The day after Halloween, while people are still eating their leftover Halloween candy and this year’s costumes haven’t even been thrown in the laundry yet, it is the unofficial start of the holiday season for the retail and foodservice sectors. Starbucks released its holiday lineup of festive themed food and beverages available from Nov. 2nd through the end of the year, featuring new and returning favorites.
The flavor theme for Starbucks this year is gingerbread: The Seattle-based coffee giant is introducing a new Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai Latte and Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte (available only in select Starbucks stores where the olive oil-infused Oleato beverages are sold). These will be sold alongside returning seasonal favorite beverages such as the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, and the Chestnut Praline Latte, as well as returning baked goods, like the peppermint brownie cake pop.
Photo: Starbucks' beloved red cup comes back Nov. 2nd with four new designs.
“It’s a love letter to gingerbread and ginger,” Mat Thornton, senior beverage developer at Starbucks said in a statement. “The gingerbread flavor amplifies the spice of the chai.”
The new Starbucks holiday beverages build upon two prominent Starbucks consumer trends: dairy milk alternatives and iced beverages, the latter of which now represent 75% of customer sales—even into the cold winter months and can also be seen in the 2021 release (and return this year) of the iced sugar cookie almondmilk latte.
Besides the actual drinks themselves, Starbucks fans wait every year for the release of the seasonal red cup designs. This year, there are four, including the Peppermint Swirl, Bauble Wrap, Party Plaid and Ribbon Spool designs, which include swirls of red, green, and hot pink, alongside the newer holiday cold cup design, which is a minimalist take on the bauble design and is a nod to Starbucks’ year-round success with iced beverages.
Photo: This year’s newest Starbucks holiday drink is the Gingerbread Oatmilk Iced Chai Latte
The full Starbucks holiday menu is below, hitting stores on Nov. 2nd:
- (New) Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai- chair spices combined with oatmilk and gingerbread flavoring, available both iced and hote
- Peppermint Mocha- espresso roast with steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint syrup, topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. Available hot, iced, or as a Frappucino
- Caramel Brulee Latte- espresso roast with steamed milk and rich caramel brulée sauce, topped with whipped cream and caramel brulée bits. Available hot, iced, or as a Frappucino
- Chestnut Praline Latte- espresso roast with steamed milk, caramelized chestnuts and spices flavors, topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs. Available hot, iced, or as a Frappucino
- Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte- sugar cookie flavored syrup combined with blonde espresso, and almondmilk, topped with red and green sprinkles. Available hot, iced, or as a Frappucino.
- (New) Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte – Available where Oleato beverages are sold, this drink is made with blonde espresso combined with gingerbread flavor. And steamed oatmilk, infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil and finished with ginger and citrus flavors.
- Returning baked goods offerings, including the gingerbread loaf, peppermint brownie cake pop, cranberry bliss bar, snowman cookie, and sugar plum cheese Danish
The Starbucks Reserve stores will also be offering a holiday lineup, which will include the Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte, but also a trio of seasonal beverages and several Princi baked goods:
- Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
- Starbucks Reserve Peppermint Mocha
- Starbucks Oleato Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cold Brew
- Princi chocolate hazelnut swirl cake, pistachio maritozzo (a Roman pastry), apple crumb pie and cranberry cheese Danish
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