Starbucks’ Winter Menu Is Here To Carry Us Through January
To quote the great Lorelai Gilmore, “This is a jumbo coffee morning. I need coffee in an IV.”
Welp, it’s official — after a holiday season that seemed to stretch on blissfully long, reality has come crashing down on us. And when I tell you I’m going to need a vat of caffeine to get me through this month, it’s not an exaggeration. Fortunately, Starbucks rolls out their new winter menu on Tuesday, Jan. 6, perfectly timed to give us something to look forward to as the novelty of “new year, new me” tapers off.
Starting off strong for anyone who can’t get enough of the viral Dubai chocolate trend, the winter menu launches two new Dubai Chocolate drinks for a limited time: the Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha and the Iced Dubai Chocolate Mocha. The former features unsweetened matcha, pistachio sauce, milk, and ice, topped with silky chocolate cream cold foam and a salted brown-buttery topping. The latter features Starbucks Espresso roast, chocolate mocha sauce, milk, and ice, topped with chocolate cream cold foam and the same salted brown-buttery topping.
Those aren’t the only newcomers on the menu that put pistachio in the spotlight: You’ll be able to get it as a flavor in your favorite bev or cold foam throughout the year. Plus, it’s the star of the show in four winter menu beverages.
Served in an 8-ounce short cup, the Pistachio Cortado starts with three ristretto shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, paired with the sweet flavors of pistachio and steamed milk, along with the salted brown-buttery topping.
The Pistachio Cream Cold Brew sees Starbucks signature cold brew and vanilla syrup topped with pistachio cream cold foam and salted brown-buttery sprinkles.
In the Pistachio Latte, sweet pistachio sauce comes together with espresso, milk, and a dusting of salted brown-buttery topping. Hot or iced, your pick!
And, for those of us who love a good frothy coffee moment, there’s the Pistachio Frappuccino: sweet pistachio flavor blended with coffee, milk, and ice, topped with whipped cream and, yep, that delightful salted brown-buttery topping. You can even get it without coffee as a Pistachio Crème Frappuccino if you’re a decaf girly.
But maybe you’d like to squeeze in a little protein with your morning coffee since, ya know, we’re all just trying to hit our protein goals these days. In that case, you can order one of two new caramel protein beverages: the Caramel Protein Matcha, with 28 to 31 grams of protein per grande, or the Caramel Protein Latte, with 27 to 29 grams of protein.
You can boost your breakfast’s protein power even more if you also order the new winter menu Truffle, Mushroom, & Brie Egg Bites.
Of course, it won’t be long until Valentine’s Day is here, so Starbucks has added a Valentine Cake Pop to the seasonal menu to celebrate everyone’s favorite heart-shaped winter holiday. Then, come February, that cake pop will be joined by other Valentine’s Day-specific menu items, like the White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Brew and the Strawberry Shortcake Frappuccino.
Finally, you can’t have a Starbucks menu announcement without some merch, right? The new collections include tumblers, cold cups, and mugs celebrating winter holidays such as the Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day.
Personally, though, my favorite is the Coffee for All collection, which is all about leaning into connection and community. I love the hand-drawn designs and bold lettering! The Coffee for All mug is definitely coming home with me, but the Year of the Horse ceramic mug is also really frickin’ cute. (Wait, I also kind of want the Valentine’s Day stainless steel tumbler….)
So, there you have it. Both the beverages and the vessels to drink them out of to keep you well-caffeinated until the back-to-work blues subside.
