In a country famous for all-you-can-eat buffets and free refills, America has managed to outdo itself again. As though the profit reaped from selling millions of cups of coffee every day in sugary, seasonal flavors isn’t enough, Starbucks now has a new plan to take advantage of the bleary-eyed people rolling drowsily past the drive-through window every morning.
The Trenta, 11 ounces more than the already massive Venti size, contains more liquid than the average human stomach can hold. While the stomach can hold around 900 milliliters, the Trenta holds 31 ounces, or about 916 milliliters. Moreover, the Trenta, when filled with an iced coffee beverage, can contain around 400 milliliters of caffeine, more than the caffeine content of most energy drinks and probably enough to keep you awake for a day and half — once your body stops shaking from your caffeine-induced seizure, that is. The drink is not only large, but it is dangerously so. But why would Starbucks invent such a drink?
Thus the age-old question is once again evoked: Which came first — the chicken or the egg? Was it the demand of the caffeine-immune masses that spurred Starbucks into brewing a behemoth beverage? Or was it the greed of a large corporation that was responsible for brainwashing the vulnerable masses into believing that bigger is always better? Perhaps in this situation, it was a combination of the two, the insanity of both parties feeding off each other to create yet another icon for America’s consumption-crazy reputation.
Maybe Starbucks will be successful with the new Trenta as the country is thrown into another more vicious cycle of artificial insomnia and obscene obesity. And for those turned off by rising prices and massive drinks, there are other options. Take a trip to Cool Beans or make a pot of your own coffee. Or surrender your caffeine addiction to a natural sleep cycle ... not that that’s likely to happen.