These Japan-exclusive beverages are harder to get than most.

Starbucks might have originated overseas but Japan has refined its offerings and taken them to a whole other level. Case in point is the chain’s Tea & Cafe stores, which only exist in Japan, at 30 select locations.

These stores specialise in tea-based beverages made with Starbucks’ Teavana brand teas, and serve exclusive drinks you won’t find at regular Starbucks locations.

This summer, an exclusive duo of drinks will be released, based around the theme of “Urban Oasis“. The star ingredient at the centre of this oasis is Pineapple Kona Pop, a new Teavana tea blend that combines sweetly tart pineapple notes with the subtle sweetness of apple and plenty of rose and marigold buds and petals, making it a refreshing treat for summer.

Said to have a vibrant and fragrant flavour, the new blend is being featured in the Pineapple & Coconut Frozen Tea Float (933 yen [US$5.82]) for takeout and 950 yen for dine-in), and the Craft Iced Tea Pineapple Kona Pop (628 yen takeout; 640 yen dine-in).

The Pineapple & Coconut Frozen Tea Float is constructed in layers, with a juicy pineapple pulp jelly and orange marmalade at the bottom of the cup, a frozen Pineapple Kona Pop, layered with creamy coconut cream, in the middle, and a topping of vanilla ice cream and coconut chips. According to Starbucks, this is a drink that can be enjoyed like a parfait, so you can enjoy the layers separately, or mix them together for full-on tropical flavour.

The Craft Iced Tea Pineapple Kona Pop is an exquisitely made drink, with baristas brewing the Kona Pop tea fresh for every order. The tea leaves are strained with a tea strainer and then rapidly chilled over ice to maximise the pineapple flavour and enhance the brightness of the rose and marigold botanicals, ensuring every cup contains a delightful, vibrant aroma.

After getting a taste of the Pineapple Kona Pop blend, you might find yourself falling in love with it, in which case you’ll be able to pick up a box to enjoy at home.

▼ Each 80-gram (2.8-ounce) box retails for 2,350 yen.

While the tea leaves will be available year-round as a standard product at Starbucks Tea & Cafe stores, the new drinks will only be on the menu for a limited time from 17 June. If you’re unable to visit a Tea & Cafe branch, then the chain can still satisfy your summertime fruit cravings at other retail outlets, with fruit gummies, muscat tea lattes, and a Banana Affogato Frappuccino.

Related: Starbucks Tea & Cafe
Source, images: Press release
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A new limited-edition drink you can’t even get at Starbucks.

Competition is fierce amongst Japan’s top three convenience store chains,  7-Eleven, Family Mart and Lawson, but right now 7-Eleven is edging ahead of the competition with a new tie-up Starbucks drink that you can’t get anywhere else, not even at Starbucks.

Called Fruity Cheers Torori, this new beverage comes in two flavours, Strawberry Berry Bergamot and Mango Passionfruit, with each one blending the rich aroma of fruit with the creamy smoothness of milk and the refreshing finish of tea for a perfect summer pick-me-up. One of its other key features lies in its name, as “torori” is Japanese onomatopoeia for something with a thick, smooth, rich, and velvety texture, and that’s what this drink promises to deliver.

The Strawberry Berry Bergamot blends milk with the refreshing citrus aroma of bergamot, the delicate fragrance of jasmine tea, and the sweet tartness of strawberry and blackberry. The result is a vibrant, fruity beverage with a rich strawberry aroma and a satisfyingly smooth texture.

The Mango Passionfruit features rich tropical aromas of mango and passionfruit, and blends it all with milk and black tea to create a luscious taste experience. The sweet, full-bodied fruit flavors and creamy richness are said to “unfold with every sip”, delivering a refreshing sensation that captures the spirit of summer.

According to Starbucks, this new series was created with the goal of bringing the Starbucks experience into people’s busy everyday lives through a convenient PET bottle format. Carefully developed by fine-tuning the balance between fruit, milk, and tea to achieve a rich, fruity flavour with a refreshing finish, these drinks are said to be the perfect companion for a summer afternoon.

With bright, colourful packaging and layered graphic elements, the cheerful design is sure to grab your attention when the drinks are released on 16 June. They’ll be available at 7-Eleven stores nationwide for a limited time, priced at 214 yen (US$1.33) each.

