Sound the Alarms! Frappuccinos Are Half-Off at Starbucks Today.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte arrived at Starbucks stores around the country more than a week ago, but the benevolent mermaid seems to understand that summer isn’t quite over yet because it’s offering each customer one half-price Frappuccino all afternoon TODAY.
The deal, part of the chain’s “Happy Hour” promotion, is exclusively for members of Starbucks Rewards, so you’ll need to sign up if you haven’t already.
For those of us in places where summer didn’t get the memo that Labor Day means it’s over, the discount spells sweet relief for sweltering afternoons. Starting at 3 p.m., you can chill out by logging into your Starbucks app, checking your messages, and accessing the half-off coupon for one drink, size grande or larger. Oh, and if you’re in need of both a cool drink and a taste of fall, the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino is included in the deal, along with Java Chip, Caramel, Salted Caramel Mocha, Caramel Cocoa Cluster, White Chocolate Mocha, and pretty much any blended flavor (in other words, not bottled). Perhaps the deal will inspire you to try one of the less-famous flavors, like Cupcake Crème or Serious Strawberry?
This promotion comes on the heels of news earlier this week about the company testing a re-formulated version of the drink at 600 stores in California, Missouri, and Rhode Island in an attempt to make it more healthful. The new drink has 40 fewer calories and cuts the sugar by 25 percent, which seems like a slightly odd effort given that nobody’s ordering the Frappuccino as a diet drink. But apparently the same flat sales for the drink that brought us absurd Frappuccino flavors such as Christmas Tree, Unicorn, and Zombie also indicated to the powers that be that people wanted a more healthful version of drink.
While we wait for the next Instagram-ready special Frappuccino with 20 calories, we’ll suck down the classic version at half-price this afternoon.