The Starbucks Holiday Cups Are Here, So Get Seasonal Immediately

Starbucks, having zero time to waste, kicked off the first day of November 2018 with red and green holiday cups to get into the festive spirit.

Following the release of their purple Witch’s Brew in Halloween, they have headed straight into the Christmas season. On Thursday, the popular coffee chain revealed four new holiday designs rolling out in stores Friday.

We get a “striped” cup with thick bands of cranberry and crimson red, a “stargyle” cup resembling a sweater pattern, a throwback “flora” cup with red berries and holly leaves, and the “espresso houndstooth” cup with a nifty flame design.

The “espresso houndstooth” design draws inspiration from the brand’s bold Christmas blend espresso roast.

The cups continue the coffee giant’s grand seasonal tradition that began in autumn of 1997. Ever since, it’s been a process.

While the cups have sparked spirited debates about how universal or overtly Christmas-y the cups should be, it looks like this year is fairly traditional.

In 2017, the cups took a blank canvas approach with white doodles to let java consumers color in the lines with whatever they wished to see. Previously the cups came with reindeer and ornaments, but in 2015, the company said it stripped away the “symbols of the season.”

The company’s CEO says this year’s redesign comes straight from what the people want, according to their feedback gathering strategy.

“We listened to our customers,” Starbucks’ chief operating officer Roz Brewer said in a statement. “They said they “loved the tradition of Christmas.”

“I think it’s exciting for them,” Brewer said.

It would appear that checks out for many fans.

The stores will also a reusable plastic cup alongside old favorites like peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes and serve up new treats like a chocolate swirl brioche, pistachio honey croissants and sugarplum cheese danishes.

Happy caffeinating.