Customizing beverages is at the heart of the Starbucks Experience, and there are many ways for customers to customize their drink to meet their unique taste preferences. This week, the home screen on the Starbucks app will feature a Summer Menu Remix, which features cold beverages that offer a fun, new way to customize, or “remix” the beverage.

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The Summer Menu Remix features the following drink customizations:

Starbucks® Pink Drink topped with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam

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<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122275/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Pink Drink</a> topped with vanilla sweet cream cold foam will bring a sweet summer escape.

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To add cold foam to a beverage: Select your favorite drink, click “customize” and click “add cold foam” under the Toppings category.

Black Tea Lemonade blended with ice

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/458/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Iced Black Tea Lemonade</a> is blended with ice and will take summer to the next level.

To request a drink blended: Select your favorite drink, click “customize” and click “add blended” under the Preparation Method.

Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew in a caramel-lined cup

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122795/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew</a> is poured into cup with extra caramel sauce along the inside of the cup for caramel lovers.

To line the cup with caramel or mocha sauce: Can’t get enough caramel? Request to line the cup with caramel sauce by selecting your favorite drink, click “customize” and click “add line the cup” under the Add-ins category.

Cold Brew with Lemonade

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121255/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Fcold-brews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Cold Brew</a> is paired with lemonade for a refreshing take on iced coffee.

To add lemonade to other beverages: Seeking refreshment? Select your favorite drink, click “customize” and click “add lemonade” under the Lemonade category.

Customers have many other ways to customize their beverages year-round when ordering in-store or in the Starbucks app including adding extra shots of espresso, adding whipped cream, and more (extra charge may apply).

Not a Starbucks Rewards member yet? Joining is simple, customers just need their name, e-mail address and a password to create an account for Starbucks Rewards. Go to <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/rewards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.starbucks.com/rewards</a> or <a href="https://app.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">app.starbucks.com</a>, or to the Starbucks app and follow the prompts to create an account.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Four Starbucks cold beverages on a blue and purple background

Change it up this summer with these fun, new ways to customize your favorite cold beverages.

Customize Iced Coffees and Cold Beverages with the Starbucks Summer Menu Remix

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For year-round cold coffee fans or customers who are just looking to beat the summer heat, Starbucks has a variety of cold beverages to keep any day as cool as possible. With several ways to customize beverages at Starbucks – including <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/customize-your-beverage-tips-from-starbucks-baristas/">tips from Starbucks baristas to lighten up beverages</a> –&nbsp; customers can create a favorite cold drink that fits their unique taste preferences and dietary lifestyle. Here are cold beverages at Starbucks that are 100 calories or less, and under 20 grams of sugar for a Tall (12-ounce) serving.

Cold Brew Coffee: Starbucks smooth small-batch cold coffee, slow-steeped for 20 hours, has fewer than 5 calories and 0 grams of sugar. Add a splash of 2% milk (25 calories, 2 grams of sugar) to bring a creamy side to its chocolaty, citrusy flavor.

Iced Coffee: Made with freshly brewed Starbucks® Iced Coffee Blend, lightly sweetened over ice is 60 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Unsweetened it is fewer than 5 calories and contains 0 grams of sugar.

Iced Caffè Americano: Espresso shots topped with water to produce a light layer of crema, served over ice. 10 calories, 0 grams of sugar.

Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew: Served cold, straight from the tap, our Nitro Cold Brew is topped with a float of house-made vanilla sweet cream. The result: a cascade of velvety coffee that is more sippable than ever. 70 calories, 4 grams of sugar.

Starbucks Refreshers™ Beverages: Handcrafted in Starbucks stores to deliver thirst-quenching refreshment from natural flavors shaken with real diced fruit and green coffee extract. Available in Pineapple Passionfruit (80 calories, 15 grams of sugar), Mango Dragonfruit (70 calories, 15 grams of sugar) and Strawberry Açai (80 calories, 16 grams of sugar).

Iced Tea Beverages: A blend of tea lightly sweetened and shaken with ice. Flavors include Passion Tango Tea, Black Tea and Green Tea. 60 calories, 15 grams of sugar.

