With Swedish pop icon Zara Larsson's dolphins, unicorns, and rainbow-themed rebrand taking the world by storm, you might have found yourself wondering where all of the fun unicorn-centric food items went. There was a time when everything was centered around the mythical creature, from unicorn cakes to Aldi's unicorn crème cookies. Even Starbucks participated in the trend, with a magical pink and blue drink called the Unicorn Frappuccino. But if you've been to a Starbucks recently, you'll know the frozen sip is no longer on the menu. So, where did it go?

First released in 2017, the coffee chain described the Unicorn Frappuccino as a "creme Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle" (via Los Angeles Times). The beverage was topped with whipped cream, and turned from purple to pink once stirred.

While there's no definitive answer on why this drink disappeared from Starbucks menus, one possible explanation is that it was a limited-edition Frappuccino. The unicorn refreshment hit menus on April 19, and only stayed there until April 23. Another alleged reason for the drink's short-lived stint was that the Frappuccino's complicated creation process frustrated many baristas, who begged customers not to order it. One overwhelmed worker complained, "For the love of god and everything that is good, don't get the unicorn [F]rappuccino" (via Today).

Customers were mixed on the Frappuccino's flavor

Beyond the fact that Starbucks employees were glad to see it leave the menu, the Unicorn Frappuccino might not have made it long past its expiration date anyways, since customers weren't too sure about the flavor. At its core, the Frappuccino was a sugar bomb, with 59 grams of it in the grande (16-ounce) cup size. The drink was meant to transition from sweet to sour as customers sipped, but many stated that the bulk of the beverage tasted just like a vanilla Frappuccino and lacked any of the fruit flavors promised by the chain. Additionally, the sour notes were mainly contained to the drink's whipped cream, and consumers felt they didn't always translate. Others who tried the beverage were able to get the swirled, sweet-and-sour extravaganza that Starbucks promoted, but still walked away describing the drink as "a mouth puckering[, milkshake-like] beverage" that ultimately let them down (via Forbes).

Despite the Unicorn Frappuccino's many less-than-positive reviews, there were some people who actually enjoyed it. In a BuzzFeed video featuring employees trying the drink, one individual deemed it "kind of delightful." Starbucks did end up bringing the Frappuccino back for a limited time in 2026, where it was served exclusively at Coachella. If you're one of the few that miss this sweet beverage, there are ways to recreate it yourself — including our Unicorn Frappuccino recipe, which uses blue Fun Dip for that sour flavor.