I’m always pumped when Starbucks comes out with a new line of drinks. The coffee chain just dropped the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, a combination of cold brew coffee, vanilla syrup, and pistachio cold foam cream. It is a great way to get a sweet and creamy drink that’s perfect for winter, and surprisingly not too caloric.
I recently tried the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew at the Starbucks in Lafayette, California.
Pistachio Cream Cold Brew Flavor
In the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, the coffee itself is sweetened with vanilla syrup, so it’s basically a fairly sweet cold brew coffee.
The star of the show is the pistachio cream topping, though. It’s one of Starbuck’s cold foams, which means it has a consistency similar to a whipped topping, like Cool Whip. I like those better than some of the oatmilk drinks Starbucks introduced recently.
The pistachio flavor isn’t too nutty. It’s more like a pistachio gelato or pistachio ice cream, with a subtle color and rich, deep flavor. The drink is topped with a brown butter crumble for an added caramel flavor.
A New Winter Drink
The Pistachio Cream Cold Brew is a great option for those cold winter months. Okay, so it’s still a cold coffee. But the pistachio flavor is a classic winter taste that adds a bit of nostalgia to the drink. You can also get the pistachio latte for a similar taste.
Starbucks is clearly going for seasonality more and more. They’ve got the Pumpkin Spice Latte for Fall, the peppermint mocha for the December holidays, and now a line of pistachio drinks for the deep winter. They tried chestnuts in drinks, too, but pistachio seems like a better flavor overall.
Nutritional Info for the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew
Even through the “cream” in the title implies otherwise, the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew is surprisingly good for those watching their calorie intake. According to Starbucks, the drink has only around 250 calories for a grande size.
The calories come mostly from the cream, so if you upgrade to a Venti, you won’t be adding too many more calories. Upgrading to a Venti bumps the calorie count up to only 280.
Sice many people are watching their weight in January, that’s another reason the pistachio cream cold brew is a great early winter drink!
Looking at the ingredient list shows that this isn’t just pistachio flavored–there’s actual pistachios in there!
Conclusion
I love the pistachio flavor and the sweetness of the vanilla syrup, and think the brown butter crumble adds a great touch of flavor. There’s a stronger, more distinct flavor here than in many of Starbucks’ other recent additions, like the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew.
Overall, I really like the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, and I hope Starbucks keeps its line of Pistachio drinks.
Key Takeaways
- The Pistachio Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks is a new drink consisting of cold brew coffee sweetened with vanilla syrup, topped with pistachio cream and a brown butter crumble.
- It has a dense, thick consistency and a subtle, almost chocolatey flavor, not a strong nuttiness.
- The drink is a good option for those watching their calorie intake as it contains only 250 calories for a grande and adding more cold brew won’t increase calories significantly.
