Back in grade school I was an embarrassingly huge One Direction fan. One of my greatest moments includes me running for a minute straight and then proceeding to drop to the ground to begin rolling around a bench, all because the spirt day DJ played “What Makes You Beautiful”. I was in fact also wearing One Direction merch that day, gotta love middle school.
The phrase "Two hearts in one home" may just sound like the beginning of a love poem to anyone else, but to a Harry Styles fan, it is a line that sparks emotion, controversy, and Serotonin all at once. The iconic line comes from the lyrics of "Sweet Creature," the fifth track off the ex-boybander's debut album Harry Styles (2017). Fans have debated the song's true meaning for years (hence the controversy of that line). The two most popular theories are, it is about his sister Gemma Styles, or it's about his rumored secret lover Louis Tomlinson. So, it's no surprise that others have felt inspired to make their own creations based on this highly talked about song. One of those creations is the Sweet Creature Latte from The Palm Coffee Bar in Burbank, CA. The drink comes in one size (16 oz) and includes Espresso, Oat Milk, Rose Syrup, Cardamom, Edible Glitter, and of course, beautiful pink rose petals sprinkled at the top to give it that signature Harry touch.
The drink first grew popularity on "The Harry Styles side" of Tiktok, with some people driving hours just to taste it, along with a seasonal special they had at the time, the "Watermelon Sugar Matcha" (named after the song that won him a Grammy). At one point, the drinks drew so much attention; the café began to give out pins that said: "Treat People With Kindness" (Styles' motto throughout his solo career) decorated with a rose in the middle. The drink itself not only matches the aesthetic of Styles' debut album with the pink edible rose petals at the top but also perfectly fits the pink and positive vibe of the Café itself, so it's no surprise that they decided to keep it around after the initial seasonal offer.
I was the biggest One Direction fan throughout middle and high school, to the point where to some people, my only personality trait is being obsessed with the British-Irish boyband, so naturally, I've become a fan of their solo careers as well. When I heard about the Harry-inspired drink was being sold less than 10 minutes from where I live, I knew I had to try it, I’d be disappointing my 12-year-old self if I didn't. I drove down Buena Vista, took a turn on Magnolia, and headed to The Palm Coffee Bar. Lucky for me, there was plenty of street parking once I had finally spotted it. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, orders were being taken at the door, so no neon signs for me. Once my order was taken, I took a few photos of the exterior, and before I could even finish doing that, my drink was ready. Honestly, it was the quickest I've ever received a drink from a coffee shop even empty ones, and there were at least two people ahead of me. Right away, I looked to see the Rose petals on top and had to take a photo as the presentation was so beautiful. I posted an Instagram story of the drink before I got in my car finally take my first sip.
Sweet Creature Latte – $6.50
This was it. Months of seeing Tiktok videos sending them back and forth between my friends, swearing we'd go. Now it was time to taste. I take my first sip, and I'm met with the STRONG taste of caffeine. I mean, it does include espresso, after all, so I shook it a bit, drove off and continued to drink. I put on a Harry Styles playlist and sang along while sipping. The strong taste went away the more I drank it, but it was a bit of a letdown. In all honesty, with the Rose syrup, I was expecting it to be sweet; I mean, it literally has "Sweet" in its name, so when the bitterness of the espresso died down a bit, and it just tasted like oat milk with a hint of caffeine, I was a bit sad. I then remembered that I wasn't given a Treat People With Kindness pin with my drink like some of the Tiktoks showed (probably just a seasonal thing they offered). Once I got towards the end of my drink, I was curious about the rose petals since they were described as "edible" I learned the hard way that just because you CAN eat something does NOT mean it'll taste like anything. Not that it tasted terrible; it just tasted like what you'd taste if you ate any flower petal.
Price $$: Definitely more expensive than your average Starbucks drink, but as I mentioned earlier, the presentation is immaculate, so that extra dollar is for sure worth the fantastic photos you can get with it.
Quality 8/10: The presentation again excellent, the shop is so cute, and the ingredients are very high in quality; the Rose Petals and Glitter alone were enough to give it a high rating. Who is this drink for?: This drink is first off meant for those die-hard Harrystans, the ones who buy clothes to resemble him, know all his lyrics, and love to "Treat People With Kindness." This drink will fit into all those vibes perfectly, then, of course, coffee lovers. I am not the most prominent coffee person, but I know people who are, will die for this. (Plus, I know I already said it, BUT THE PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES)!
The Sweet Creature Latte's look matches the vibes and aesthetic of Harry Styles and the song Sweet Creature entirely, so it's no surprise that this is one of The Palm Coffee Bar's most popular drinks, although the taste of it was not "sweet." Will I get be getting this regularly? No, but I will be back for when I want to embody Harry for a day (and I need a lot of caffeine)!
2922 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505 (818) 919-1375 Store Hours: 8 am-5 pm, Everyday https://www.thepalmcoffeebar.com/