Iced Peach Green Tea: Green tea is layered together with flavors of spearmint, lemon verbena and lemongrass for a taste that’s really peachy keen. 45 calories, 9 grams of sugar.

Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso: First we shake Starbucks® Blonde espresso, brown sugar and cinnamon together, and then top it off with oatmilk and ice for a cool lift. 90 calories, 10 grams of sugar.

Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso: Starbucks®® Blonde espresso meets cocoa and notes of malt, shaken together and topped with almondmilk and ice for an invigorating treat. 80 calories, 11 grams of sugar.

Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso: Starbucks® Blonde espresso combined with notes of caramelized vanilla shaken together and topped with oatmilk. 100 calories, 8 grams of sugar.

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Starbucks offers a variety of refreshing cold beverages that are lower in calories and sugar.

10 Starbucks Cold Beverages 100 Calories or Less

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Customers can beat the heat with a variety of thirst-quenching cold beverages from Starbucks. For those looking for a refreshing sip to enjoy, here are seven Starbucks cold beverages that are full of flavor with less than 15 grams of sugar in a Grande (16 fl oz.) beverage.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121912/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nitro Cold Brew</a> (0g sugar, 5 calories) Starbucks small-batch cold brew –&nbsp;slow-steeped for a super-smooth taste – gets even better. The beverage is infused with nitrogen to create a sweet flavor without sugar and cascading, velvety crema.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/406/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Caffè Americano</a> (0g sugar, 15 calories) Espresso shots topped with cold water produce a light layer of crema, then served over ice, for a wonderfully rich beverage with depth and nuance.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123431/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso</a>&nbsp;(12g sugar, 120 calories)&nbsp; Shots of Starbucks® Blonde Espresso, shaken with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with oatmilk.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121859/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew</a> (14g sugar, 110 calories)&nbsp; Starbucks slow-steeped custom blend of Starbucks® Cold Brew coffee is accented with vanilla and topped with a delicate float of house-made vanilla sweet cream that cascades throughout the cup. It's over-the-top and super-smooth.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/459/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Green Tea</a> (0g sugar, 0 calories) Starbucks iced green tea is blended with mint, lemongrass and lemon verbena and shaken with ice.&nbsp; This refreshing beverage comes unsweetened.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/458/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Black Tea Lemonade</a> (11g sugar, 50 calories) Premium black tea is shaken with refreshing lemonade and ice for this Arnold Palmer–inspired beverage. A distinguished satisfying treat.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/462/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Passion Tango® Tea Lemonade</a> (11g sugar, 50 calories) Starbucks blend of hibiscus, lemongrass and apple is shaken with ice and lemonade.

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Beat the heat with these thirst-quenching sips full of flavor, with less sugar.

7 Starbucks cold beverages under 15g of sugar

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Customers can enjoy a variety of non-dairy cold coffee and colorful refreshment drinks at Starbucks, including these drinks under 140 calories in a Grande (16 fluid oz.) beverage.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123674/iced">Paradise Drink Starbucks Refreshers® Beverage</a> (140 calories)&nbsp; Paradise Drink Starbucks Refreshers® beverage adds coconutmilk to the Pineapple Passionfruit Starbucks Refreshers beverage for a creamy, dreamy, tropical sip that is 140 calories for a Grande (16 fl oz).

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122275/iced">Starbucks Pink Drink</a> (140 calories) Pink Drink features Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers® beverage, with accents of passion fruit combined with creamy coconutmilk. The beverage took social media by storm

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122756/iced">Starbucks Dragon Drink</a> (130 calories) This tropical-inspired pick-me-up—crafted with a refreshing combination of sweet mango and dragonfruit flavors and hand-shaken with creamy coconutmilk, ice and a scoop of real diced dragonfruit.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123431/iced">Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso</a> (120 calories) Shots of Starbucks® Blonde Espresso, shaken with brown sugar and cinnamon and topped with oatmilk.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123430/iced">Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso</a> (110 calories) Starbucks® Blonde espresso meets cocoa and notes of malt, shaken together and topped with almondmilk and ice

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123158/iced">Iced Honey Almondmilk Flat White</a> (140 calories) This iced flat white—intentionally made with almondmilk and Starbucks Blonde® Espresso Roast coffee poured over ice with a hint of honey—creates a perfect amount of cool, creamy, nutty sweetness.

