Starbucks’ adds almond milk to list of non-dairy creamers

Starbucks' latest menu addition has become a hit with coffee lovers.

The coffee chain announced earlier this week that in response to customer requests, it would add almond milk to the list of its non-dairy creamers which currently included soy and coconut milks.

Starbucks said it received more than 96,000 requests to add the nut-based dairy alternative to its menu and rather than add a popular brand already on the market, the coffee chain would blend its own, which it called  "Almondmilk.'' Customers would pay an additional $0.60 per drink for the substitute.

"We created our own almond milk recipe to complement our hot, iced and Frappuccino blended beverages," Yoke Wong, a manager on Starbucks' beverage research and development team, said in a news release.

"It was designed so that when steamed, it creates a rich foam for hot beverages and is delicious and creamy when served in cold beverages."

The company said the mixture had "light almond notes without any added flavoring.''

An 8-ounce serving of Almondmilk had 3 grams of sugar - as against about 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar in 2 per cent dairy milk.

The proliferation of non-dairy milk options had flourished in the health food stores and on regular supermarket shelves.

An 8-ounce serving of almond milk had 3 grams of sugar, as against 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar in 2 per cent dairy milk.

"The almond butter in our almond milk adds body and complements the roasty notes of espresso," Wong said. "Because it's unflavoured, customers can customize to their taste preferences."

About 58 per cent of US adults consumed non-dairy milk, and almond milk was the most popular option with 60 per cent of the non-dairy market, according to Mintel Data cited by Starbucks.

The coffee chain introduced its first non-dairy milk alternative in 2004, launching soymilk, which it followed up in February 2015 with coconut milk.