Starbucks holiday drinks return with Refreshers for 1st time: see the menu

SEATTLE – Starbucks is ringing in the holidays with the release of its seasonal menu. 

The coffee giant unveiled its new and returning holiday drinks and food, all of which will be served in its annual holiday cups and available in U.S. stores on Thursday. 

Some of the returning favorites include Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and various holiday cold foams. New this year is a trio of Starbucks drink refreshers that feature “a delicious combination of sweet orange and warm spices to complement the crisp cranberry taste.”

The new refreshers include a Cran-Merry Orange Refresher, Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher, and a Cran-Merry Drink with creamy coconut milk.

Other drinks on the menu this holiday season is the Peppermint Mocha, a staple for more than two decades, which is espresso combined with steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup, and topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. 

The Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte comes with espresso, sugar cookie flavored syrup, ice, and almond milk, topped with red and green sprinkles.

The Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai combines warm chai spices, oat milk and ice, topped with non-dairy gingerbread-flavored cold foam and a spice topping.  

The various cold foam offerings, which can be topped on cold brew or iced coffee, include a  Gingerbread Cream, Peppermint Chocolate Cream, Sugar Cookie Cream, Chestnut Praline Cream and a Caramel Brulée Cream.

Starbucks holiday cup designs

Earlier this month, Starbucks shared a sneak preview of its holiday 2024 cup designs, titled “Merrier Together,” ahead of their in-store debut – also on Thursday. 

There are four hot cup designs and one cold, which the coffee giant’s creative director Kristy Cameron claims were inspired by “moments of joy.”

“We love finding these genuine moments of joy and coffee to inspire the creative,” Cameron said in a news release. “Whether that’s coffee trees growing, beans roasting, cups toasting, or lights glowing – we wanted to share the warmth of our coffeehouse and the anticipation of the red cups arriving with our customers and partners.”

Starbucks has a new strategy: Will it work?

Meanwhile, Starbucks’ new chief executive also announced a series of changes this month aimed at drawing back customers as the company navigates unionization pressures, declining foot traffic, and frequent leadership changes. 

Brian Niccol, who took over as CEO in September, told analysts on an earnings call earlier in November that the company’s financial results “were very disappointing” as sales at U.S. stores opened for at least a year declined 6%, which was driven by a 10% decline in transactions.

Niccol emphasized the need for the company to get back to its roots as a coffee house.

Some of those changes customers could expect include reverting cafes back to their former “coffee house” aesthetic with “personal touches,” including serving coffee in ceramic mugs for customers who dine-in and more comfortable seating and amenities. 

Starbucks will also no longer charge extra for customizing beverages with non-dairy milk.

Niccol said the company is re-introducing Sharpies, another nostalgic nod to its earlier days when baristas would write customers’ names on coffee cups.

“I think there’s a lot of just simple things that go a long way of saying, ‘you know what, this is a community place, this is a special place where people are here to connect,’” Niccol said.