With <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/customizing-beverages-at-starbucks-stores-2/">many ways to customize beverages at Starbucks stores</a>, customers can create a favorite drink that fits their lifestyle. Customers can choose from a variety of nondairy alternatives when ordering their favorite cold coffee, including almond, coconut, oat and soy. &nbsp;

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Enjoy a variety of non-dairy cold coffee and colorful refreshment drinks under 140 calories.

Starbucks nondairy cold beverages under 140 calories

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Get the expert scoop on delicious cold drinks and ways to personalize them

What’s better on a warm, sunny day than your favorite Starbucks beverage? Starbucks has a variety of cold and iced coffee drinks to best help you cool down – from a bold, Shaken Espresso, an Iced Starbucks® Blonde Caffè Americano to a smooth Starbucks® Cold Brew Coffee, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Here are some cold coffee drinks, including pro customization tips from Starbucks baristas, to serve as a guide for customers to find new ways to enjoy their beverage. Try one of these customization tips in your favorite drink and see which one tops your list.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2123430/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-shaken-espresso" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso</a>

Starbucks® Blonde espresso meets cocoa and notes of malt, shaken together and topped with almondmilk and ice for an invigorating treat to power you through your day. Starbucks® Blonde espresso is for the customer who wants a smooth beverage with a sweet finish.

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<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/420/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-mochas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced White Chocolate Mocha</a>

Our signature espresso meets white chocolate sauce, milk and ice, and then is finished off with sweetened whipped cream to create this supreme white chocolate delight. Starbucks signature espresso roast is for the customer who wants a bold coffee with a roasty finish.

&nbsp;Ways to personalize it:

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121255/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Fcold-brews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee</a>

Handcrafted in small batches daily, slow-steeped in cool water for 20 hours, without touching heat – &nbsp;Starbucks® Cold Brew is made from our custom blend of beans grown to steep long and cold for a super-smooth flavor.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122559/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-americano#:~:text=Espresso%20shots%20topped%20with%20water,smooth%2C%20subtly%20sweet%20and%20nuanced." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Starbucks Blonde Caffè Americano</a>

Espresso shots topped with water produce a light layer of crema, then served over ice. Made with our Starbucks® Blonde espresso, this cup is extra-smooth, subtly sweet and nuanced.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/413/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-macchiatos" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iced Caramel Macchiato</a>

We combine our rich, full-bodied espresso with vanilla-flavored syrup, milk and ice, then top it off with caramel drizzle for an oh-so-sweet finish.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122795/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Fcold-brews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew</a>

Here's a savory-meets-sweet refreshing beverage certain to delight: our signature, super-smooth cold brew, sweetened with a touch of caramel and topped with a salted, rich cold foam.

Note: Customizations may involve an additional charge. See store menus for details.&nbsp;

As always, there are several convenient&nbsp;<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/ways-to-order/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ways to order</a>&nbsp;at Starbucks. The&nbsp;<a href="https://app.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks app</a>&nbsp;is the best way for customers to locate a store, view store hours, order ahead and pay, as well as determine the most convenient available pick-up option, including in-store and drivethru. Customers can also enjoy their favorites without leaving home through <a href="https://delivery.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks® Delivers on Uber Eats</a>&nbsp;(check&nbsp;the Uber Eats app for availability and restrictions).

Cup of Starbucks Cold Brew on a counter with vintage bicycle in the background

See Starbucks baristas’ top five favorite cold coffee drinks for the summer, plus tips on the tastiest ways to customize them.

Top 6 Cold Coffee Picks from Starbucks Baristas

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See Starbucks baristas’ favorite cold coffee drinks for the summer, plus tips on the tastiest ways to customize them.

