It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Starbucks red cup season!
The coffee chain released a sneak peek of this year’s festive designs before they hit stores tomorrow, Nov. 4. Along with the cups, fan-favorite holiday treats will return, and new drinks and snacks are being added to the menu, like the new Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte.
Four new Starbucks holiday cup designs will be available on Thursday and each one celebrates the decorative elements of the season. Plus, each cup even has a gift tag box to write festive messages in. One of the most notable things about the 2021 holiday cups? The use of lilac, in addition to the typical red, white and green seen in previous years’ cups.
The wrapping paper cup showcases geometric patterns of circles, sparkles and glitter grain; the ribbon cup features images of white and lilac ribbons on a classic red holiday cup background; the holiday lights cup is decorated with sparkles and ribbons along with bold letters spelling out “Starbucks”; and last, but not least, the candy cane cup has green, white and lilac stripes with bold “Starbucks” letters wrapping around the cup.
Inside each of the holiday cups are equally festive drinks. Returning favorites include the Peppermint Mocha (which is coming back for its 19th year!), Caramel Bruleé Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha and Irish Cream Cold Brew (available nearly a month earlier than in previous years).
Joining the crew of holiday classics is the new Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. The newest addition to the festive menu combines blonde espresso, sugar cookie flavored syrup, almond milk and colorful cookie sprinkles and is the first-ever non-dairy holiday drink. Just as with all other Starbucks drinks, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte is available hot or iced.
There are new and old additions to the food menu as well. A vanilla cake and chocolate frosted Reindeer Cake Pop will be available, decorated with a red nose and antlers for a seasonal treat. Otherwise, the holiday food menu consists of classic foods like the Cranberry Bliss Bar, Sugar Plum Cheese Danish and Snowman Cookie.
Starbucks has a huge following for their holiday cups and a slew of lovers (and haters) anticipate the release every year. Dunkin’ managed to beat out their competitor this year, releasing their own festive cups one day earlier. According to a press release, Dunkin’s cups celebrate the “perfectly imperfect joys” of the holidays, from candy cane crumbs to tangled lights.
