(NEXSTAR) – Trick-or-treaters across the country are still picking Milk Duds from their molars, but that isn’t stopping Starbucks from moving forward with their peppermint lattes or sugar-plum danishes.
On Nov. 3, Starbucks will debut its annual assortment of holiday cups at locations nationwide, swapping out its traditional single-use cups for other, slightly more festive single-use cups.
This year’s theme (like last year’s) is inspired by “gifts,” according to a Starbucks press release shared with Nexstar. The four new cups for 2022 — nicknamed “Gift-Wrapped Magic,” “Frosted Sparkle,” “Ornament Wonder” and “Cozy Evergreen” — are each also designed with blank gift tags on the back.
“We have always talked about the cups as little gifts, and we hope they feel like a festive present to our customers and store partners,” Gary Jacobson, the Starbucks creative director for 2022’s holiday campaign, said in the release.
As of Thursday, customers at U.S. Starbucks locations can also treat themselves to an assortment of holiday-themed beverages, including the chain’s seasonal Peppermint Mochas, Caramel Brulée Lattes, Chestnut Praline Lattes, Toasted White Chocolate Mochas, Irish Cream Cold Brews and Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Lattes. Starbucks’ holiday food offerings include returning items such as the Reindeer Cake Pop, the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, the Cranberry Bliss Bar, the Snowman Cookie and the new Chocolate Pistachio Swirl, which appears to be a takeoff on the traditional cinnamon bun.
In other recent Starbucks-cup news — and yes, there was other recent Starbucks-cup news — the coffee chain earlier this year had committed to adopting a communal-cup program by 2025. It would give customers the option of borrowing a reusable cup that they would return upon their next visit. Those communal cups would then be professionally cleaned and provided to other Starbucks customers, who would repeat the process in turn.
At the time, a representative for Starbucks said the company was still testing various incentives and disincentives to get customers on board with its reusable-cup program.