The hosts of the Today show have expressed their disgust over Pedro Pascal’s viral Starbucks order after trying the drink for themselves.
Fans recently discovered the Last Of Us star’s surprising coffee order, which consists of six shots of espresso over ice, after Pascal was filmed holding a Starbucks cup while giving his autograph to fans who’d stopped him in the street.
With the help of a few zoom-ins, fans were able to determine that the actor’s go-to Starbucks drink was none other than an iced quad espresso with extra ice and six shots, which adds up to a beverage containing nearly 400mg of caffeine.
Despite the unappealing nature of the highly caffeinated drink, fans have been quick to try the drink for themselves, with the hosts of the Today show the latest to do so.
Today hosts Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Craig Melvin sipped on their own six-shot coffees on Friday 17 March, during the POPStart segment led by Carson Daly, during which they were, unsurprisingly, horrified by the drink.
In a clip of the taste-test posted on Instagram, Guthrie can be heard asking: “No cream?” after Daly explained to the group what was in the coffee cups.
The camera then zoomed in on Kotb as she took her first sip, with the Today show host seen sitting back in shock and grimacing as she tasted the espresso-heavy drink.
Guthrie then made an identical grimace after taking a sip from her own cup, before exclaiming: “Oh my gosh.”
Roker’s reaction to the drink was just as negative, as he could be heard loudly adding: “Jeez. Oh my god.”
“I would rather lick my shoe,” Guthrie went on to claim, while a shocked Roker said: “That is crazy!”
However, Melvin did offer a suggestion for making the drink more palatable, with the Today show host suggesting the coffee would taste better if you “let the ice melt”. “Maybe then it’s not as intense?” he questioned.
Kotb also had an answer, with the news anchor jokingly suggesting that the drink would be improved with cream.
However, Roker summed up the general reaction from the group, telling his colleagues and viewers: “This is not the way.”
On social media, viewers were amused by the reactions from the Today show hosts to Pascal’s unusual drink choice.
“Literally laughed out loud when Al said ‘this is not the way,’” one person commented, while another said: “Omg I would end up in the hospital.”
While many fans have been surprised by Pascal’s drink of choice, others have defended the actor, and urged fans to let him enjoy the caffeinated beverage without judgement.
“Leave the man and his coffee alone,” one fan wrote, while someone else urged the Today show hosts to let Pascal “enjoy his coffee in peace”.
