It’s as black as any sad heart and as dark as any wretched soul. If Tim Burton characters were Starbucks customers, this is what they’d get (unless they’re ordering the largest black coffee their skeletal hands can hold, of course). But despite its dark and twisty look, Starbucks’s new Phantom Frappuccino is an all-vegan specter of what frappuccinos used to be. In this concoction, black coconut milk and coconut whipped cream are laced with mango essence and drenched with “ghoulish lime slime.”
Starbucks seems to have Frankenstein-ed together some for the biggest trends in Halloween foods, as well as some of its successes in past product drops. This Halloween season, we’ve seen lime slime ooze out of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, so it seems like this is only the beginning of ectoplasmic lime slime’s rise to fame. Starbucks’s last superstar Frappuccino, the Tie Dye Frap, was also heavy on the fruit. But unlike the PSL, this seasonal beverage is totally vegan.
But here’s the frightening twist: This drink is available for four days only, starting October 26. And it won't be served in the United States, where Halloween is a staple on the holiday calendar, but rather, according to a Starbucks press release, in the UK, where it's much less of a big deal.
According to Starbucks Spain’s Twitter, the Frappuccino also dropped there yesterday and will be available through November 1st (one customer says it tastes exactly like Malibu and pineapple juice. Do with that information what you will). Starbucks’s Portuguese Twitter account also confirmed Portugal availability for the same dates. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.