WASHINGTON — Starbucks is ringing in the holiday season with an assortment of wintery beverages, food and cup designs.
Starbucks is well known for its seasonal offerings. Most famously, it's been a big part of the cultural phenomenon of pumpkin spice with their Pumpkin Spice Latte offered exclusively in the fall.
But some customers have come to love the offerings Starbucks offers during the holidays, including peppermint and gingerbread-flavored beverages.
The international coffee chain's winter menu will officially launch on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Here's what's coming to stores across the U.S. this week:
- Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai (New)
- Peppermint Mocha
- Caramel Brulée Latte
- Chestnut Praline Latte
- Iced Sugar Cookie Almond milk Latte
- Cranberry Bliss Bar
- Gingerbread Loaf
- Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop
- Snowman Cookie
- Sugar Plum Cheese Danish
The company's higher-end Reserve Roasteries in New York, Chicago and Seattle will also be offering additional drink options: Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini, Starbucks Reserve Peppermint Mocha and Starbucks Oleato Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cold Brew.
The Reserve stores will also have seasonal baked goods not available in other locations around the country.
Starbucks red cups return
Starbucks is also debuting four new designs for their hot beverage cups. The decorative cups have been a staple for years among fans, with colorful artwork meant to capture the spirit of the season.
The four designs feature patterns in green, red and pink. They give off the impression of gift wrap or Christmas ornaments, as though the drinks they contain are presents under a Christmas tree.
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Although Starbucks is introducing the designs for disposable cups this year, their long-term goal is to move away from them and toward more sustainable drinkware.
By 2030, Starbucks wants to move away completely from disposable cups, which represent big portions of the company’s overall waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
The stated reason is that it's the right thing to do for the environment, and Starbucks has a history of lofty sustainability goals around various aspects of their global operations. Some have been met, such as new stores being certified for energy efficiency; others have been revised or scrapped entirely. For example, in 2008 the company said that by 2015 it wanted 100% of its cups to be recyclable or reusable, although that still hasn't happened by 2023.
Starbucks is not the first company to push toward a reusable cup. From large companies in Europe, such as RECUP in Germany, which uses reusable cups and other food packaging, to local coffee houses in cities like San Francisco, the goal for years has been to shed disposable paper and plastic.
But as the largest coffee company in the world, with more than 37,000 stores in 86 countries and revenues of $32 billion last year, Starbucks could force change across the industry. At the same time, failure to adapt and lead could hurt the coffee giant in customers' eyes.
Dunkin' holiday menu
Starbucks isn't the only major coffee chain kicking off the holiday festivities. Dunkin' launched its holiday menu on Wednesday including a cookie butter cold brew, spiced cookie coffee, peppermint mocha signature latte and a toasted white chocolate signature latte.