
 
 
 
 Starting Tuesday, Starbucks customers will be able to purchase a Latte Macchiato, a new drink on the coffee chain’s menu in the U.S., Canada and select parts of Latin America. 
 
 Coffee novices might think it sounds like the brand is running out of beverage names, but the latte macchiato is well-known among java experts. The drink is traditionally made by pouring shots of espresso into a glass of steamed milk so that it looks like the coffee “stains” the milk, as opposed to pouring frothed milk into the espresso (a cappuccino), or putting a dollop of steamed milk on top of the espresso (a macchiato). 
 
 Starbucks released an infographic in an attempt to clarify the differences between its various espresso drinks — don’t forget to caffeinate before reading. 
 
 More detailed explanations can be found in an online version of the book Espresso: Ultimate Coffee, nominated for a James Beard award. 

 Starting January 5, Starbucks will offer a new core beverage that is crafted with two simple ingredients – espresso and milk. 
 
 The new Latte Macchiato features steamed whole milk that is perfectly aerated and free-poured creating dense foam reminiscent of meringue. The beverage is then marked by slowly-poured full espresso shots, creating a signature espresso dot. Starbucks baristas will use this carefully crafted technique to draw out an intensely bold and roasty flavor that highlights the Starbucks espresso in the beverage. Latte Macchiato will be available in Starbucks® stores in the U.S., Canada and most of Latin America. 
 
 Anatomy of Starbucks Espresso Beverages 
 
 Latte Macchiato is the newest addition to Starbucks espresso beverage portfolio that includes the Flat White, which Starbucks launched in U.S. and Canada stores last year. Both beverages are uniquely handcrafted to bring out the inherent flavors in espresso and steamed milk. 
 
 Latte Macchiato joins the existing core espresso family, which includes Doppio Espresso, Caffé Americano, Flat White, Cappuccino and Caffé Latte, 
 
 To understand the nuanced flavors in Starbucks espresso beverages, slide the bar on the interactive image below to see the difference between Starbucks Latte Macchiato and Flat White. (Embed code here for media use) 
 
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 Starbucks Has A New Drink, But No One Understands WTF A Latte Macchiato Is So we bought one. 
 
 On Jan. 5, Starbucks will bestow a new espresso beverage upon the caffeine-addicted in the U.S., Canada and participating stores in Latin America -- the latte macchiato. Yet, no one seems to get exactly what that is. 
 
 According to Starbucks, only two ingredients are needed to make this handcrafted jolt in a cup -- espresso and milk. It is described as: Steamed whole milk that is perfectly aerated and free-poured creating dense foam reminiscent of meringue. The beverage is then marked by slowly-poured full espresso shots, creating a signature espresso dot. But that make it entirely clear how this particular beverage differs from a macchiato, which is espresso topped by milk foam; and a latte, which is an espresso topped by steamed milk and milk foam. 
 
 Starbucks 
 
 “Essentially, it’s an upside-down latte,” said a very patient barista I peppered with 2,384,123,948 gazillion questions at a local Starbucks this afternoon. What she meant is that instead of making a latte, in which you pour two shots of espresso into a cup and then top it with steamed milk and foam, you flip the process. In order to make Starbucks' latest offering, a barista steams whole milk in a cup then lets it sit for a moment so that the milk can turn into a creamier texture that is “reminiscent of meringue.” Then two shots of espresso are slowly hand poured into the cup from a small espresso pitcher. Once the espresso is completely poured, a cute little brown dot is created at the top of the foam that looks like a java belly button. Due to the milk having a moment to aerate, the drink is a tad thicker. When the espresso is poured into the milk, the bulk of the espresso sits in the middle of the cup. This gives the drink a layered appearance -- the top layer is pure foam, the middle is pure espresso and the bottom layer is coffee-flavored foam created by some espresso in the middle trickling to the bottom of the cup. 
 
 Starbucks 

 Starbucks Introduces the Latte Macchiato Credit: Starbucks 
 
 First comes Flat White, then comes Macchiato. Starbucks introduced its newest espresso drink, the Latte Macchiato, on Monday, January 4, after the successful release of the Flat White in 2015. 
 
 The Latte Macchiato is made of two basic ingredients — espresso and milk — but Starbucks tells Us Weekly that the beverage has "its own distinct flavor compared to other espresso menu items." The drink is described as "bold and roasty" upon the first sip, with an intensity that is "softened by creamy steamed whole milk." 
 
 
 
 
 
 Starbucks 
 
 Baristas achieve this by pouring aerated, foamy whole milk into the cup. Then they pour in full espresso shots (creating the signature dot in the drink's center). 
 
 
 
 
 
 Unlike the Latte Macchiato, its predecessor, the Flat White, is composed of ristretto shots of espresso combined with steamed whole milk. Both drinks join the already-delicious espresso family, which includes the Doppio Espresso, Caffe Americano, Cappuccino and the Caffe Latte. 
 
 The Latte Macchiato will be available on Tuesday, January 5, in the U.S., Canada and participating locations across Latin America. 
 
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– "#Starbucks newest drink is the Latte Macchiato. WTF is that?" OK, that's one way of tweeting it. The answer is that latte macchiatos—available at Starbucks starting Tuesday in the US, Canada, and some locations in Latin America—combine espresso with "steamy creamed whole milk," the company tells Us Weekly. How does that differ from a macchiato or a latte? Well, a macchiato is an espresso with milk foam on top and a latte is an espresso under steamed milk and milk foam, the Huffington Post reports. With latte macchiatos, baristas first pour in the milk, then the espresso. This allows the espresso to "stain" the steamed milk, as Time puts it. The "perfectly aerated" milk is "marked by slowly-poured full espresso shots, creating a signature espresso dot," per a Starbucks press release. "Starbucks baristas will use this carefully crafted technique to draw out an intensely bold and roasty flavor that highlights the Starbucks espresso in the beverage." No reviews are in yet, of course, but @Deeem_X tweeted this: "I wanted to quit drinking coffee. But then there was starbucks and latte machiatto. Oh well..."