Starbucks’ most recent offering, the Flat White, is appearing in Starbucks across the country making people talk and making people new to coffee drinking even more confused than normal. The Flat White is said to have originated in Australia in the 1980s as Australians wanted a drink like a cappuccino but less dry and more milky. And so the Flat White was born. The drink is made with two ristretto shots, steamed milk , and topped off with a velvety micro-foam. For those new to the world of espresso, the ristretto shot is like a regular espresso shot but made with half the water so that the shot is more condensed. And yes the drink is just as pretentious as it sounds.

The Flat White has a texture somewhere between that of a latte and a cappuccino leaning more towards latte. The drink is supposed to be velvety and smooth. However, because of how new the drink is, don’t expect your neighborhood barista to have it down quite yet. Mine was made so hot I scalded my tongue on it and the drink didn’t take long to separate. That being said, I have to warn you that the drink comes unsweetened. If you’re a fan of the more sugary sweetened drink that Starbucks offers I wouldn’t recommend the Flat White. It has a strong coffee taste and seems like more of an advanced drinker sort of drink. But if you’re the type of person that likes cappuccinos but loves the texture of lattes then the Flat White is definitely for you. As for me I’ll probably pass the next time.