blog.sinden.org

It's long been apparent that Starbucks observes a certain kind of secular liturgy with it's storefronts and beverage selection. They invite parishioners of earth into a syrupy celebration of fall with their Pumpkin Spice Latté. They frost their windows and offer Peppermint Mochas way ahead of Advent, heralding the arrival of the secular seasonal shopping melee. When the weather warms, blended iced beverages are promoted.

The "common cup" has been co-opted by the coffee shop, but it is cleverly customizable.

And now that we're familiar with their seasonal offerings, Starbucks wants to become a regular part of all of these seasons, and in fact has ways of naming them. Seasons are not identified by name, but by drinks.

The "common cup" has been co-opted by the coffee shop, but it is cleverly customizable.

This year the slogan for the fall beverages (the stalwart Pumpkin Spice Latté and the newly devised Rite II Toffee Mocha) is "take comfort in rituals". The message is clear: Starbucks has a liturgical option for you to mark the season; if you don't like Pumpkin Spice, try the new one.

The Toffee Mocha is their "seeker service". There's room for all in the holy huddle at the end of the barista counter.

Aidan Kavanagh wrote that the liturgy must be "festive, ordered, aesthetic, canonical, eschatological and, above all, normal." Other than the eschatological part, I think Starbucks has it down.

Labels: food and drink, liturgy, Starbucks