Full Leaf Brewed Tea

This morning at 10am, Starbucks offered for free a tall size tea drink to the first 100 customers.  This enabled their regular customers to sample their new products such as Starbucks Oriental Beauty Oolong tea, Starbucks white mu dan tea and Bi Luo Chun Green Tea.

Each tea bag are uniquely packaged in a triangular shape.  The tea bag can be used 12 times and contains full leaf tea.  A box of 12 bags costs RMB 80.  I tried the green tea and as usual, it’s bitter and needs a lot of sugar for me to drink it.  Chinese drink different types of tea for different seasons.  I’m not sure if Green tea is best for winter and white tea is best for summer or the other way around.  Oolong tea is nice to mix with milk.

Tea Latte and New Cakes

To replace their yummy honey orange latte and to go with their current theme, Starbucks launched Tea Latte.  Tea Latte is a mixed of tea and milk.  Hmm.. wouldn’t that be milk tea then?  Hehehe!  Anyway, you can either choose Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea as based for your tea latte.  Prices ranged from RMB 25 for tall, RMB 28 for grande and RMB 31 for venti.

Of course, what’s coffee or tea without cakes.   This season’s pastry offerings are Green Tea Tiramisu for RMB 23 and Original Ham & Cheese Ciabatta for RMB 28.

Merchandise

Besides the standard global icon tumblers, mugs and mini-mugs, Starbucks also sell seasonal tumblers, mugs, coffee beans, bears, tea pots, and tea bags.  For the tumblers, they have the cherry blossom design in sky blue and pink.  Another set in assorted flower design.  12 oz tumblers are RMB 85 each, 20 oz tumblers are RMB 110 each and 8 oz tumblers are RMB 75 each.

Our Starbucks bear mascot, is dressed like a gardener in green and pink and is selling for RMB 128.  Tea cups and pots are also for sale to complement the tea that you’ll be drinking.  There’s a colorful tea cup set of three in red, green and blue for RMB 160.   

A teapot with 2 tea cups set in white costs RMB 160.  This is commonly used with tea leaves and not tea bags.  There’s also a 12 oz tumbler with filter.  This is good for people who don’t like to remove each and every leaf that you might drink when you use a tea pot.  Also, this is good for individuals and in the office.  This tumbler costs RMB 150.

In-store Promo:

From February 23 to April 26, 2010, when you purchase a tea drink and RMB 48 worth of Starbucks products, Starbucks will give you a free coaster. 

Well.. I’m not sure if Chinese will be willing to pay this much for tea because when you eat in a restaurant, they normally give you free tea.  Who knows, maybe the way they package the tea will attract their customer’s attention and will help drive sales.  In any case, I’m going to miss the yummy honey orange latte.  According to the Starbucks staff in our building, you can still ask for it if it’s still available in that store.