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Is your New Year’s resolution still going strong or does it need a boost?&nbsp; Here are six, refreshing grande cold coffee drinks under 200 calories to keep your wellness goals on track.

<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122164/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-lattes">Iced Starbucks® Blonde Vanilla Latte</a> (190 calories) <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121912/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Fcold-brews">Nitro Cold Brew</a> (5 calories) <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/419/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-espresso-shots">Starbucks Doubleshot® on Ice</a> (100 calories) <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2121859/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Fcold-brews">Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew</a> (110 calories) <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/422/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Ficed-coffees">Iced Coffee</a> (80 calories) <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/2122776/iced?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fcold-coffees%2Fcold-brews">Cold Brew with Cold Foam</a> (35 calories)

For more Health &amp; Wellness news and updates at Starbucks, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/health-wellness/">https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/health-wellness/</a>.

Six grande cold coffee drinks under 200 calories - Starbucks Stories

Six grande cold coffee drinks under 200 calories

Stick to your wellness plan with these delicious Starbucks cold beverages.

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Starbucks Cold Brew is known for its smooth texture and naturally sweet flavor, &nbsp;slow-steeped to be served cold without a trace of bitterness. Add nitrogen and it gets even better, producing a cold, creamy iced coffee (without the need for actual ice) that’s delicious straight from the tap with just five calories and no added sugar.

It’s no wonder that <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2017/secrets-of-starbucks-nitro-cold-brew/">Nitro Cold Brew</a> has quickly bubbled up to one of the top spots in the Starbucks drinks menu ever since it was first introduced in 2016, soon joined by <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/brewed-coffee/nitro-cold-brew-with-sweet-cream">Nitro Cold Brew with Sweet Cream</a> and <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/brewed-coffee/cold-foam-cascara-nitro-cold-brew">Nitro Cold Brew with Cascara Cold Foam</a>. Starbucks added taps to 80 percent of stores in the United States, - as well as taps in Canada, China and the United Kingdom – with plans to expand to all U.S. company-operated stores by the end of 2019.

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Now Starbucks baristas are spilling the beans on their favorite Nitro hacks. (Pro tip: many of these customizations are available using <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-order">Mobile Order and Pay</a> with the Starbucks mobile app.)

Adding a pump or two of syrup is one of the easiest ways to mix up your Nitro routine. For a little sweetness, try caramel or vanilla syrup. Wednesday Breslin in Cincinnati likes to add a touch of caramel syrup to bring out the cold brew roast notes. For a nutty taste, try a pump of toffee nut or hazelnut syrup.

Boost Nitro’s creamy texture with a splash of dairy or your favorite plant-based alternative. Heather Weizsacker in Seattle likes to add a half-pump of mocha sauce and a splash of coconut milk to the base of the cup before pouring in the Nitro Cold Brew and giving it a swirl for a cool flavor like a chocolate milkshake.

Adding a couple pumps of chai syrup is a favorite among baristas for a sweet and spicy twist on Nitro. Brittany Chorney from Odessa, Texas, tops her chai-infused Nitro with a sweetened cold foam.

Although Nitro Cold Brew already has a frothy cap of micro-bubbles, add a little something special with a creamy layer of cold foam. Or for a special treat, cap with a swirl of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel or mocha.

Elodie Metz in Plattsburgh, N.Y., likes to start with a two pumps of vanilla and some whipped cream, and then she pours the Nitro. Trista Papen from Portland, Ore., also flips the script with her recipe – which starts with a cold foam made with sweet cream and vanilla bean on the bottom of the cup with Nitro Cold Brew poured on top. 

Looking for Nitro in your neighborhood? Starbucks.com’s store<a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator?features=NB&amp;map=47.575382,-122.332895,15z"> locator</a> can help. Just enter your ZIP code and select Nitro Cold Brew under “Amenities.” You can also check on the Starbucks App under “Stores.

Starbucks baristas spill the beans on their favorite Nitro Cold Brew drinks - Starbucks Stories

Starbucks baristas spill the beans on their favorite Nitro Cold Brew drinks

Starbucks baristas share their best secrets for customizing Nitro Cold Brew coffee.

