Now, obviously at this point you have figured out I am somewhat of a perfectionist, but with my reasons of course. Is it that crazy to like the condiments organized in a specific fashion? Maybe so.
Well, back to the point, I have been wanting to right this post for a while. As some of you on the ordering side of the counter may have observed, there is a specific acronym for things. Your drinks, your food, et cetera. “L” is for Latte, “PKB” is for PumpKin Bread, the whole thing is simple enough. And I am one of those people, yes it’s unfortunately true, that likes to stay to the acronyms given to us in the computer, and this is why:
- Efficient Communication.
That’s it. I only need one bullet for this; one rule. At my drive thru store when it’s early in the morning and it’s rush hour, (a.k.a. peak, or the time at which most people want their coffee before starting their day, which is about 6:30-9:00am) and you have a line all the way around the building and your manager is watching the numbers to make sure you go fast enough with people talking over each other and not enough room to spread your arms out to both sides, you do NOT have enough time to ask the Drive Thru Order (DTO) person what-the-heck the “Ask Me” is on someone’s cup! *clears throat, temperament returns to normal*
Same works in a Lobby store. You can’t just leave the bar, walk over to the two people writing cups at the cash register, and ask ‘Amy’ what she meant by “No PP” in the custom box. (BTW, if you mean ‘No’ on a cup, you are supposed to write the acronym with a slash through it. It should look like this: WC, translating to “No Whipped Cream.)
Now, of course, Starbucks started in 1971, and I obviously wasn’t the one who came up with the acronym system. (Not dissing, just, would have chosen a few different acronyms for things. IE: “CHonga Bagel” and “double CHocolate chunk Brownie” have the same acronym; as well as Americano and Almond milk.) So when it comes down to using the correct acronym in the correct spot so I don’t have to ask or memorize a new language to fit your laziness, even though it’s literally right there in front of you*, I am specifically most upset with the acronym CR for the placement of Caramel Sauce.
For those who are uncertain, Caramel Sauce is not the same as Caramel syrup. The syrup is sweeter and thin, the sauce is richer and thick. (The sauce is the one we use to make our signature Caramel Macchiatos.) But the Caramel Sauce acronym CS is crucially different than the Caramel dRizzle acronym CR, (again, did not make the acronym system), because of where it goes.
In truth, there is no difference between the sauce and the drizzle, (it is the same thing, literally from the same bottle) but each acronym signifies the desired placement of said product. If you want the caramel sauce on top like on your Caramel Macchiato, it’s the drizzle, or CR. If you want caramel sauce on the bottom like when you order a Latte, it’s CS.
A common example of this is a Caramel Sauce(syrup box) Mocha(drink box) with Caramel dRizzle(custom box). In this drink, you have the Mocha sauce (english translation: chocolate) mixed with Caramel Sauce and shots of espresso, combined with steamed 2% milk, Whipped Cream and Caramel dRizzle on top. A happy medley of both in there own specifically marked spots. It should be that simple.
To some, this may seem stupid. “Isn’t it, like, the same stuff? Won’t it taste the same?” The answer, quite simply, is no. Does an Iced Caramel Macchiato taste the same as a Hot one? Of course not, because with a Hot Caramel Macchiato you get the caramel sauce and the espresso shots FIRST. With an Iced Caramel Macchiato, you get the caramel sauce and the espresso shots LAST. It’s all about the LAYERING.
On that note, if you like to get a STIRRED Caramel Macchiato, throw everything I just said out the window.
*Note: When a barista types in your drink, the right hand column looks EXACTLY like the cup design we use to translate what your drink is to the bar person. Everything that goes in it, including any modifications you put in the computer would appear in bright blue. There is no excuse! (And I do say this part with a grain of salt because I don’t have the whole thing memorized and I have owned up to some of my own errors as well. )
Starbucks Barista Hacks 
When I got extra sauce (I believe it was) in my iced carmel macchiato, I could visibly see other going down the sides of the cup. I could taste the thickness of it
So, for comparison, what do you see/taste when you add extra [caramel] SAUCE to a carmel macchiato?
LikeLike
Great question! To clarify, the gold caramel flavor that runs down the sides of your iced caramel macchiato is the caramel drizzle, because the drizzle is the stuff on top. If you order extra caramel drizzle (on top), you will be getting extra caramel flavor BUT, because you ordered it as a drizzle and/or didn’t request for it to be stirred in, when you go to drink, all you may get is large chunks of caramel in your straw. Personally, if you like the caramel taste, I would recommend ordering a stirred caramel macchiato which will give you the caramel taste all the way through, and not in large, random chunks. Does that answer your question?
LikeLike