Source, images: Press release
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Sure, Starbucks knows how to make a good Frappucino, but do they have what it takes to make good gummies? 

Starbucks is known around the world for being a coffeehouse chain that specialises in drinks like the Frappuccino, but here in Japan you can come across some other unique surprises. Right now, the biggest surprise of all is that the chain is branching out into the sweet world of gummies, with a new release called Fruit Gummy.

We came across this new discovery when we spotted the sweets next to the register on a recent Starbucks visit, with the simple graphic bubble font catching our eye. Upon closer inspection, we saw that these were plant-based gummies that don’t use animal ingredients, making them suitable for a wide range of customers.

Each pack contains three gummy flavours: muscat, mandarin orange, and peach. From the moment you open the package, you can smell the sweet smell of soft fruit, which is apt for Starbucks, given its history of whipping up delicious fruit-based beverages.

Placing them on a plate, we were able to appreciate the true beauty of the gummies. Glistening in the light like jewels with a soft sheen and semi-transparency, each gummy was well portioned, with just the right amount of give between the fingers.

With five-out-of-five stars for looks, we popped one of the gummies onto our tongue, instantly treating our taste buds to a fruity sweetness. Biting down on the soft gummy was a wonderfully satisfying experience as the texture was plumper and chewier than expected, giving us more time to enjoy the richness of the fruit.

After trying all three, our favourite was the mandarin, which had a subtle tartness that played against the fruity sweetness in a way that was both juicy and refreshing. The other two flavours erred more on the sweet side but were equally delicious, and with a total of 15 gummies in our pack for 270 yen (US$1.69), this was great value for money.

The small size makes them easy to pop into your bag for those times when you need a fruity boost, and we reckon they might actually go well with a bitter coffee, for added sweetness.

Whether you buy them for yourself or as a gift for a friend, these are high-quality gummies that’ll put a smile on your dial, and a clever reminder from Starbucks that they can do more than just Frappuccinos.

Images©SoraNews24
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An exclusive doughnut you won’t find anywhere else in the world. 

Krispy Kreme Japan loves to cater to the local market with sweet exclusives, and it zooms in even further by catering to a micro market, with special doughnuts limited to regional stores.

Known as the “Krispy Kreme Premium” series, these regional exclusives were previously limited to select stores in Nagoya, Hokkaido, and Tokyo, with each region having its own lineup, but now there’s a new region getting its very own unique doughnut.

Called the “Krispy Kreme Premium Doughwich“, this style of doughnut is only on the menu at the Amu Plaza Hakata store in Fukuoka Prefecture, located on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan.

Available at only one store in the whole country, the Doughwich features Krispy Kreme’s signature fluffy yeast dough, layered with smooth cream and other flavourful ingredients in a luxurious “sandwich style” doughnut. When it was first launched late last year, to coincide with the opening of the Amu Plaza Hakata branch, it came in four varieties.

▼ Clockwise from top left: Original Glazed Whipped Cream & Custard, Cinnamon Apple & Custard, Original Glazed Amaou Strawberry & Whipped Cream, Original Glazed Hakata Mentaiko & Cheese.

With all four being well received by local customers, and popular with visitors looking for a distinctly “Fukuoka” souvenir, the chain has decided to release a new Doughwich for summer.

▼ Setouchi Lemon & Cream

This new  limited-edition summer flavour lets you experience the chain’s chocolate glazed doughnuts with “a “new deliciousness” that highlights the flavour of Steouchi lemons from western Japan’s Seto Inland Sea region. Sandwiched inside the Doughwich is a refreshing Setouchi lemon cream, a sweet yet tart Setouchi lemon sauce, and light and fluffy custard whipped cream. Topped with a dusting of powdered sugar for a touch of elegance, the gentle sweetness of the chocolate and the refreshing tartness of the lemon combine to create a perfect summer flavour.

Refreshingly tart and satisfyingly sweet, the Setouchi Lemon & Cream Doughwich is a new doughnut experience that can only be found at Amu Plaza in Fukuoka, and it will be on the menu while stocks last from 3 June to late September, priced at 486 yen (US$3.05).

