Since this summer, Starbucks has been testing the waters on two new varieties of Vivanno™: Mixed Berry and Vanilla Honey.
This test currently is in Sacramento only, and it appears that the first place to break the news was a Sacramento food blog.
This past weekend I had the chance to try the Vanilla Honey and so I wanted to write about it right away. This has a wonderful cold tangy flavor to it and those who remember Sorbetto might even compare it to the tangy-goodness of the plain yogurt variety of Sorbetto. Sorbetto, sadly, never made it out of the test phase as reported by Coffee City blog of the Seattle Times.
Sorbetto, just to catch everyone up to speed, was a dessert-like treat sold in a ten ounce size only, and came in two basic varieties Pinkberry and a basic Tangy Yogurt. It was tested briefly in Snohomish County, Washington, and then launched as just a regional test in Southern California. And then, it died. The Sorbetto was a delicious product but expensive for a 10 ounce serving, and required dispensing from a huge machine that looked like a slurpee type machine. Baristas often said that cleaning this machine was time consuming. It’s not surprising that Sorbetto died, despite that it was delicious: It was an expensive product right when a recession started, and didn’t appear to fit in with a coffeehouse at all.
The reason I take us back in time to the Sorbetto is that the first thing I thought of when I tried the Vanilla Honey was Sorbetto. There is an incredible similarity in flavor of the yogurt. The Vivanno™, like all other Vivanno™, is available only in a 16 ounce size. My take on this: Utterly delicious!! I am ready now for this to come to Seattle. A yogurt and honey flavor is a combo that I really like and I thoroughly enjoy the sweet but not too sweet tangy yogurt flavor of this new Vivanno™. It doesn’t taste like a dessert either. The Sorbetto had almost a soft ice-cream texture, but the new Vivanno™has the right texture of a smoothie. The honey was drizzled on top, and mixed throughout the beverage. Those customers who like the sensation of drinking extra caramel through a straw in a Frappuccino, will enjoy the fact that the honey is mixed all throughout the drink. Starbucks also has hit the right balance between the amount of honey and the amount of yogurt.
Please Starbucks bring this one to Seattle and everywhere! There are no unsightly tall special machines for this item. It’s truly a smoothie – The barista throws a few things in a blender, and soon there is a delicious treat!
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Did you try the mixed berry? If so, was it actual berries or a puree?
nice blog!
Melody, nice bogsite, you sure are one busy Lady
Did you get a good look at what the ingredients were? Were they in puree boxes? syrups? extra containers to scoop things?
P.S. Love that you’ve started this new site!
We make the Vanilla Honey Yogurt Smoothie with the Nonfat Probiotic Yogurt, and a special new All Natural Vanilla Bean Powder, and then Honey Drizzle on top. The Mixed Berry is simply a Mixed Berry Puree Juice and then the Yogurt, the Strawberry Yogurt Vivanno is just the normal Strawberry Juice and the Yogurt, and then we make the Orange Mango Yogurt Smoothie with the normal Orange Mango Juice and the Yogurt. They sell pretty well, especially the Mixed Berry Yogurt Vivanno, although my favorite is the Orange Mango.
Well here I am Melody as promised and I must say I am quite impressed. I too was sort of curious but not as curious as you and certainly did not get up early to see it. I happened to have a doctors appointment at Group Health so after my appointment I went up to look and I must say I was definately not impressed and just stayed long enough to put my business card on their bulletin board. Oh yes I think I asked if they honored the gold card! Sure hope Howard has gotten this out of his system!!
@Akarisame – I really wanted to try both new Vivannos but I only had one shot in Sacramento and after drinking a whole Vanilla Yogurt & Honey Vivanno and had no room for another. All I can say is the sooner these get launched, the better.
Hi Melody it’s me again. I just love Vivanno and can hardly wait to try the new flavors and wonder why since the headquarters of Starbucks is here in Seattle they don’t introduce them here. It’s a conundrum!
*WANT* I need to try the Honey Vanilla Vivanno now…omg I REALLY do! Some mornings I actually DON’T feel like a coffee – that would be a good time for these!
I tried the Vivanno and didn’t like it at all. The honey vanilla sounds good but all we have are fruity flavors that taste chalky. Or did I just go to a bad Starbucks?
Dana, I’ve experienced that “chalky” taste as well and realized that it’s the protein&fiber powder they put in it. Try the Vivanno sans that powder and you will probably like it more.
I tasted the Vivanno and liked it as well. Not my favorite but certainly a decent snack 🙂
oh, I hope they launch these. I love yogurt smoothies. I get smoothies once in a while instead of eating something heavier, but I can see that happening a lot more often w/ these!
I totally agree ONBarista. I need to get myself down to Sacramento soon and see if these are still down there. It’s been about 4 months, and it’s really possible that the test is over.
I loved the Honey Vanilla but maybe it’s too expensive?? I really can’t recall where I heard this, but I’ve heard that honey is an expensive product to use in a coffee house – That the honey latte was expensive too. I wonder if it’s just not an economical beverage?
Far easier to make another sugary drink with a syrup like dark cherry than to launch yogurt and honey, I bet.
any time i drink a vivanno i skip the protein powder, and it just tastes better