Australia gets all the cool stuff: kangaroos, Vegemite -- and now, strawberry cheesecake frappuccinos at Starbucks.
The coffee chain rolled out the new dessert-flavored drink at stores across Australia this week, giving those down under reason to literally drink caffeine-infused cake. The beverage will only be available until April 6, 2015, according to Starbucks representatives, and will not be available in the United States because sometimes life is just unfair.
According to a company rep, the drink combines strawberry sauce with "sweet, rich cream cheese flavors together with biscuit crunch for a taste of decadence in every sip." It was first introduced at Starbucks stores across the China and Asia Pacific region in last summer, and started gaining attention last week when a Reddit user posted an image of "cheese flavored syrup." The Internet quickly panicked with nightmares of nacho-inspired lattes on the horizon.
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But it seems "cheese" was simply short for "cheesecake"; a Starbucks rep reassured us that "the bottled syrup is a flavor ingredient infused with sweet creamy flavors," not cheddar. Close call.
Starbucks has rolled out several new drinks recently, including the chestnut praline latte for the holidays and the flat white in U.S. stores, a mainstay in Australia and Europe. The latter angered Aussies for ruining a beloved and classic coffee, so perhaps the new cheesecake frap is Starbucks' way of apologizing.
UPDATE: Jan. 13, 2015, 5 p.m. A Starbucks rep tells Mashable that while the company currently has no plans to release the strawberry cheesecake frappuccino in the U.S., all hope is not lost.
"The strawberry cheesecake frappuccino was a fan favorite when it first debuted in China and Asia Pacific region last summer, which is why we brought it back this year, starting with Australia, where it is currently summer... We will continue to listen our customers’ feedback and look for opportunities to bring fan favorites from around the world to the U.S. market."
BONUS: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Starbucks