I drank the new Starbucks Reserve Spicy Hot Honey Espresso Martini and Hot Honey Affogato, but you know what? They’re fine. I wouldn’t pay $23 for one, but $14 might be okay. Depending whether you’re in New York, Chicago, or Seattle, that’s the span you’re looking at. Full thoughts and specifications are in my review of the Starbucks Reserve hot honey drinks at Tasting Table, but if you want me to save you a click, you’ll probably be happier making your own hot honey cocktails at home for a buck or less. Coffee, vodka, vanilla syrup, a little chili powder, hot honey? Buddy, the hardest part of recreating that is making foam on top, and that’s a “nice to have” more than a requisite.
“I could make this at home” is a bit of an unfair metric for dining out, but I do think it’s fair to apply to conditions of “How easily, especially as a beginner?” and “How much am I paying?” Yeah, you could make a hot dog at home, or you could go to Nathan’s. Both are good options and it’s unreasonable to thwart the latter. On the other hand, if the hot dog is $23, you’d better be at Crif Dog and it comes with a judicious application of Vegemite you could never apply satisfactorily yourself.
So yeah, this martini is a beautifully made drink, but it’s also the least variation on the espresso martinis to pass through these Starbucks Reserve seasonal offerings.