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FAIRBANKS, Alaska – It seems strange, the preponderance of iced coffees at the Starbucks just 196 miles down the bumpy, frost-heaved road from the Arctic Circle.

Strange, until you consider that for a good portion of the year, stepping into an actual iced coffee would be a whole lot warmer than the air temperature outside, which in the winter can often plummet to 20 below zero.

On a recent Wednesday morning, it was 11 degrees and climbing, on its way to a balmy high of 32 for the day. More than a few people wandered the streets of Fairbanks in T-shirts, shorts and Birkenstocks, and well over half the customers in the cafe were sipping cold drinks.

“Yeah, it’s a whole different interpretation of cold when you live in Alaska,” said Jack Parker, a regular customer. “We'll hit a cold snap between negative 30 and negative 50-some degrees, and then we'll go back to, like, negative five or zero. People are walking around in T-shirts and flip-flops again. The whole concept of what is cold is totally different up here.”

A lot is different up here. There are woodland creatures frolicking everywhere, including ones that wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of you, given the right circumstances. Moose wander down main street and eat the Halloween pumpkins off people’s front porches. At certain times of year, the sun shines 21-plus hours a day, and at other times, a ghostly blue-green ribbon ripples overhead at night – the aurora borealis. Most automobiles have plugs dangling from the front grill to power the engine block heaters, and most local businesses feature a bank of outlets in front. The school kids still go outside for recess when it’s 20 below zero. This is life in Fairbanks, home to the northernmost Starbucks on the planet.

It is also the company’s 50th Military Family Store, a special designation of welcoming and support for some Starbucks stores located near major military bases. Since opening in October, the café has been warmly welcomed by locals and a popular hangout, said Dan Hammer, the store manager.

“I think part of it is that we know we're remote and we know we're isolated and we know we're different. It's part of what's brought people to Fairbanks,” Hammer said. “Fairbanks is still a small town, and it doesn't have a lot of spaces, large community spaces. This store in particular has a nice-sized café and has really been embraced by people. From the day we opened, the cafe's always full. People are getting to know one another. They tell us it's so nice to have a space where they can come. Friends sit and meet people. So, we've really served a good niche in the community in that way.”

Hanging out in the store for the day, swapping stories with Fairbanksians, feels like an unintentional contest to share the most Alaska thing ever. An Alaska-off, if you will.

Take regular customer Jack Parker, who likes to sit at a table in view of the store’s large, original artwork – a laser-etched wooden moose head. Moose feature prominently in Fairbanks, both in real life and city merchandise (followed by bears and wolves, oh my). But moose are no joke, said Parker, a Navy veteran who works for the Army at nearby Fort Wainwright.

“We don’t have fences, so at any point in time you’re going to see a lot of moose in town. A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, hey. I've got to go pet the moose.’ No, you don't pet the moose,” Parker said. “The moose is a few hundred pounds of completely stupid. You're going to get stomped. And man, are they mean.”

Parker said when he and his family lived outside of Fairbanks, a bear took out a moose a mile from their house, which brought all kinds of hungry scavengers, and one season there was also a pack of wolves roaming the neighborhood. Most Alaska thing ever?

But the human inhabitants of Fairbanks are generally very welcoming, Parker said. 

“The amount of support that you're going to get from people here is pretty awesome,” he said. “I've had people show up on the door step with salmon and halibut, you know – it's not uncommon for a neighbor to be like, ‘Hey, we just got some halibut, do you want this halibut?’” 

Customers Richard and Jo Carawan had just gotten their family photos taken. At night. On a frozen lake that they also parked their car on. In front of the aurora borealis. She pulled up a proof of the photo on her iPhone, a gorgeous, surreal photo of a family holding hands in snow and ice and frozen trees with a bright, ghostly glow in the sky above them. Most Alaska thing ever?

“The Northern Lights are always a thing,” she said.

“Even when it’s dark and dreary you can get a photo like that,” she said. 

