Starbucks Is Working on its Latte Art Skills

According to a leaked internal memo, it appears as though Starbucks is encouraging its baristas to learn the fine skill that is latte art. Sprudge reports that the coffee giant has put out a document meant for its "partners" — which is what Starbucks calls its employees — that shows step-by-step instructions for creating artful swirls using coffee and foam-y steamed milk.

This is the first time Starbucks has embraced what is now a key part of artisanal coffee culture. Starbucks is know for its coffee cup art, but coffee foam art requires quite a bit of training and finesse. So far, the closest Starbucks has come is their attempts at artful caramel drizzles atop towers of whipped cream.

A spokesperson for Starbucks told Sprudge that coffee foam art is something management has been encouraging baristas to experiment with, and the "tips and tricks" guide is "for partners looking to deepen their coffee knowledge." Starbucks has "no concrete plans" to roll this program out officially or globally, but stores in the China Asia Pacific region already offer coffee art as a "standard finish."

Starbucks baristas across the country are getting in on the fun and posting their flourishes on social media, Sprudge notes. It's not always pretty, but it's something:

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Pumpkin Spice Latte for Halloween !?! #spooky #pumpkin #psl #tobeapartner #Starbucks #starbucksdeventer #doesje p.s. That's not a #pumpkinspicelatte in the picture.

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진짜 예쁜 #swan 만들거야 #latteart #starbucks #tobeapartner

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