Starbucks Korea announced on the 18th that its new "Sweet Milk Coffee" has sold more than 500,000 cups within three weeks of launch.
The beverage, released on the 26th of last month, is a popular menu item from Starbucks Japan now available in Korea. It drew attention as a sweet, coffee-milk-style iced brewed coffee previously only available locally in Japan. Since launch, it has accounted for approximately 50% of total brewed coffee sales.
Sweet Milk Coffee is a drip-brewed coffee with vanilla cream base added to emphasize a smooth flavor profile. The beans used rotate every one to two weeks, allowing customers to experience new tastes and aromas each time. Representative brewed coffee beans include Veranda Blend, House Blend, Guatemala, and Kenya, with seasonal promotional beans also utilized. Driven by the menu item's popularity, brewed coffee sales in January and February rose approximately 30% year-over-year.
"The biggest differentiator of Sweet Milk Coffee is that customers can experience various beans with distinct flavors periodically in a single beverage," said Choi Hyun-jung, Head of Food and Beverage Development at Starbucks. "We plan to continue expanding our coffee lineup to broaden coffee choices and provide differentiated brand experiences."
Starbucks has recently been strengthening its coffee menu with new offerings including "Aerocano," an aerated Americano, as well as "Flat White," "Milk Caramel Latte," and "Cortado."
