This trend of iced shaken refreshments owes a lot to Taiwanese beverages. But I don't see any zhenzhu naicha. Too bad. According to Starbuck's chairman, Starbucks's edge

is the customization of each beverage and the preparation ritual that will go along with preparing it.

"We've encouraged the baristas to have fun with it," Mr. Schultz said. "I don't think they're going to be doing that Tom Cruise move from 'Cocktail,' but we've just encouraged them to have fun."

What a tool. Like the poor counter people don't have enough to do with a long line of customers. And as a customer, I wouldn't want to wait while they shook their little shaker. (Not that I patronize their shop. It's too expensive. And the only two times I ever had Starbucks coffee, it didn't taste like espresso, just ordinary drip/filter coffee, and our local provider of cappucino produces the same disappointing stuff. I guess Americans don't like the taste of real espresso.) Anyway, even little stalls on the street on Taiwan have long since installed machines to do the shaking.