Two Words You Need To Add To Your Starbucks Order

'Tis the season to be drinking warm beverages like hot cocoa, chai tea and peppermint mocha lattes. But when you order these drinks, you apparently need to add a couple of words.

While chatting recently with the other moms waiting outside my daughter's dance class, we all got to talking about our favorite Starbucks drinks.

One of the moms is a local barista and when she learned that several of us love ordering chai tea lattes, she let us in on a Starbucks secret. 

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According to her, the two words we all need to start adding to our Starbucks drink orders are…"No Water."

Sounds strange because, well, of course you need water to brew all the chai, coffee, lattes and teas on the Starbucks menu, but apparently more water is added in after the brewing is done.

This barista informed us that every drink on the Starbucks menu has water as part of its "recipe." So along with the milk, sugar and flavoring your barista mixes in, they are adding a splash of water to your drink as well.

So much like the drinks you order at a bar, your Starbucks is watered down.

The coffee chain doesn't seem to be denying it either. In a 2020 tweet about their cold brew Starbucks wrote:

 "Our Cold Brew is a concentrate and that’s why water is added. Please feel free to ask your barista for “no water” in your Cold Brew if that’s what you prefer."

And when we emailed Starbucks media relations about water in the recipe we were told:

"Starbucks baristas love crafting beverages to their customers unique taste preferences and this may include adjusting, adding, or omitting water to a beverage.  Beverages like hot brewed tea, chai tea and cold coffees include water as part of the standard recipe.  Customers may ask that their hot cocoa be made with water instead of steamed milk"

For me, the biggest test was trying it out, so my most recent Starbucks trip included ordering a chai tea latte with no water. The barista didn't question this addition to my request and I felt my latte did taste a little creamier, though admittedly I didn't have one to compare it with.

If you ask me, those seeking creamier hot cocoa or peppermint mocha latte this season should give the "no water" order a try. You may find no additional water makes the perfect cold-weather beverage.