Does the world have Kenny G to thank for the Starbucks Frappuccino blended drink? 
 
 Maybe. 
 
 The Grammy award-winning musician recently spoke to Bloomberg about how he met Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and became one of Starbucks’ early investors. 
 
 “My uncle – my dad’s brother – was, I think, the very first guy that gave Howard Schultz money to get Starbucks growing,” Kenny G told Bloomberg. “And my uncle called me and said, ‘I know you’ve been selling some CDs. Meet this guy Howard Schultz. Give him some money for his company Starbucks.’” 
 
 As Kenny G – and the rest of the world – later found out, investing in Starbucks did not disappoint. 
 
 The saxophonist, whose latest album "Brazilian Nights" was released on Tuesday, also named the Frappuccino his Starbucks drink of choice and took partial credit for its addition to the menu. 
 
 “At the beginning, Starbucks didn’t have anything but coffee, and there was another company, Coffee Bean, that had … something called blended,” Kenny G said. “And I would always call Howard and say, ‘Howard, there’s this thing that they do there that’s like a milkshake or whatever.’ And so I think that part of the reason that they did Frappuccinos was people like me giving them that kind of feedback. So I’d like to think that I’m partially responsible for that.” 
 
 Getty Images 
 
 "Kenny has been a dear friend of Starbucks since the beginning of the company and we are very appreciative of everyone, including Kenny, who've been a part of the success of Frappuccino," a Starbucks spokesperson told ABC News. 
 
 While Kenny G may have spoken to Schultz about adding an iced blended drink, two Starbucks partners first began developing the idea in 1993 when they saw an opportunity for the cold beverages in Southern California, the Starbucks spokesperson said. By spring of 1995, the first Frappuccino blended beverages, Coffee and Mocha, were available nationally. 
 
 In addition to the Frappuccino, Kenny G also said he had a role in Starbucks selling music, since his Christmas album, "Miracles," was the first record that Starbucks sold in 1994. 
 
 "That was the experiment to see if they could sell music at the counter, and it worked really well," said Kenny G. 
 
 The moral of the story? Always take Kenny G's advice. ||||| Espresso Roast 1lb Bag - Whole Bean 
 
 We built our business on this signature blend. To create our Espresso Roast Blend, we roast four select origin coffees to perfection, then combine them to create the perfect base for our espresso drinks. Our Espresso Roast Blend is expressive and subtle enough to be enjoyed as a straight shot, yet assertive enough for the perfect latte. Special Note: Our 12 oz ground is prepared for the traditional coffee maker and not Espresso Machines. Please select Whole Bean and grind as needed if you are preparing Espresso. ||||| Frappuccino Type Blended coffee drink Manufacturer Starbucks Country of origin United States Region of origin Massachusetts[1] Introduced 1995 Color Various, generally brown or white Related products Iced coffee, milkshake 
 
 Frappuccino is a trademarked brand of the Starbucks Corporation for a line of iced, blended coffee drinks. It consists of coffee or crème base, blended with ice and other various ingredients, usually topped with whipped cream and sauces. Frappuccinos are also sold as bottled coffee beverages in grocery stores, convenience stores and from vending machines. 
 
 History [ edit ] 
 
 Frappuccino is a portmanteau of "frappe", the New England name for a milkshake with ice cream, and cappuccino, an espresso coffee with frothed milk. The word was coined and trademarked in Boston, Massachusetts.[1][2] In the Boston area, a "frappe" (pronounced "frap" and spelled without the accent) is a thick milkshake with ice cream,[2] derived from the French word frappé.[3] 
 
 The original Frappuccino drink was developed, named, trademarked and sold by George Howell's Eastern Massachusetts coffee shop chain, The Coffee Connection and created by then employee, Andrew Frank.[2] When Starbucks purchased The Coffee Connection in 1994, they also gained the rights to use, make, market, and sell the Frappuccino drink.[2] The drink, with a different recipe, was introduced under the Starbucks name in 1995 and as of 2012, Starbucks had annual Frappuccino sales of over $2 billion.[2] 
 
 The recipe is derived from a fusion of various cold drinks, including the coffee frap (similar to iced coffee)[dubious – discuss] and the frappe (blended ice cream, syrup, and milk), with the Italian cappuccino.[1][4][5][6] The recipe today consists of brewed coffee, ice, and other additives such as milk, sugar, flavored syrups, and whipped cream.[7] 
 
 Versions [ edit ] 
 
 Currently available [ edit ] 
 
 The following is a list of the typical versions available of each type of Frappuccino. 
 
 Decaffeinated [ edit ] 
 
 Upon consumer request, Starbucks baristas can create Frappuccinos with decaffeinated shots of espresso, rather than using caffeinated Frappuccino Roast instant coffee.[citation needed][8] 
 
 Crème [ edit ] 
 
 A coffee-free base was created to make a drink called a Frappuccino Blended Crème. Menu examples include the Mocha Crème, Caramel Crème, Vanilla Bean Crème, and Serious Strawberry Frappuccino. Any syrup or sauce can be used to make a custom Frappuccino Blended Crème. Crème Frappuccinos contain very little or no caffeine. 
 
