Starbucks tests coffee with beer taste

Bruce Horovitz | USA TODAY

All Starbucks coffee shops sell coffee. Some sell beer. But only a precious few sell coffee that many folks out in Social Media Land insist tastes a lot like beer.

You read that right: a cup o' joe that tastes like a cup o' brew.

Starbucks is testing a so-called Dark Barrel Latte in a "handful" of stores in Ohio and Florida, says spokeswoman Lisa Passe. The Dark Barrel Latte is made with espresso and topped with whipped cream and dark caramel drizzle and comes blended with a "chocolaty stout flavored sauce," she says.

No beer. No alcohol. But don't tell that to some folks who -- love it or hate it -- have lit up Twitter.

"This Dark Barrel Latte from Starbucks tastes just like beer & I might be in love," tweeted Nina Amicantonio.

But Noel Woods tweeted an entirely different take: "The dark barrel latte at Starbucks literally tastes like drinking a Guinness in the early morning...So yuck."

A Starbucks training guide for baristas specifies that there is no beer whatsoever in the beverage. The so-called "stout flavor" is actually a "roasted malt flavor," the guide says. The beverage also is available as a blended Frappuccino, the training guide says.

So, why test a coffee that may taste like beer?

"Starbucks regularly tests new beverages, and testing is an essential part of bringing the Starbucks experience to our customers," says Passe in an e-mail.

But one restaurant industry guru has another idea. Starbucks already is selling beer and wine at some of its stores in the evening, notes Sam Oches, editor of QSR magazine, a restaurant industry trade publication. The new beverage could be a savvy way to "bridge the gap" between morning and evening crowds, he says.

Also, the test comes at a time the craft-beer movement is booming, adds Oches. "Craft beer fans love trying new things and love different flavor pairings."

But Starbucks won't comment on when the special brew might be available at a Starbucks near you. Says Passe, "We're looking forward to learning more from the test."