Starbucks Launches 'Win-Win Beverage' Using Domestic Mugwort at 151 Senior Cafes

Starbucks beverage team partners are teaching senior baristas how to make win-win beverages on the 27th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Starbucks Korea announced on the 28th that, together with the Korea Senior Club Association, it held a ceremony to deliver a senior co-prosperity beverage aimed at revitalizing local cafes staffed by senior baristas, and will launch the “Uri Ssuk Grain Latte,” made with domestically grown mugwort, at about 150 senior cafes operated by association member organizations starting from the 4th of next month.

The co-prosperity beverage delivery ceremony, held the previous day at the senior barista training center within the Senior Club in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, was attended by representatives from Starbucks and the Korea Senior Club Association, as well as senior baristas. The event included a beverage preparation demonstration, tasting session, and the delivery of beverage raw and subsidiary materials. Notably, Starbucks beverage team partners who developed the Uri Ssuk Grain Latte personally conducted the beverage preparation demonstration and recipe training, adding special significance to the event.

In March last year, Starbucks signed a win-win business agreement with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Senior Club Association to cooperate in creating sustainable, high-quality jobs for seniors. As part of this commitment, Starbucks opened a specialized senior barista training center called the Starbucks Win-Win Training Center at the Gunpo Senior Club for over 500 senior cafes nationwide. To date, more than 830 senior baristas have completed training through this center.

Marking the third year since the training center’s opening, this year Starbucks is strengthening sustainable win-win cooperation through co-developed win-win beverages in partnership with the Korea Senior Club Association. The Uri Ssuk Grain Latte, the first win-win beverage for senior cafes, uses domestic mugwort and roasted grains?Korean agricultural products?offering a savory taste and nutritional benefits without containing caffeine.

The preparation method has also been simplified by mixing measured ingredients with milk to facilitate convenience and efficiency for senior baristas. At the beverage tasting event held alongside the delivery ceremony, senior baristas gave positive feedback on both the taste and preparation method.

Starbucks will share the beverage preparation method with the senior cafes selling the drink and provide all necessary equipment?including ingredients for the Uri Ssuk Grain Latte, shakers, and measuring spoons?to every participating senior cafe. Additionally, Starbucks will support sales training and promotional activities for the senior co-prosperity beverage and actively assist in sharing best practices from top-selling cafes to ensure the beverage positively impacts the cafes.

The cafes selected for sales were chosen by the Korea Senior Club Association based on operational efficiency, distance between stores, and other factors, totaling about 150 locations. The beverage will be sold in a limited quantity of approximately 35,000 cups through the end of this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.