Valentine’s Day doesn’t just mean supermarkets filled with roses and chocolates - it also sees coffee shops launch love-themed menus and delicious limited-edition treats.
And Costa Coffee is no exception, revealing their ‘Cupid’s Cooler’ which arrived on the menu on Thursday, February 3.
I headed over to my nearest Costa on Thursday lunchtime to try one for myself, filled with excitement at the thought of a non-coffee drink being the star of the menu.
The Cupid’s Cooler is Costa’s only Valentine’s themed menu item, and is a twist on their berry cooler, adding raspberries and Belgian chocolate to give it a striking red colour.
A Costa Coffee spokesperson said: “We are so excited to be launching the limited-edition Cupid’s Cooler across Costa Coffee stores for two weeks only.
"Made with a perfect flavour combination of delectable chocolate and the sweet delicate taste of raspberry, the Cupid’s Cooler is a great way to treat a family member, partner, friend or even yourself. We certainly hope our customers fall in love with the Cupid’s Cooler as much as we have.”
When I entered the store, I was worried that I'd maybe got the date wrong, as there was no signage to suggest that the Cupid’s Cooler existed.
Feeling as though I was letting a secret slip, I asked the barista if they had any of the Cupid’s Coolers, to which she said yes, ‘but we haven’t got the cream that goes on top’.
Keen not to miss out on the new release, I said that no cream would be fine.
"It simply wasn’t love at first sight"
The Cupid’s Cooler should be finished with a light dairy swirl, drizzled with Belgian chocolate and topped with strawberry sprinkles.
But when the barista passed my drink through the hatch, it simply wasn’t love at first sight.
The strawberry sprinkles had already begun to sink into the drink without their cream float, and the chocolate drizzle around the edge of the cup made the drink look more like it should have been featured on the Halloween menu.
But we all know that it’s not all about looks, right?
In terms of taste, there’s a clear raspberry and chocolate combination, with a tartness that sticks to your cheeks, cut through with sweet chocolate.
The flavours were okay - definitely an acquired taste - but I really found myself wishing there had been cream on top, because it would have really brought everything together.
It may not have got my pulse racing the first time round, but I’d be happy to go in for round two before it vanishes from the menu, as I didn’t feel it reached its full potential without the dairy swirl.
Having cost £3.60, it was fairly anti-climatic, but the drink earns points on name, flavour and originality.