Store information
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Amu Plaza Hakata Store / クリスピー・クリーム・ドーナツ アミュプラザ博多店
Address: Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Hakata-ku, Hakata Eki Chuogai 1-1 Amu Plaza B1F
福岡県福岡市博多区博多駅中央街1-1 アミュプラザ博多B1F
Open: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Website

Source, images: Press release
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“American Wholesale Company” catalog
1958

A brand new tea latte designed to lift your spirits this summer.

It’s been 20 years since Starbucks debuted its “Chilled Cup” series of drinks in Japan, ahead of any other country, and although there’s been a lot of limited-edition flavours in that time, one ingredient has always been missing: Muscat.

Associated in Japan with premium grapes such as Shine Muscat, the sweet, aromatic fruit has become a beloved seasonal flavour, making its arrival in the Chilled Cup series long overdue. This isn’t a solo arrival, though, as it’s partnered by earl grey to create a special tea latte designed to “lift your spirits” with its creamy yet refreshing flavour. By combining juicy Muscat grape juice and fresh milk with Earl Grey tea infused with the elegant aroma of bergamot, a perfect balance is achieved, delivering a teatime twist on the summery fruit flavour before the season gets into full swing.

While the drink can easily be drunk on its own, Starbucks says it will also pair particularly well with raisin butter sandwiches, as the muscat’s aromatic notes help to enhance the rich, deep flavour of raisins. When enjoyed together, the individual characteristics of the two types of grapes are enhanced, and the subtle saltiness of the butter cream adds a pleasant accent.

▼ Experience a new, nuanced flavour that you wouldn’t get from each treat on its own.

This pairing highlights the chain’s dedication to creating memorable moments full of novelty, excitement and surprise, which for many people is what summer is all about.

This fruity floral tea latte is an exciting blend of flavour we can’t wait to try, and each 200-millilitre (6.8-ounce) cup is set to retail for 230 yen (US$1.44) at retailers and 7-Eleven convenience stores nationwide.

Source, photos: Press release
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Known for his vibrant palettes and flattened perspectives, Belgian artist Kristof Santy translates common sights and everyday objects into vivid tableaux. His paintings often highlight fruit and vegetables, tabletops, and modes of transportation, particularly those involved in industrial labor.

A new body of work continues Santy’s inquiries into the mundane, this time extending into fashions and furnishings. There’s a striped sweater vest with a nearly imperceptible wrinkle hanging from a rod and a modernist chair in fuchsia pushed against a kelly green wall. Earlier investigations appear, too, including a short, roll-up ladder dangling from the door of a helicopter as it hovers in the air sans operator.

This new body of work will be on view this fall at Sorry We’re Closed in Brussels. Until then, find more of Santy’s work on Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Domestic Arrangements Unfold in Kristof Santy’s Vivid Paintings appeared first on Colossal.

There are thousands upon thousands of types of mold out there. Some you can eat—think the rind on a wheel of brie or a gray fungus known as “noble rot” that gives certain types of grapes an extra sweet flavor for dessert wines. But there are plenty we shouldn’t eat, and when that loaf of bread in the cupboard begins to turn blue-green, it’s definitely time to chuck it in the bin. For Kathleen Ryan, the myriad colors and textures of mold continue to inspire larger-than-life sculptures of fruit and other foods that, in a way, preserve decay.

Ryan’s oversized works are characterized by their textural finishes, often using salvaged metal and other materials in addition to an array of colored beads and semiprecious stones to achieve the effects of layered fungi and rot. Recent works such as “Bad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)” and “Screwdriver” nod to the realm of cocktails and, by extension, the notion of luxury and even vacations—concepts that somewhat sour within the context of an increasingly vulnerable economy.

Juxtaposing stones ranging from amethyst and azurite to turquoise and tourmaline with salvaged metal from vintage cars, Ryan’s sculptures evoke an array of associations. She has previously likened their over-the-top scale to the roadside attractions tourists might see along Interstate highways, such as giant doughnuts and other foods and animals.

Like a geode that doesn’t look like much from the outside, works like “Bad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)” have two very different personalities, where the metal exterior lets on little about what’s inside. Ryan taps into our appreciation of hidden beauty when opening up an ancient, crystallized stone while simultaneously suggesting the grotesqueness of opening a peach, for example, only to find it rotten inside.

Some of the works seen here were recently on view at Karma in New York, and you can find more on Ryan’s Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Semiprecious Stones Coat Kathleen Ryan’s Oversized Sculptures of Rotting Food appeared first on Colossal.