Baristas from coast to coast are probably grateful that the enchanting and photogenic Unicorn Frappuccino was a fleeting addition to Starbucks' menu. But because the drink had such a short lifespan, many Starbucks locations didn't have the means to whip up the colorful drinks over the weekend. And because necessity is the mother of invention and all that, a few locations had to put their own spin on the sugar-laden creation with the release of the Dragon Frappuccino.
While the OG mythical Frapp was a mix of mango and sweet-and-sour sugars, it looks like its Dragon sibling is a little less showy. Hello Giggles explains that the Dragon Frapp came to be when certain Starbucks locations ran out of the raw materials to make the Unicorn Frappuccino.
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While there are no exact recipes floating around — the drink was a sort of barista improv, after all — it looks like a Green Tea Frappuccino with a little bit of added flourish via a bright purple swirl. Perhaps that bold extra is a vestigial part of the Unicorn Frapp that found its way into the dragon version. It's just the latest way baristas are flexing their creative chops, only the green drink is probably tastier than having a caricature doodled on your cup.
Thanks to one intrepid Instagram user, we learned that not only is Dragon Frapp just as photo-ready as its unicorn counterpart, it's easier to make, so we're guessing that there won't be any sort of viral reaction to the labor involved in crafting it. And while there have been plenty of reactions (positive and negative) to the blue-and-purple Unicorn Frapp — relax already, Anthony Bourdain — it doesn't seem like the under-the-radar dragon drink has garnered any ill will. We don't expect the Dragon Frapp to be around much longer. Like the drink that inspired it, this elusive creation will be long gone in no time.