In certain rooms of their house, they can see the Northern Lights without getting out of bed. But it’s not all exciting animal encounters and epic family photos. There are down sides to living in Fairbanks as well. Namely, local inventory and shipping costs.

The couple said they once ordered a special baby gate to fit an extra-wide doorway. The gate was $80; shipping was $240.

“The joke is, if you can’t find it, Amazon it,” Richard Carawan said. “But you might pay more for shipping than the item itself is actually worth.” 

Customer Michael Dahl summed up life in Fairbanks like this: “There aren’t very many Blockbuster video stores left in the world, and until very recently, we had two in the area. I think that says it all.” 

And then there’s Hammer, the store’s manager, who was sporting a tremendous black eye and a broken cheekbone after he fell trying to avoid colliding with his dog, Tessa, while ice skating with his wife on a frozen lake. Most Alaska thing (injury) ever?

“It doesn’t hurt,” Hammer said, gesturing to his face. Later he told me when he heals he hopes to start skijoring with his dog, which is “when you ski with a tether around your waist that your dog's tethered to and your dog actually pulls you. They love that.”

Hammer said sometimes people forget how far north Alaska is – the Fairbanks store is farther north than St. Petersburg, Russia, and the entire country of Iceland.

“And that's really part of what took time to get a store set up here, just the logistics of getting supplies up here to such a remote market,” Hammer said. “Everything for all the Alaska stores comes up by cargo ship from Seattle. The supplies come into Anchorage port, and then they throw it on the Alaskan Railroad, and the trains bring it up here to Fairbanks. And then those supplies are put on a truck and brought to our store. I just have to make sure I’m on point with the ordering, but it’s worked out. We haven’t run out of much.” 

Many Starbucks stores are open pre-sunrise to post-sunset, dark to dark, and this store would be, too – if the sun followed the same rules in Alaska. The Fairbanks Starbucks is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and at certain times of year, the sun shines in its large windows from open to close and beyond. So, the store also has large shades for those windows when the 22 hours of daylight feel ardent. 

“When we had the short days that peak during the winter solstice in November, we had light for just around three hours a day. So, the sun didn't rise until well after 10 a.m., and it went down around 2:30 p.m.,” Hammer said. “Those are some really short days with not much sun. It's nice to have a space where people can come and be inside and have community. And now, as we're heading into the summer, we're going to get of course 22 hours a day of sunlight. We've got big windows that the sun just kind of blasts through, so it's definitely a yin and yang between the winter and the summer in the feel of this café.”

Parker said coffee and Alaska’s strange rotation of daylight and darkness actually go well together.

“Alaskans drink a lot of coffee,” Parker said. “Here's the thing – we'll make that pot of coffee at 8:30 or nine o'clock at night, and my wife and I will crush the whole pot of coffee. Like, we're probably drinking coffee up until 10 o'clock at night. And I sleep like a rock. And during the day, it doesn't matter how cold it is, I'm always getting an iced coffee. That's just my drink.”

Normally when a new store opens, the staff includes a majority of tenured partners who transfer from other stores. But because the next nearest company-owned store to Fairbanks is in Anchorage, six hours away, transfers weren’t really a possibility. 

“We were definitely slower than other Starbucks at first,” Hammer said. “The thing we focused on was to just be really nice and to really develop those customer relationships early on. Over time the speed has come. The knowledge has come.” 

It’s not all iced coffees in Fairbanks. The breve white mocha is all the rage. 

“I would say, in Alaska, breve drinks seem more popular than they are where I’ve worked elsewhere in the country,” Hammer said. “You know, it's Alaska, so we need our warm drinks and we need something that sticks to the guts. I probably use less non-fat milk here than I have anywhere else. It’s whole milk, half and half, heavy cream.”

Iced coffee and urban moose: Life at the northernmost Starbucks on the planet - Starbucks Stories

Iced coffee and urban moose: Life at the northernmost Starbucks on the planet

It seems strange, the preponderance of iced coffees at the Starbucks just 196 miles down the bumpy, frost-heaved road from the Arctic Circle.

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Life at the northernmost Starbucks on the planet

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