I Tried And Ranked Every Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso

Of all the things you could order off the Starbucks menu — including secret menu drinks and specific food and drink pairings — very few items beat the sweet and refreshing simplicity of the iced shaken espresso. Back when I worked at Starbucks (which was about a decade ago), the iced shaken espresso was a seldom-ordered drink, but one that I always fondly appreciated for its not-too-sweet, crisp, relatively light espresso-forward flavor. Nowadays, however, it's safe to say that the beverage has grown in popularity, with Starbucks consistently rolling out new variations of the frosty espresso concoction.

As of the time of this writing, there are five iced shaken espresso variations on Starbucks' menu: Classic, Horchata, Brown Sugar Oatmilk, Hazelnut Oatmilk, and Vanilla Protein. I purchased and sampled each iced shaken espresso to finally answer the question we've all been wondering — which one is the very best? As a longtime iced shaken espresso enjoyer, my criteria here is pretty simple. In this ranking, I paid close attention to which beverages actually lived up to their supposed flavor profiles (as in, did the horchata one actually taste like horchata?), if any of them were too sweet or had any off-putting flavors, and which ones just managed to nail that crisp, refreshing, subtly sweet balance the best. 

As someone who is generally ambivalent about the whole protein-spiked everything trend, I think that Starbucks' Iced Vanilla Protein Cream Shaken Espresso might be where my line is drawn. I love the idea of a vanilla shaken espresso, and I could even tolerate the inclusion of protein if it didn't affect the taste of the coffee. But when I went in for a sip of this concoction, I was deeply humbled not only by how much I didn't like it, but how much I couldn't overlook that intense protein powder flavor.

I'm not even a hater of protein powder and understand that it has a worthy place in this world. I just don't think it needs to be in an iced coffee drink, or at least not my iced coffee drink. The protein powder flavor was harsh and overwhelming, and even as I tried to get past that initial layer of protein-infused cold foam and into the espresso itself, I couldn't shake that overbearing flavor. There were some strong vanilla notes present as well, so I will at least give this one a little credit on that end. Ultimately, however, I want my shaken espresso to taste like espresso with a nice hint of creaminess and added sweetness, and certainly not like protein powder. For these reasons, the vanilla protein cream espresso was an obvious choice for last place.

It may be controversial to rank the beloved Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso in second-to-last place, but hear me out with this one. There was a point in my life where I absolutely adored this drink, so its placement on this list isn't an indication that it's a bad drink. Instead, after trying this brown sugar and oat milk-infused shaken espresso alongside others, I realized that it simply isn't as good.

Unlike with the previous vanilla protein drink, I didn't notice any off-putting or downright bad flavors in this one. Instead, I was generally underwhelmed by the flavors going on here, and I found the oat milk very overpowering of any supposed brown sugar flavor. I will assent that brown sugar (or Starbucks' brown sugar syrup) isn't necessarily the strongest, boldest flavor out there, and it acts more as a general sweetener in this drink than anything else. But I really wanted a slightly more robust, molasses-forward flavor to play up that slightly bitter espresso and mellow out against the creamy oat milk. Alas, the drink tasted more like slightly sweetened oat milk than anything else — still enjoyable nonetheless, but not quite as enjoyable as the three that rank above it. You could make the copycat recipe at home instead.

The one that started it all, the classic iced shaken espresso, is a drink that I will always love. Although very simple and plain compared to others on this list, the Iced Shaken Espresso manages to taste impeccably refreshing and perfectly balanced every time I drink it. At this point in my life, I'm not going to Starbucks that often, but when I do, I find myself thinking to order this tried-and-true drink more than anything else.

When trying the classic iced shaken espresso in the context of Starbucks' entire shaken espresso lineup, I think it managed to hold its own against the flavored big shots. That said, I also had to be realistic about where this one should reasonably rank, which is why I felt like right in the middle was the perfect spot. This shaken espresso is classic, very subtly sweet, balanced, coffee-forward, and, as an added bonus to someone like me who prefers dairy milk, slightly creamy thanks to 2% milk (instead of oat). 

It's the type of drink you can always count on, but not one that is exactly packing a huge flavor punch or one that you'd recommend all your friends flock to go try. It's a great baseline for other iced shaken espressos to emerge, grow, and flourish, and for that reason alone, I had to give credit to the OG where it's due. Ultimately, however, there are a couple of other flavors that I think are better than the original.

The Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso was my first foray into the chain's horchata syrup, and I have to say, I'm a newfound fan. I love horchata in general, though I can be picky about horchata-flavored things. For starters, they can't be too sweet, they have to be nicely spiced, and they have to have that distinct rice-forward creaminess that makes horchata so delicious. 

Considering that Starbucks' Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso is nabbing the second-place spot on this list — and that we gave it such high praise when it first debuted last summer — it's safe to say that the drink mostly gets things very right. I loved the spiced flavor profile that this drink had to offer, with a nice sweetness that stood out in the context of Starbucks' other iced shaken espressos without feeling too overbearing or cloying. 

There was also a nice creaminess at play from the oat milk, and while I'm typically a dairy milk person, I do think oat milk made more sense here and worked very well. Overall, I appreciated the slightly sweet, spiced flavors this shaken espresso had to offer, and while I can't say that it tasted exactly like actual horchata, it tasted close enough to be a winner in my book.

Coming in first place on this list, somewhat to my own surprise, is none other than the Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. I went into trying this drink already knowing that I generally like hazelnut-flavored coffee drinks, but it's also never the flavor profile that I'm going out of my way to seek out. After trying this hazelnut shaken espresso variation, however, I see hazelnut in a whole new light.

Out of all the shaken espressos on this list, the hazelnut one stood out for its rich, nutty flavor profile and overall balance between sweetness, added hazelnut flavor, creaminess, and espresso-forwardness. I really loved how the oat milk flavor paired with the hazelnut, and unlike in some other drinks on this list, it didn't overpower the nutty flavor but instead enhanced it. There were no overly bitter or harsh espresso notes in this one, but the coffee flavor still shone through without being completely overwhelmed by nutty sweetness or creaminess from the oat milk. Overall, this hazelnut iced shaken espresso left a more lasting impression than all the others on this list, and it's one I'd happily reorder on my next Starbucks run. 

When trying each of the five Starbucks iced shaken espressos, I tasted them back-to-back to most accurately compare the flavors. I also sampled them as fresh as possible (as in, grabbed them from the store and tried them in the outdoor seating area) to avoid any melty ice or diluted flavor problems. 

To determine which flavors I liked best, it really came down to those with the best balance of espresso, flavorings, sweetness, and creaminess. The only flavor that stood out as "bad" or one I personally wouldn't return to is the vanilla cream protein one, which is why it landed in last place. The other four were at least generally good, so it came down to the tiny details and nuances that made one stand out above another.