Kate Taylor
As photos of pink and blue Unicorn Frappuccinos flood Instagram feeds, a rebellion has been brewing on the other side of the counter at Starbucks.
The aesthetically-pleasing beverage has been wreaking havoc on Starbucks’ employees since it was introduced as a five-day limited time offering on Tuesday.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854546412700401665
Omg I haven’t worked at Starbucks in like 3 years but I KNOW your barista has planned ur death for ordering a ~Unicorn Frappuccino~
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/855213225377484805
I hate the 🦄 frap with every fiber of my being. #baristaproblems
The popular Starbucks’ barista hashtag #BaristaProblems has been flooded with behind-the-scenes footage highlighting the difficulties that come with making the fancy drink.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/855165706794442752
“How was work?” #BaristaLife #UnicornFrappuccino 🦄☠️ pic.twitter.com/G1Gfp6bi0e
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“First day of launching Unicorn Frapp makes me psychotic,” wrote one Canadian barista on Instagram. “Hate it so much!!!”
Instagram user yuniboo1213
In a blog post on Medium entitled, “Why I’m Not Going to Work Today,” Jaime Bennis, a Boston University student and Starbucks barista, proclaimed that she was staying home to avoid making the drink.
“I’m tired of making Unicorn Frappuccinos for my peers, who — let me remind you — are supposed to be, ‘leaders who create value for the world and shape the business landscape,'” she wrote. “Well, I can assure you that posting Instagrams of your Unicorn Frap is not going to create any value for anyone.”
Instagram adanrv55
In general, Frappuccinos tend to be some of the more time-intensive drinks to make at Starbucks. Unicorn Frappuccinos involve squeezing blue drizzle along the insides of cups, and sprinkling several types of powder on top of whipped cream.
It can create quite the mess, as demonstrated in this fantastic Instagram video, set to Enya’s “Only Time”:
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Many baristas are ending the day stained with unicorn-colored dye.
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Instagram Runnergirl_Tiff
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/855192827961200640
EVERYTHING IS PINK #baristaproblems #unicornfrappuccino
Plus, because the Unicorn Frappuccino has been so popular, making the complicated order has become a full-time job for some baristas — something some workers have found more rewarding than others.
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It’s not only baristas who are calling out the Unicorn Frappuccino. Comedians have been quick to take jabs at Starbucks’ for the sparkly beverage.
Jimmy Kimmel called the beverage Starbucks’ “latest abomination” while Stephen Colbert dubbed it a “sugary affront to God.” Even the New Yorker got in on the anti-unicorn backlash, posting a cartoon featuring a unicorn trying to order a simple scotch at the bar.
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Fortunately for the haters and exhausted baristas, the Unicorn Frappuccino is only going to be on the menu until Sunday, or as supplies last.
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And, it looks like many locations across the country have already run out of the ingredients — creating a new set of problems for employees dealing with customers craving a Unicorn Frappuccino.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/855278230424633344
Never have I ever had so many grown ass adults be so angry I sold out of the unicorn frappucino 🙄🙄 #growup #baristaproblems
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/855213150840508416
Yes the unicorn frappucino is real. Yes we ran out of product 12 hours after launch. No we can’t make you one #baristaproblems
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