 Non-dairy alternatives [ edit ] 
 
 Frappuccinos made with soy milk became available in stores in the United States and Canada in 2010.[9] In January 2011 Starbucks introduced this option to Australian stores, and the option has since been made available in other countries. Starbucks has since also introduced coconut and almond milk options. 
 
 Juice blends [ edit ] 
 
 In the summer of 2006, Starbucks introduced the Frappuccino Juice Blend, which were described as being "real fruit juices combined with Tazo Tea, blended with ice". Juice Blends were gradually discontinued throughout 2007 and 2008 and are no longer offered by Starbucks.[10] 
 
 Modifications [ edit ] 
 
 Frappuccinos may include additional ingredients, which can include espresso shots, flavored syrups, chocolate chips, and flavored powders. Consumers may also customize the consistency of Frappuccinos by ordering light or extra ice. Any Frappuccino can have additional syrups, shots of espresso, or various other modifications at a possible surcharge. 
 
 Former [ edit ] 
 
 Bottled "Frappuccino" [ edit ] 
 
 A bottled Frappuccino is sold in retail stores and vending machines. The U.S. 9.5-oz. bottled version was originally manufactured in 1996 by PepsiCo in Springfield, Missouri, but has since then expanded and is also being produced in Ventura, California; Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; and Cabool, Missouri. The Springfield plant produces 186 million glass bottles of Frappuccino annually.[11] In Europe this product is made by Arla Foods in Denmark. While bearing the Frappuccino trademark, these bottled versions bear no discernible resemblance to the product made in Starbucks stores; they are simply coffee, milk, sweetener, and sometimes, flavoring,[12] which can be confusing for customers. 
 
 Criticism [ edit ] 
 
 Frappucino's have been criticised for their high sugar content.[13] 
 
 North American Coffee Partnership [ edit ] 
 
 In 1994, PepsiCo and Starbucks formed an entity called the North American Coffee Partnership. The joint venture was created so that ready-to-drink products using the Starbucks name could be distributed using Pepsi's global network. The Frappuccino was the joint venture's first product.[11] Since 1996, the NACP has expanded to include a diverse portfolio of Starbucks branded coffee and energy drinks. The NACP has approximately 97% market share in RTD (ready-to-drink) coffee and has grown to more than a $1.5 billion retail business.[14] 
 
 See also [ edit ] ||||| Breaking: America's number one smooth jazz musician Kenny G claims to have invented the Starbucks Frappuccino. According to a new interview on Bloomberg, Kenny G (aka Kenneth Bruce Gorelick) — who also enjoys Blue Moon beer and listening to his own Christmas albums — had a hand in creating the Starbucks Frappuccino. 
 
 According to several sources, Kenny G's uncle was the first investor in Starbucks. Kenny's uncle encouraged him to be among the company's first investors after introducing him to CEO Howard Schultz way back in the early 1990s. Kenny on Bloomberg: 
 
 At the beginning, Starbucks didn't have anything but coffee. And there was another company, Coffee Bean, that had something called "blended" that was a sweet drink, and people were lined up around the block. And I would always call Howard and say, "Howard, there's this thing that they do there that's like a milkshake or whatever." And so I think that part of the reason that they did Frappuccino was people like me giving them that kind of feedback. So I'd like to think that I was partially responsible for that. 
 
 According to Wikipedia, the Frappuccino "was developed, named, trademarked and sold by George Howell's Eastern Massachusetts coffee shop chain, The Coffee Connection. When Starbucks purchased The Coffee Connection in 1994, they also gained the rights to use, make, market, and sell the Frappuccino beverage." ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.
– There's another reason for you to love Kenny G. Not only does he provide the world with smooth saxophone jazz, he also helped provide the world with the Starbucks Frappuccino, at least according to the musician himself. He was an early Starbucks investor, he explained this week in an interview with Bloomberg, and he noticed that "Starbucks didn’t have anything but coffee" while another coffee chain, Coffee Bean, "had something called 'blended' that was a sweet drink, and people were lined up around the block. I would always call [Starbucks CEO] Howard [Schultz] and say, 'Howard, there’s this thing that they do there that's like a milkshake or whatever.' ... So I'd like to think that I was partially responsible" for the drink. And, of course, now, the Frappuccino is his favorite Starbucks beverage, he says. And, though Eater cites Wikipedia in pointing out that Starbucks may actually have bought the rights to the Frappuccino when the chain bought another chain, the Coffee Connection, in 1994, a Starbucks rep tells ABC News, "Kenny has been a dear friend of Starbucks since the beginning of the company and we are very appreciative of everyone, including Kenny, who've been a part of the success of Frappuccino." (The rep also says two Starbucks partners began working on what would be the Frappuccino in 1993; it launched nationally two years later.) As for how he became a Starbucks investor, Kenny said his uncle—possibly Schultz's first investor, per Kenny—suggested he invest and also try to sell his CDs there. And in 1994, one of his albums became the first CD Starbucks ever sold. "That was the experiment, to see if they could sell music at the counter, and it worked really well." (Here's what a Starbucks does to the neighborhood.)