Stores may have ornaments on display and Christmas songs piping through every speaker in earshot, but the real sign of the holiday season is finally here: Starbucks holiday cups.
Starting tomorrow, November 2, the coffee chain that is on every corner will release its latest line of its annual holiday cups, pouring seasonal drinks into the limited-time designs.
This year’s collection plays off the theme of “Share the Joy” and features five unique designs:
Hot beverages
Cold cups
Starbucks Creative Director Kristy Cameron told Fast Company that bright and bold colors are a highlight of this year’s collection.
“We found that magenta alongside the holiday reds and greens lifts the traditional holiday colors and makes the red look even brighter,” Cameron says, adding that this year’s theme was meant to be “a reminder that our shared human experience and togetherness is what makes the season special.”
Filling up the cups this year will be several holiday season-exclusive beverages. Returning favorites include the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte. New to the menu this year will be the Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte and the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai.
“I like to think of Starbucks holiday cups as little wrapped gifts for our partners (baristas) and customers,” Cameron says.
Starbucks holiday cups have, somewhat inexplicably, turned into collectibles. The company’s reusable tumblers, which it introduced several new designs for last month, can be resold for thousands of dollars. The cups have also, equally inexplicably, been controversial in years past for failing to be sufficiently celebratory for the holidays.
“We’re honored to be part of our customers’ holiday traditions and hear from them that the return of Starbucks holiday cups signals the season has arrived,” Cameron says. “Each year, Starbucks holiday cups capture a moment in time with their own unique take on the holidays. They invite people in, which I think is why they’ve become a part of many people’s holiday traditions.”
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