The Frappuccino Alternative
My name is Joy, and I am former Starbucks barista. For one hot summer in the mid-’90s, I pulled espressos and blended Frappuccinos. Those sweet icy drinks were still new then and the rumor around the company was that the Frap had been invented by a store manager who was trying to keep his customers happy and cool. I imagine it was originally just strong coffee, half-and-half, sugar and ice, but when Starbucks’s R&D got its hands on the idea, the Frappuccino became a money-making monster based on high fructose corn syrup and other food science staples.
To me, it always tasted artificial and sticky. Thankfully, in Philadelphia, the Frappuccino is not your only option for sweet caffeinated coolness. Fantes, the kitchen emporium in the Italian Market, makes a coffee granita with just espresso, sugar and cream. It’s a sweet escape from a hot afternoon and fake ingredients.
Image, starbucks.com