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Starbucks confirmed to Digital that its viral Unicorn Frappuccino Blended Beverage will be returning to its coffeehouses for one weekend later this summer at a date yet to be announced.
Starbucks originally released the drink for five days in April 2017 and caused a frenzy as people rushed to their local Starbucks to get the drink and post about it on social media. The hashtag #unicornfrappuccino racked up more than 150,000 posts on Instagram in 2017, with more on other social-media platforms, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In April 2026, Starbucks sponsored the Coachella music festival and announced it would be serving the Unicorn Frap, which it called “an icon,” a “fan-favorite” and a “viral sensation,” at the event for a few hours each day.
Starbucks’ description of the drink at its launch was, “A sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping,” KCUR/NPR reported.
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Starbucks brought back the Unicorn Frappuccino at this year’s Coachella musical festival. (Starbucks/)
Starbucks upped the intrigue of the Unicorn Frap further by announcing it came with “a bit of magic” and would change from pink to purple and from sweet and fruity to tangy and tart as it was stirred.
“The more swirl, the more the beverage’s color and flavors transform,” the coffee company said.
The buzz the Unicorn Frappuccino initially created also came with backlash from baristas who complained about how labor-intensive and messy it was to make and about the strain of so many customers ordering it. Those same sentiments are surfacing as the drink is scheduled for its comeback.
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“I have never made so many Frappuccinos in my entire life,” barista Braden Burson said in a viral rant posted to Twitter in 2017. “My hands are completely sticky, I have unicorn crap all in my hair and on my nose. I have never been so stressed out in my entire life. If you love us as baristas, don’t order it.”
The Reddit forum, “Day 1 of Unicorn Frappuccino and I wanna die” drew hundreds of reactions the year the Unicorn Frap debuted.
“We’re almost out of the blue mucus,” wrote one Redditor. “Our cold bar counter is bright purple. One of our blenders shattered while making a unicorn with extra unicorn s***. One of my partners is screaming.”
The Unicorn Frappuccino was a popular item when it debuted in 2017, but it sparked backlash from Starbucks baristas tasked with making it. (Reuters)
“I picked up a shift after my first one today for the hours. I’ve never regretted anything more. Send help,” wrote another.
Several others celebrated the prospect of running out of ingredients early each day.
In another Reddit forum, “Was the Unicorn Frappuccino that terrible?” one user wrote that the stores weren’t sent enough supplies and were understaffed for the volume of people ordering the drink.
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“It caused a lot of drama at our store,” the Redditor wrote. “People, adults…some adult men cried y’all. I was cursed out. People would literally be in the drive-thru cursing at me. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing for WEEKS.”
“The drink wasn’t hard to make, it was the making of hundreds as the customer hordes fell upon our unmanned floors,” wrote another.
Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino was sold in stores for a week in 2017, and the coffee company announced it will return for one weekend later this summer. (Reuters)
Several Reddit users compared the frap’s flavor to a sour candy. One wrote the drink was “enjoyable in the sense that a Warhead candy is enjoyable.”
In announcing the Unicorn Frappuccino was back, Coachella Magazine wrote in April that it “might become one of the most talked-about drops of the weekend.”
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“Bright, over-the-top and built for social media, it’s the kind of drink that doubles as an accessory,” the magazine said. It also warned festival-goers to expect long lines “once word gets out” and to arrive early if the hyped drink was on their list.
“One weekend only, the Unicorn Frappuccino. May God save us all,” a Redditor wrote on a post announcing the frap’s slated return.
Starbucks said it would ensure baristas are prepared for the rollout of the Unicorn Frappuccino later this summer to prevent the frustration employees experienced when the drink was offered in 2017. (Bloomber/Getty Images)
“All Starbucks baristas will be ‘sick’ that weekend,” remarked someone else.
Starbucks told Digital that the company is committed to providing the training and support partners need to prepare the Unicorn Frappuccino confidently and deliver an exceptional experience for customers.
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According to the company, partners have given positive feedback to the Unicorn Frappuccino announcement, and they’re expecting a smooth launch.
