Starbucks is set to add oat milk to its existing line of dairy-free substitutions. Starbucks’ decision to introduce oat milk follows the U.S. non-dairy milk sales growing 61 percent between 2012 and 2017, according to a Mintel report.
Oat milk presents itself as a popular choice for a non-dairy alternative as it is similar to regular milk in both taste and texture. It is also a good option for baristas, as steaming the milk does not alter its consistency too much. Oat milk is made by soaking steel-cut oats in water, blending, and then straining the mixture.
In early 2018, Starbucks began offering oat milk in European locations, but the U.S. release will only hit five Starbucks Reserve locations in three cities, Seattle, San Francisco and New York.
