Starting today, Thursday, Starbucks will debut its latest line of holiday-themed cups and beverages, including the company's first-ever vegan holiday drink.
Starbucks unveiled four new holiday cup designs for this season with gift-inspired colors such as green, white, red, and lilac. The four new cup designs are "Wrapping Paper," "Holiday Lights," "Candy Cane," and "Ribbons."
The company said each cup will be coming with a "thoughtful gift tag on the back," which it says is keeping with its theme for this year. Starbucks said the designs of the new cups are meant to look "magical" and "warm."
Apart from the new cups, Starbucks is also bringing back its seasonal drinks such as its popular Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Irish Cream Cold Brew, Chestnut Praline Latte, and its Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. The season drinks can also be paired with seasonal pastries such as the company's new Reindeer Cake Pop.
New on the menu will be Starbuck's first-ever vegan holiday beverage called the Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. The new vegan Christmas beverage, which may be requested iced or hot, is produced with a sugar cookie-flavored syrup, Starbucks Blonde Espresso, almond milk, and red and green cookie sprinkle, and is inspired by "spritzen" cookies, a German holiday sugar cookie.
Tomorrow, let's holiday our hearts out. Holiday drinks arrive at Starbucks on Thursday, November 4th. (US & Canada) pic.twitter.com/MAAJ6n1FfS — Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) November 3, 2021
Starbucks said it added the new drink for customers who are looking to enjoy plant-based options at its outlets. The new beverage was developed by Starbucks R&D's Erin Marinan and Starbucks employee Sara Bennett to invoke Christmas baking memories. The company said almond flour is commonly used in baking but they found that it is a perfect match for the nutty overtones in Starbucks Blonde Espresso.
While supplies last, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte is available among other holiday beverages, including an early release of the Irish Cream Cold Brew, which may be requested vegan with plant-based milk.
The unveiling of its new holiday-themed offerings comes less than a week after the company released its fourth-quarter earnings. In its report, the company recorded a 17% increase in global sales. Starbucks CFO and vice president Rachel Marie Ruggeri said its cold beverages now account for 75% of its overall sales.
