The Frappuccino Turns 20; Starbucks Franchises Celebrate

Starbucks is celebrating 20 years of the Frappuccino – and doing it with “cake.”

The coffee giant is releasing a special, limited-time Birthday Cake Frappuccino in celebration of the indulgent menu item’s 20th anniversary.

Between March 26 and March 30, customers can come in and order the beverage, which consists of a vanilla bean and hazelnut blend topped with raspberry-infused whipped cream.

The Frappuccino began in the early '90s when Dina Campion, the manager of Southern California’s district of Starbucks locations, noticed that cold drink alternatives were being added to the menus of independent coffee shops.

“We noticed there were some smaller coffee shops that did some sort of blended coffee beverage,” said Campion in a statement. “A couple of store managers and I felt there was a huge opportunity for Starbucks.”

To capitalize on the summer heat in California, Starbucks’ Los Angeles locations started serving blended beverages. The name Frappuccino comes from Coffee Connection, a local coffee shop in Boston that served blended drinks made with soft-serve ice cream. After Starbucks acquired the company, it acquired the name, too. 

Happy Birthday, Frappuccino.

This sugar rush calls for nap time.