Drinks - Page 230

America's best poolside bars
March 20, 2018

America's best poolside bars

Every weekend, the question is the same: Where should I go drinking? But in the summer, the question is slightly different: Where can I go drinking and cool off? As the temperatures rise, the 21-and-over crowds seek recreational bars that aren't filled with heaping masses of sweating bodies (here's looking at you, New York bars). So while the heat wave continues from coast to coast, we're seeking the best poolside bars across the country that allow us to dip our toes in, cool off for a brief moment of respite, and relax with a drink in hand. Consider the poolside bar the chicer cousin to the tiki bars of the last century; while tiki bars (and cocktails) are making their comeback, nowadays, the crowds are heading toward the nearest watering hole with reflection pools, chaise lounges, and updated summer cocktails. You'll notice a couple of themes throughout our list of America's best poolside bars: they're almost all located within hotels, which makes a lot of sense. Not every bar is as considerate as The Standard in downtown Los Angeles, which offers swimsuits to purchase at the front desk, but swimwear and beachwear is highly encouraged. (Besides, out-of-towners are the most likely bar-hoppers to have a swimsuit on hand.) While that makes it harder for in-town, pool-seeking residents to crash some of these poolside bars, many of them offer day passes to drinkers not staying in the hotel. Oh, and the other noticeable trend among these bars? They're almost all on rooftops — win. We considered the pools, location, décor, and cocktails when picking through America's best poolside bars; although cannonballs and pool toys may be discouraged at these bars, relaxation and partying are not. Click ahead to find America's hottest — or rather, coolest — poolside bars for your mid-afternoon daydreaming excursion. After all, everyone needs a little vacation.

The coolest Frappuccino flavors you’ve never heard of
March 20, 2018

The coolest Frappuccino flavors you’ve never heard of

Ah, the Frappuccino. A Starbucks commodity. A word that wasn’t even on our tongues just 20 years ago. The Starbucks Frappuccino essentially ushered in the second wave of coffee in America, with sugary sweet, frothy concoctions that consumers flocked to. And to look back on the story of Frappuccinos — and the crazy flavors made across the globe — is pretty fun. It’s hard to believe there was a time when Starbucks wasn’t ruled by Frappuccinos, but as CEO Howard Schultz explains in his book Pour Your Heart Into It, he wasn’t always a believer. Schultz writes that he resisted Southern California’s granitas trend in the 1990s because he believed the sugary, frozen drinks diluted the integrity of Starbucks’ coffee. Still, three store managers in Southern California experimented with making Frappuccinos beginning in 1994, using a powdered base (that everyone hated), and eventually using freshly brewed coffee. Eventually, the beverage director handed over the new Frappuccino recipe to a team of food consultants, who came up with a Frap made with low-fat milk. Eventually, everyone, customers and Schultz alike, saw the light — or should we say, saw the drink. The name Frappuccino actually comes from the former coffee chain The Coffee Connection, which Starbucks acquired back in 1994. (In fact, the founder of The Coffee Connection made his own cold, slushy coffee for sale, but Schultz noted that Starbucks didn’t like the drink.) Despite the hurdle of introducing Frappuccinos (and blenders) to the 550 existing Starbucks stores, the Frappuccino was immediately a hit with customers. In 1996, Schultz notes in his book, the first full fiscal year the Frappuccino was sold, Starbucks sold more than $52 million worth of the drinks. It was even named one of the best products of the year by Businessweek. What’s crazy to think is just how Schultz and the Starbucks team brought the Frappuccino to existence (Schultz writes in the book, "I was wrong, and I was delighted about it"). He writes: "Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this story is that we didn’t do any heavy-duty financial analysis on Frappuccino beforehand… No corporate bureaucracy stood in the way of the Frappuccino. It was a totally entrepreneurial project, and it flourished with a Starbucks that was no longer a small company. Even when I doubted it, it went ahead." We now know who to thank for such a drink (even if they’re, well, making it harder to fit into our summer swimsuits). Today, there are 17 Frappuccino flavors on the menu — but that’s just in the U.S. While Americans love their Caramel Frappuccinos (the number one selling Frappuccino in America), Starbucks customers across the globe have very different flavors to choose from. Most use local flavors and ingredients combined with the traditional Frappuccino coffee base that’s a staple in the Starbucks drink — and we sort of wish we could get our hands on them in the U.S. Click ahead to find the world’s most popular Frappuccino flavors, the flavors you’ve never heard of.

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