Courtesy of Starbucks
- Starting March 2, Starbucks will offer four new oat milk-based beverages.
- Oatly, which aired its infamous “no cow” Super Bowl ad, is providing the oat milk to Starbucks.
- Dunkin’ launched a line of oat milk drinks last year and boasted of its success.
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Starbucks is adding a new line of oat milk-based drinks to stores nationwide as the demand for dairy milk alternatives continues to rise.
Starting March 2, the coffee chain said it will have two new drinks infused with oat milk: Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and the Honey Oatmilk Latte. This means customers will also have a fourth non-dairy alternative to add to their drinks, with soy milk, coconut milk and almond milk also on the menu nationwide. The company previously added oat milk to its menus, but just in a regional trial, Yahoo News reported.
The new menu, which also includes an iced chocolate almond milk shaken espresso and a chickpea bites & avocado protein box, is “offering customers moments of joy and more delicious choices to fit their lifestyle and taste preferences,” the company said in a statement Monday.
Oatly, which has become known for its infamous “wow, no cow” Super Bowl 2021 commercial, is providing the oat milk for the drinks. As dairy milk use declines, the oat milk trend has accelerated amid the pandemic. In its most recent funding round, the Swedish oat milk company received a $2 billion valuation from investors, including Blackstone Group and Oprah.
Starbucks isn’t the only chain to launch a line of oat milk-based drinks. Dunkin’ has offered the creamy dairy alternative since last year, and Chobani made a popular oat drink of its own.
Dunkin', which went private in December, offered oat milk just in its California stores starting in January 2020. Then, as the popularity of the plant-based alternative continued "to soar," Dunkin' expanded the offering to locations nationwide in August.
At the time, Jill Nelson, vice president of marketing strategy at Dunkin', said the company "is proud to stand apart as the brand that democratizes trends and finds new and innovative ways to keep Americans running."
Consumers have been demanding meat and dairy alternatives in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and water use from the agriculture industry. Oat milk, which has become one of these alternatives, is the most environmentally friendly alternative alongside soy milk. It's also more accessible for people with lactose or nut allergies.