Starbucks Doubles Down on Dairy-Free Alternatives, Adds Coconut Milk

After a test run hit select markets back in fall 2014, Starbucks confirmed today it will roll out coconut milk as a non-dairy milk alternative in all of its locations, starting in mid-February. According to blogger Starbucks Melody, coconut milk will join the less-sexy soy milk as an option for dairy-free and vegan drinkers: Starbucks locations are already receiving their green boxes of "Sumatra coconut milk beverage with coconut water from concentrate" for employees to experiment with.

During Starbucks's initial test run, a post on its official blog noted that customers had been requesting a non-soy alternative for some time, and that "the rich creaminess of Coconut Milk is the best complement to our hot, iced and Frappuccino® beverages with none of the allergens of almond milk." (Nut-allergy concerns, however, have not prevented Dunkin' Donuts from offering almond milk in its stores.) Redditors/Starbucks fanatics in Portland, OR — one of the test markets — confirmed that customers were clamoring for the stuff, with one reporting that their suburban store was going through "three or four cartons" of coconut milk per day. Coffee fans everywhere will have access to coconut milk at Starbucks starting February 17.