When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought, “Finally! Somebody is going to rant about all the vacuous, cell-phone-chatting, Bachelor-watching, Gap-clothing-buying, pilates-workout-fad-following, venti-caramel-macchiato-drinking yuppy Americans out there!”
But I guess I was wrong…
Malt mocha frappachino. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Gonna get Pa Beckwall to take me into town tonight and get us one of those. SOOOO good.
Yes, you’re being whooshed. What difference does it make how far away Starbucks is? You just go!
Hey Loneraven- if you think Frappucinos are good, try a blended mocha from Seattle’s Best. Coffee, chocolate, milk and ice, jazzing in a perfect harmony of sugary caffeine bliss. One sip and it’s a direct hit to the brain’s pleasure centers! Ahhhh…
At least, my local Seattle’s Best makes them that way. Judging from the responses on a previous thread, the talent of their baristas can vary widely.
I go to Starbucks all the time Kinsey 
I normally wouldn’t drive that long for a drink, but frapp’s are worth it.
I can think of at least 8 within 10 minutes of my apartment… the idea that the closest is 20 minutes away… it’s like saying that the sky above your home is purple with green polka-dots. I just can’t conceive of that. It doesn’t make sense.
I tried the Caramel Macchiato this evening (somehow, I hadn’t bothered before) and it wasn’t blended well… so while it started only soso, by the time I got to the end, gorgeous.
Sigh…I live in the suburbs of Oklahoma City, and there are no Starbucks around here at all. The closest one in OKC is too far north of my house for me to drive there. There are 2 south of my house though, right next to the University of Oklahoma, where I am a student. During the school year, I have it great
So amarinth, the sky isn’t purple with green polka-dots, but I’m not really in the middle of nowhere…just about 15 to 20 minutes away from anything but more houses.
I think I’ll have to go buy myself a caramel macchiato tomorrow 
Honestly… I just can’t see why people drink coffee.
The stuff smells nice, but tastes like ground up nuts passed through the alimentary canal of an Amazonian jungle animal, then roasted to lock in JUST THAT VERY TASTE.
(and yes… the not-so-veiled reference to kopi luwak is intentional)
My roommate works at Starbucks… the only thing he brings home that’s useful is huge cups of their mocha mix.
I work at The Buck to pay the bills while I’m in school. The sweet swill is OK in very small doses, but jeeze folks, don’t you like coffee?
Audrey Levins, try an Americano: Espresso shots with water. One of my favorites.
I did that; I worked at the Starbuck’s Corporate mailroom for a little while a couple years back. There are espresso stations on every floor - fully equipped - I had shots, lattes, mochas, caramelly concoctions, and iced coffee 'til my heart was beating like a hummingbird. Man, I miss that job, and the coffee, and the cool building, and the coffee . . . the only thing is, it RUINS you for other Starbucks - no one else will ever make your latte quite right ever again. 
Er, yeah, to clarify - the espresso stations were self-serve so every blissful beverage was exactly to your personal taste.
Inanna and Audrey Levins- Dunno about the other folks on this thread, but I suspect that they are sugar addicts like myself. Sweet tooth? Try sweet teeth, plural. All of 'em.
So why do we drink mochas and caramel macchiatos instead of just getting some hot chocolate, you may ask? Easy. Caffeine! Caffeine plus sugar equals legal high! Plus I happen to like the bitter espresso and sweet milky stuff together. It’s like chocolate… unsweetened, it’s gross. White chocolate, ew. Dark chocolate, heaven in the mouth!
Does anyone else ever feel old remembering when grabbing a cup of coffee didnt involve 42 choices? The caramel macchiato might very well be crack in a cup, totally unreal how divine it tastes.
I am not near a Starbucks either, but thank goodness for that! Otherwise my reply to this would go in the ‘fat and proud’ thread.
Not just crack. Caramel-coated crack in a cup. Nearest Starbucks to us is about 10 miles away, so I only get it when I’m out to Bel Air or White Marsh. It’s a good thing they’re far enough that I can’t get it on a whim, or my ass would be growing instead of shrinking.
I need to do more vanity seraches, I had no idea this thread lived again. Odd that I was taking a sip of my CM when I saw the title. . .
Amarinth I always stir mine after I get it, just in case the barista was on the slack end of thier morning duties.
Damnit, where’s my keys
I took the ten miles this morning. I’m going to have to go for a long bike ride this afternoon. Damn you!
I find Starbucks very intimidating, but we have one in town so I have a question for you: how does one pronouce macchiato?
Mach as in Mach-1, long E, auto.
Now go get one and join the rest of us in our slavery to the Starbucks Empire.
I normally don’t go for the threads where people just chime in going “I like that too!”, but in this case I need to make an exception.
Starbuck’s Caramel Macchiato (Venti size only) is the nectar of the gods. When I work the morning shift at my job I always volunteer to go to Starbucks for coffee and I wind up buying two VCM’s just for myself. Good Lord is that some good coffee.