"I'll have a venti mochachino, a tall chai latte, and a glass of Merlot." Could this be your Starbucks order in the near future?

It's true: Starbucks is toying with the idea of adding alcohol to its menu of coffee- and tea-driven drinks. It's opening a store in Seattle next week, called "15th Ave. Coffee and Tea Inspired by Starbucks" (yowza -- could they have picked a longer and less catchy name?), that will serve beer and wine. It's apparently designed to look different from other Starbucks, and the company is planning to open a couple more in the Seattle area.

Interesting experiment. I'm curious to see what the new stores will look like, because I wouldn't want to go to a regular Starbucks to get my drink on -- the coffeehouse environment isn't really what I'm looking for when I go out for happy hour. But if the new place has a cool atmosphere and serves some local beers and wines... who knows?

Would you meet a friend for a drink at Starbucks?

--Maggie