Starbucks Seoul-Only Drinks Expand Across Capital Stores, Led by Makgeolli Cold Brew

Starbucks Korea expanded two Seoul-specific beverages to all of its stores in Seoul from May 6, 2026, widening availability beyond the initial 100-store rollout that began in March. The Seoul-only lineup includes Seoul Sunset Omija Fizzio and Seoul Makgeolli-Flavored Cold Brew, a non-alcoholic coffee drink positioned around local flavor and travel in the capital.¹

The company also began selling Watermelon Juice Blended at all Seoul stores on May 6, before a planned nationwide expansion at the end of May.¹ The update places Makgeolli Cold Brew within a broader set of Seoul-focused menu moves built around location-specific beverages, tourist demand, and Korean flavor references.

Seoul-Only Starbucks Drinks Expand Across the Capital

The two Seoul-specific drinks were first announced for a March 16, 2026 launch at 100 Starbucks stores in Seoul.² Less than two months later, Starbucks Korea expanded sales to all Seoul stores. Yonhap reported that Starbucks Korea has 688 stores in Seoul, giving the beverages a much wider footprint across the capital.³

The products are not described in the source material as general national seasonal drinks. They are presented as Seoul-specialized beverages tied to the city’s local identity. Seoul Sunset Omija Fizzio is described as visually expressing a sunset over a palace pond, while Seoul Makgeolli-Flavored Cold Brew combines coffee with makgeolli aroma.⁴

Electronic Times reported that the cold brew was planned so customers could enjoy the appeal of makgeolli, described as a K-food item, together with coffee.⁵ The available source material does not provide price, cup size, caffeine content, calories, or a final sales end date for the Seoul-specific drinks.

Starbucks Korea’s March announcement connected the menu development to tourism data. The company cited about 18.7 million foreign visitors to South Korea in 2025, described as a record high, and said roughly eight out of ten foreign tourists stayed in Seoul.² That context helps explain why the drinks were framed around Seoul travel rather than only around coffee-shop novelty.

In company statements, Choi Hyun-jung, who leads food and beverage development at Starbucks, said the brand wanted the drinks to reflect Seoul’s coexistence of tradition and trends as well as Korean taste. Choi also said in the May expansion announcement that the company hoped the Seoul-specific beverages would add romance to travel moments.¹²

What Is Makgeolli Cold Brew?

Makgeolli Cold Brew refers to Seoul Makgeolli-Flavored Cold Brew, one of the two Seoul-specialized drinks now sold across Starbucks stores in Seoul. The source material describes it as a cold brew coffee beverage using makgeolli aroma, not as an alcoholic drink.

The non-alcoholic detail is explicit in the March launch material. Starbucks Korea described Seoul Makgeolli-Flavored Cold Brew as a non-alcoholic coffee beverage that reinterprets Makgeolli-Flavored Cream Cold Brew, which had previously been offered as a special-store exclusive.² That distinction is important because makgeolli itself is a traditional Korean rice wine, while this Starbucks item is presented in the supplied material as coffee.

The drink also appeared in an operating update before the Seoul-wide expansion. MoneyToday reported that Seoul Makgeolli-Flavored Cold Brew was among ten drinks eligible for Starbucks Korea’s Fast Serve service, which officially began operating on April 6, 2026. The service allows customers to receive selected Siren Order drinks faster during periods when orders are concentrated, and it was reported to operate at about 720 stores nationwide.⁶

Watermelon Juice Blended Joins the Seoul-First Timeline

The Seoul expansion was announced alongside another beverage update: Watermelon Juice Blended. Unlike the two Seoul-specific drinks, Watermelon Juice Blended is not described as a Seoul-exclusive product in the supplied material. It was introduced first at all Seoul stores on May 6, with sales planned to expand to stores nationwide at the end of May.¹

That timing creates two different availability patterns. Seoul Sunset Omija Fizzio and Seoul Makgeolli-Flavored Cold Brew moved from a limited Seoul test to full Seoul availability. Watermelon Juice Blended began with a Seoul-wide pre-launch before a planned national rollout. For customers checking availability, the distinction matters because the Seoul-specialized drinks are framed around the capital, while the watermelon drink is scheduled to move beyond Seoul.

The source material does not state whether the Seoul-specific drinks will later be sold nationwide. It also does not provide a confirmed end date for the two Seoul beverages. Based on the available records, the confirmed status is that they expanded to all Seoul stores from May 6, 2026.

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Cloi Lee

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