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I swear, the heat gets worse everyday, and I can’t even bear to drink anything hot! So especially during summer, my go-to drink at Starbucks is a Frappuccino. While my fave flavors are Caramel, Java Chip, and Dark Mocha (with Raspberry syrup when I want to splurge), I always make sure to try their new offerings available only for the season.

So of course I’ve already tried their two new Frappuccinos, now available up to June 8, 2015. These two flavors were actually already available since April 17 but it was a preview to Starbucks Card users, since you can only avail of it using the card. Speaking of cards, they have two new cards for the season—read on to learn more!

Summer Berry Panna Cotta Frappuccino (P170/Tall; P180/Grande; P190/Venti)

I tried the two new flavors during the media event held last weekend, and the moment I entered the new Starbucks on 25th Street (at the back of the RCBC building in BGC, check it out!), a member of the Starbucks team asked me: Summer Berry Panna Cotta or Dark Mocha Panna Cotta? I had no idea what they were, so I went with my default choice: something with berry, haha. A friend who got there first and tried the Summer Berry also yelled out that that’s what I should get, and so I did.

When I got my bearings, I realized those are the two new flavors of Frappucino Blended Beverage.

The Summer Berry Panna Cotta Frappuccino is cream based, layered with smooth and delicious but not too sweet panna cotta pudding and tart summer berry sauce, made with four types of berries: cranberry, strawberry, mulberry, and blueberry, with the last one being the most pronounced flavor to me. It’s topped with whipped cream and berry drizzle. I really love the berry combo, and I think it’s the perfect summer beverage at Starbucks if you want something cold and refreshing without caffeine. I like how it’s rich, like milkshake, yet does not overwhelm you or make you more thirsty (don’t you hate other super sweet cold drinks that instead of quenching your thirst only make you want to drink more or, worse, get umay?).

Dark Mocha Panna Cotta Frappuccino (P180/Tall; P190/Grande; P200/Venti) 

Now, if you’re craving something cold, with caffeine, and a fresh take on something familiar, the Dark Mocha Panna Cotta Frappuccino is worth a try. A layer of panna cotta pudding serves as base of their decadent Dark Mocha Frappuccino blended beverage—one of my favorites—and then topped with whipped cream and a dusting of dark mocha powder.

If you’re really excited to try this, the perfect time is NOW, but in case you want to wait for a promo, you won’t be disappointed, because on April 28 and 29, there’s Frappuccino AND FRIENDS Happy Hour in all their branches in the country! From 2PM to 4PM on these days, you can get a Buy One, Get One offer on Summer Berry Panna Cotta or Dark Mocha Panna Cotta Frappuccino. The offer is limited to a maximum of two purchased frappuccinos per transaction. You even get a Beverage Star for the purchased beverage when you use your Starbucks Card.

And now we get to the two newest Starbucks cards for summer—the perfect time to get one! First is the Celebration Card (above) with a cute design that makes it a perfect gift for special occasions. You can get it for an initial minimum load amount of ₱300.

But the card I’m most excited about is the second Starbucks Mini Card with a summer theme—a top view of a beach scene, in fact! I love the mini cards, and the one I always bring with me (after I’ve pooled the load on all my Starbucks Cards) is the first one, but it has a Christmas design—medyo outdated na, haha! This one is more me, since I’m a beach lover! You can get it for an initial minimum load amount of ₱500.

Besides the Frappuccino flavors, there are five new food items you can enjoy at Starbucks all summer long, until June 8. Click through the gallery below for descriptions and my review of each of them (and find out which one is my favorite).

Sure, we want our Frappuccino when it’s scorching hot, but I still go to Starbucks for their coffee—whether to enjoy in their cozy stores while working on my blog or at home. So it’s nice that I can bring home my favorite Starbucks drinks.

First, they now have the Starbucks Via Iced Coffee Sweetened (P250) that has hints of citrus, lightly sweetened with a touch of cane sugar. I love Starbucks Via, and it’s nice to have a variant I can enjoy cold.

I also got to try the Africa Kitamu (P495), a complex blend of East African coffees with a bold, well-rounded flavor and delicate acidity, as well as exotic floral citrus characteristics. It’s slightly sweet, even without sugar, although I prefer to have two packs of brown sugar with my black coffee at all times. (Tip: When brewing your own cup of Starbucks coffee at home—you can have the whole bean coffee ground at the store according to the specifications of your coffee-maker—always use mineral water, not distilled water, so it’s not matabang/bland.)

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