Starbucks Japan’s Permanent Coffee Menu Now Includes a Cult Drink

There’s something unique and special about this Sweet Milk Coffee.

Starbucks Japan’s limited-edition lineups are well known, and some prove to be so popular that they become permanent menu staples. As a result of a series of limited-time releases, Sweet Milk Coffee was recently added permanently to the chain. It’s already becoming a cult product, with people raving about how much it tastes like Papico, a coffee-flavored ice cream produced by Glico.

According to social media influencers, there is a recommended way to drink Sweet Milk Coffee, which has been dubbed “drinkable Papico.”

It costs 50 yen (US$0.34) to switch from regular milk to Breve (a mixture of milk and cream) as well as asking for a free mocha sauce pump.

Without customization, the multilayered drink consists of fresh cream, vanilla syrup, white chocolate syrup, and espresso syrup on top. It also has freshly extracted coffee, milk, and cream on the bottom.

A creamy milky flavor with a hint of tantalizing vanilla hits your taste buds immediately upon taking your first sip, awakening you to the rich blend. This combination is true luxury, both in taste and texture. Customizing it is an excellent idea, since the extra thick Breve milk amps up the creaminess, while the mocha adds another layer of sweetness.

Papico ice cream certainly reminds us of creamy, sweet coffee flavors, but we think they’re even better. There are a variety of coffee flavors in the different layers of this drink, from light and refreshing to rich and milky. However, if you want to experience the drinkable Papico experience, you should mix it thoroughly to achieve a well-balanced taste reminiscent of coffee ice cream.

As soon as you mix, the flavor becomes more addictive, so the drink disappears quickly.

Starbucks will offer Sweet Milk Coffee throughout Japan starting March 12. It is available in a tall size only, priced at 540 yen for takeout or 550 yen for dine-in. You won’t have to worry about missing out on this drink, since unlike the upcoming limited-edition colour-changing Frappuccino, it will remain on the menu permanently, so Rewards members have the option of buying it from 6-11 March before it becomes available on sale.