a day I think "well, that's just ridiculous" makes me realize how damn old I am. Then I get sad that I'm the new old person in my life. 😂

[eb777888]

Sept 17, 2024 12:50:08 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

I’m excited when a fast food place has a Coca-Cola freestyle machine and you can mix your own! I love peach lemonade.

My grocery store has one of these and I love it because it's the only place I can get sparkling water from the fountain.

@@@@@@
Me and David get them every now and then after school. Just a little treat!

We used to go to Starbucks most days before school but stopped that this year. When he started not only wanting breakfast but also started drinking coffee, it became way too expensive. We do fresh ground coffee on the timer so it's done when we wake up and I'm actually liking this more. 

[Roc A Bee]

Customized drinks are out of control and so expensive!

@@@

During the pandemic, we got in a habit of taking the kids to Starbucks once a week or so. But we were not going anywhere else at the time. Now that life is back to normal, we have had to cut back.

I’ve also told the kids, you can get a drink but no add ons. They had $1.50-$2 to the drinks!

All that to say, I probably still get a Starbucks 1-2 times a week on my way to work, but I’m trying to cut back

Sorry added @@@ I didn’t realize what board I was on!

[jane6672]

Sept 17, 2024 13:42:11 GMT -5 clairebear said:

Sept 17, 2024 12:18:52 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

I loved how the person who went to a coffee shop 3x+ a day called it "a treat." If it's multiple times a day, it's a habit, not a treat! 

Drinks have totally become a status symbol. I love a gas station diet coke with the crushed ice, but definitely feel some judgment if I show up somewhere with that instead of a Starbucks. I don't care, and dislike anything coffee/tea related anyway, but I still feel it. Showing up with a sugar-laden Starbucks = Classy, but a soda with similar sugar/caffeine = Less Than. (Although that should be past tense, as I had to give it up because I'm also getting old.)

Absolutely! I feel weird showing up anywhere with my soda in a Racetrac gas station foam cup, but a coffee with the same amount of sugar and caffeine is totally fine. I've taken to putting the soda in an insulated cup so it's hides its origin and cuts down on disposable waste. But also I need it cut soda out.

Are people making comments about the soda? Or do you just anticipate judgement and try to prevent it?

[pugz]

I am a purist, lol. I want my Dr. Pepper at a very specific temperature IN A CAN.

And I make my own iced chai's at home now to save money and like mine more than the ones I'm knocking off at Starbucks, lol.

We are getting a Swig here in KC soon and I have no interest.

[clairebear]

Sept 17, 2024 14:13:21 GMT -5 jane6672 said:

Sept 17, 2024 13:42:11 GMT -5 clairebear said:

Absolutely! I feel weird showing up anywhere with my soda in a Racetrac gas station foam cup, but a coffee with the same amount of sugar and caffeine is totally fine. I've taken to putting the soda in an insulated cup so it's hides its origin and cuts down on disposable waste. But also I need it cut soda out.

Are people making comments about the soda? Or do you just anticipate judgement and try to prevent it?

No one says anything, it's all self inflected. But 99% of people with drinks have some sort of coffee concoction so I would definitely stand out with a soda.

[wawa]

I love a little treat drink.
I plan all my group runs (Fridays and Sundays) out of coffee shop parking lots so we can get a little drinky treat after.
And on the rare occasions I go to the mall I can reliably be talked into a boba by the short people I hang out with.
I have gotten way drunker than intended more than once because I'm a sucker for a fun cocktail (it's a fun little drink!), and I'm very grateful for the rise in the fun little drink MOCKtail
I'm firmly team, "oh a fun little drink treat! yay!"

That said....I still find the social media stunt drinks baffling, because like...I have taste buds? Or I'm old? But I lean toward the first one. Like a brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso is a delicious little treat. Adding in more syrup and the vanilla bean powder and whatever else she had in there just sounds like an over the top dessert that would make my teeth hurt.
And 3 drinks a day isn't a little treat! Tom and Donna only had Treat Yo Self day once a year!!

[breezy8407]

Starbucks is my breakfast when I travel for work, so 2x a month. I also love a little treat, and will stop on a weekend day another 2 or so times a month. I'm very boring/basic and my drink is a cold brew with half and half. I can't do sweet stuff with extra shots and flavors. On workdays its juts regular old drip coffee from home.

Outside of Starbucks, I guess I don't see all the other things mentioned in the article out in the wild. We also don't have the chains mentioned, so maybe its that. I thought Swig was a brand of water bottle.

[mags]

Im totally boring...latte or iced tea

[Patsy Baloney]

This entire article is the AOL email rant of Tom Hanks’ character in You’ve Got Mail.

[RoxMonster]

My drink modifications are usually to take things out (like fewer pumps of a flavor syrup) because often times, the drink as made tastes too sweet to me. (But ALWAYS extra ice! lol)

So I don't get super customized beverages, but I do get some sort of coffee drink from Starbucks, Dunkin' or a local shop most mornings. I enjoy it and have no interest in giving up the habit.

[pixy0stix]

Where's my damn cane? I need to shake it!

Although, my undying love of different flavored beer types would probably fall under this category.

[cap]

I think most flavored drinks are far too sweet. At restaurants, I pretty much only have water to drink unless we're at a brewery; then I'll definitely get a beer. I'm also kinda cheap....

[litebright]

As someone with a dairy intolerance, I love being able to customize my drinks, especially coffee drinks. If I was allergic to dairy AND nuts, I could still get oatmilk. Or soy. Starbucks recently added an option for non-dairy vanilla cold foam, which I think is mentioned in that article and feels totally decadent to me -- I haven't been able to have whipped cream on a coffee drink in more than a decade, so it absolutely feels special to order that non-dairy cold foam.

A lot of the "standard" fancy coffee drinks are out of the question for me, or I have to ask for so many things to be left out that it's basically plain coffee. Having the customization options as well as standard things on the menu like the flavored oatmilk shaken espresso drinks gives me options, even if yes, they are more expensive. Which I will happily pay (a couple of times a month) to be able to enjoy as a treat.

[Velar Fricative]

Sept 17, 2024 18:20:58 GMT -5 litebright said:

As someone with a dairy intolerance, I love being able to customize my drinks, especially coffee drinks. If I was allergic to dairy AND nuts, I could still get oatmilk. Or soy. Starbucks recently added an option for non-dairy vanilla cold foam, which I think is mentioned in that article and feels totally decadent to me -- I haven't been able to have whipped cream on a coffee drink in more than a decade, so it absolutely feels special to order that non-dairy cold foam.

A lot of the "standard" fancy coffee drinks are out of the question for me, or I have to ask for so many things to be left out that it's basically plain coffee. Having the customization options as well as standard things on the menu like the flavored oatmilk shaken espresso drinks gives me options, even if yes, they are more expensive. Which I will happily pay (a couple of times a month) to be able to enjoy as a treat.

I can’t have dairy anymore but I’m a simple person who just gets my coffees and teas with oat milk, which is everywhere these days it seems. I think the thing that makes me feel out of step with the world is that that’s all I get lol. Get off my lawn!

[Velar Fricative]

What I am also somewhat ragey about are the trendy floats and shakes. Like, they look great in social media pics but how is anyone consuming a thick milkshake underneath a Klondike bar, underneath a bunch of Oreos, underneath Reese’s cups, underneath hot fudge, underneath sprinkles, underneath a cherry on top??? Stop it. And they are exorbitant!

[underwaterrhymes]

You can pry my Starbucks medicine ball from my cold, dead hands.