With a sprinkle of genius behind the creation, the espresso-centered creation became a classic among Dunkin' fans—and now there are rumors if it ever gets back for the fans.
The Dunkalatte: what is it?
Essentially, the Dunkalatte measures up as a coffee poem. The basic building material used to prepare the drink is coffee milk, which is a thick, creamy drink made from coffee syrup or coffee extract mixed with too much milk to create a rich mouthfeel. Dunkin' has treated the perfected dairy as the component added to espresso for a latte, claiming it'sips like a latte and tastes like a liquefied milkshake.'
Dunkin' even roped in actress Kristen Wiig, an SNL veteran, for the commercial, which featured wigs and costumes from the 70s and sought to 'educate' viewers about coffee milk.
This is important to highlight because this beverage did not come out of the Dunkin' drive-thru—dental refugees have been sipping on coffee milk for just about all of Rhode Island's recent history, and this was officially recognized as the state beverage in 1992. The first attempts at the Dunkin version started over three. Three years ago, Curry explains, their group advanced from that traditional recipe found in New England, wanting to create something true to the brand. And roughly twelve or so recipes later, the Dunkalatte was introduced.
All this effort was not in vain: There is an unashamedly devoted following for this cloying latte. Henna tattoos and extravagant outfits have been reposted on the brand's Instagram, and a dozen or so people seem to have ignored the coffee shop's loud and pointless marketing campaigns and have just come to the restaurant, posting requests to 'bring the Dunkalatte back!' On the other hand, some of the contributors were looking for the information on the page DunkinDonuts. Some even used TikTok stitches, asking when something happened. The guys from the development team figured fans will send some love to fans in New England, sure, but the full extent of love from the customers was a nice surprise for Curry and the crew.
The thing on every coffee enthusiast's mind and faster fingers: Where is the Dunkalatte?
This leads to the question: has the Dunkalatte been truly discontinued?
The Dunkalatte was introduced in the last quarter of 2018 as part of a seasonal opening of the chain. Thus it ran only from late August and finished at the end of October. The Boston-centered ensemble, however, seems to have pulled all its cards holiday season drinks since there is no definitive sign of the Dunkalatte`s return.
Even when it was the busiest season for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the beverage might not have been available in the nearest Dunkin restaurant. Because of excessive demand, Curry reveals that the signature coffee milk in certain markets ran out of stocks well before the season was over.