Starbucks’ New Lavender Drink Is Made With Oat Milk—But It’s Not Dairy-Free

Starbucks has introduced two new lavender-flavored beverages made with oat milk in celebration of spring. While one of the drinks, the Lavender Oatmilk Latte, is dairy-free and vegan-friendly, the Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha includes dairy in the form of a lavender cream cold foam, making it not suitable for those following a vegan diet. Customers have expressed confusion and disappointment over the inclusion of dairy in what they expected to be a plant-based drink. Despite this misstep, Starbucks continues to expand its dairy-free offerings with innovative oat milk-based beverages.

Starbucks' decision to include dairy in some of its oat milk drinks raises questions about the chain's commitment to sustainability and environmental goals. While the coffeehouse giant has introduced various dairy-free options in recent years, such as oat milk-based lattes and espressos, their inclusion of pork in a latte offered in China has sparked controversy. This move contradicts Starbucks' efforts to reduce waste, water use, and carbon emissions, and highlights the challenges of aligning cultural traditions with sustainability practices in the food and beverage industry.