Over the past year, unicorns have become much more than just beloved mystical and sparkly steeds. From Unicorn toast and lattes to noodles and grilled cheese sandwiches, unicorn food has taken over social media with a cacophony of brightly-coloured food in pastel and rainbow hues that apparently represent the colours of the magical creatures.

This week, Starbucks decided to jump on the latest food craze by introducing its own vibrant, limited-edition beverage – the Unicorn Frappuccino.

According to the popular coffee chain, its "magical flavors start off sweet and fruity transforming to pleasantly sour.

"The Unicorn Frappuccino blended crème is made with a sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle," the drink's description reads. "It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping.

"Like its mythical namesake, the Unicorn Frappuccino blended crème comes with a bit of magic, starting as a purple beverage with swirls of blue and a first taste that is sweet and fruity. But give it a stir and its color changes to pink, and the flavor evolves to tangy and tart."

While the drink is not currently available in the UK, the pink and blue-hued drink quickly went viral inspiring people across the US, Canada and Mexico to upload hundreds of thousands of images onto social media using the hashtag #unicornfrappuccino.

Available for under $5, the popular iced beverage is only available from 19-23 April while supplies last and is already swiftly selling out at various Starbucks locations across North America. While many have scrambled to try out the new sugary themed drink, the Unicorn Frappuccino has also inspired a wide array of jokes, memes and some pretty vivid descriptions.

Many Starbucks baristas have also complained about the complicated, sticky and messy drink, urging customers not to order it as demand continues to soar.

Braden Burson, a 19-year-old barista in Colorado posted a now-deleted video on Twitter ranting that he has "never been so stressed out" in his life.

"My hands are completely sticky. I have unicorn crap all in my hair and on my nose," he screams in the video that has since gone viral as well. "For the love of God and everything that is good, don't get the Unicorn Frappuccino."