Starbucks Offers Samples to Nation-wide Audience

Starbucks held its first North America sampling day yesterday to let customers taste its new light blended coffee.

Customers were invited to visit any U.S. or Canadian retail store to get a free cup of one of three new light blended coffees: Coffee Frappuccino (coffee, milk and ice), Moca Frappuccino (coffee, chocolate and ice) and Caramel Frappuccino (coffee, caramel and ice, topped with a creamy caramel drizzle).

One-ounce, sample-size cups were filled up and passed around by baristas, the employees who work behind the counter making coffee.

The light blended line was developed in response to customer requests for a lighter blended coffee option. The new coffees have 30% to 40% fewer calories than the original coffee beverage, Starbucks said.

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