Starbucks Holiday Menu 2026: New Drinks, Red Cup Day and Bearista

The Starbucks holiday menu 2026 arrives Thursday, Nov. 5, and this year the drinks may not be the main event. Starbucks has confirmed the return of the Peppermint Mocha and three other favorites, a brand-new Tiramisu Velvet lineup, and on Monday it locked in the date fans care about most: Red Cup Day is Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Then there is the bear. Last year's Bearista Glass Cold Cup sold out within hours and turned into one of the most talked-about holiday items in the country. Starbucks says it is coming back, along with a new mystery-box twist. Here is the full calendar, what is new on the menu, and what to know before you line up.

Key Takeaways

• The Starbucks holiday menu launches Nov. 5, 2026, with new Tiramisu Velvet drinks and an Apple Pomegranate Refresher.
• Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai are back.
• Red Cup Day is Tuesday, Nov. 17, with a free reusable cup when you buy a handcrafted holiday drink at participating stores.
• A Glass Bearista Cold Cup "Surprise Box Edition" arrives Nov. 10, and the original Bearista cup returns Dec. 1.
• New food includes a Bearista Cake Pop and a Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese.

Starbucks holiday menu 2026 release date and full calendar

Starbucks first revealed its holiday plans on Oct. 5 in a post titled "Starbucks holiday menu is coming to town Nov. 5." On Oct. 26, the company added more dates, as USA Today reported. Put together, the season looks like this:

• Thursday, Nov. 5: Holiday drinks, food and the first merchandise collections arrive.
• Tuesday, Nov. 10: Glass Bearista Cold Cup Surprise Box Edition, in limited quantities.
• Tuesday, Nov. 17: Red Cup Day, plus the Winter Wonderland merchandise collection.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1: The original Bearista Glass Cold Cup returns to select coffeehouses while supplies last.

That spacing is deliberate. Instead of one big launch day, Starbucks has created four separate reasons to visit in less than a month. It mirrors how candy brands stretch Halloween across weeks, something we saw in our look at Halloween candy prices in 2026. The drinks come first, so let's start there.

Photo: freestocks.org from Olsztyn, Poland / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Returning favorites on the Starbucks holiday drinks list

Starbucks confirmed four returning holiday drinks:

• Peppermint Mocha: The longtime holiday staple, built on mocha and peppermint.
• Caramel Brulée Latte: A caramel-forward latte with a burnt-sugar style topping.
• Sugar Cookie Latte: A sweeter, cookie-inspired option that has become a newer seasonal regular.
• Gingerbread Chai: A spiced chai with gingerbread flavor.

Starbucks is also leaning into the Peppermint Mocha well beyond the café. The company says a new Peppermint Mocha Flavored Coffee is joining its grocery lineup, and a Peppermint Mocha merchandise collection arrives Nov. 5. If you have a favorite customization, the returning drinks should work the same way as in past seasons, but the app is the best place to check what your local store offers.

What is new: Tiramisu Velvet and Apple Pomegranate

The headline new drink is a full lineup inspired by tiramisu, the classic Italian dessert. According to Starbucks, the Tiramisu Velvet Latte comes hot or iced, and there is also a Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew. Both are topped with a velvet mascarpone cold foam and a dusting of cocoa and coffee.

That is a notable choice. Holiday menus usually stick to peppermint, gingerbread and eggnog. A dessert-inspired flavor with a mascarpone foam signals that Starbucks wants something that works iced as well as hot, which matters for customers in warmer states and for the many people who now order cold drinks all year.

The second new drink is the Apple Pomegranate Refresher. Starbucks describes it as crisp apple flavor with popping pomegranate-flavored pearls. There is also a creamier "Snowy Apple" version made with coconut milk. It gives non-coffee drinkers something new on a menu that is otherwise built around espresso.

Photo: Navneet Sharma / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Holiday food: Bearista Cake Pop and new sandwiches

The food menu follows the same playbook of new items plus returning favorites. New for 2026:

• Bearista Cake Pop: Inspired by the Bearista Glass Cold Cup, available for a limited time.
• Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese: A new warm sandwich.
• Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich: Returning with a new recipe.

Returning sweets include the Cranberry Bliss Bar, the Snowman Cookie and the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish. The Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich in particular lands right as many people start planning their own holiday meals. If you are hosting this year, our Thanksgiving hosting essentials for 2026 covers what you actually need on the table.

Notice the cake pop. Starbucks is turning a piece of merchandise into a menu item, which tells you how central the Bearista character has become. That brings us to the part of the season that caused real chaos last year.

The Bearista cup is back, with a twist

In November 2025, Starbucks released a 20-ounce Glass Bearista Cold Cup shaped like a teddy bear for $29.95. Fortune reported that it sold out within hours, with customers describing long lines and shoving in some stores, and resale listings climbing well above the original price. Starbucks apologized, telling Fortune that "the excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations."

This year, Starbucks is spreading out the demand. On Nov. 10, a Glass Bearista Cold Cup Surprise Box Edition arrives. Each box contains a mystery Bearista character that you only see after opening it, and the company says quantities are limited. Then, on Dec. 1, the original Bearista Glass Cold Cup returns to select coffeehouses while supplies last.

Why the Bearista matters so much

The Bearista is not a new character. Starbucks says the first plush Bearista bears appeared in its coffeehouses in 1997, which means many of today's fans grew up with them. The glass cup version, wearing the brand's signature green hat, gave that nostalgia a shareable, photo-friendly form, and social media did the rest.

Fortune also spoke with Ravi Sawhney, founder of product design firm RKS Design, who tied the frenzy to "little treats" culture: small, affordable purchases that feel special because they are rare. That helps explain why a $29.95 cup could outshine an entire drink menu, and why Starbucks is now staging two separate Bearista drops instead of one.

Starbucks has not yet announced 2026 prices for either cup in the materials we reviewed. If you are hoping to get one, the practical advice is simple: check the Starbucks app for store availability, go early, and be wary of resale listings at inflated prices.

Photo: Taryn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Red Cup Day 2026: how the free reusable cup works

Red Cup Day is one of Starbucks' longest-running holiday traditions. In 2026, it falls on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Starbucks says customers will receive a collectible, reusable holiday cup with the purchase of any handcrafted holiday beverage, at participating stores while supplies last.

The cup design has not been revealed. Starbucks told USA Today that design details will be announced closer to the date.

Based on last year's event, a few things are worth knowing. According to USA Today, the 2025 red cup was available however customers ordered, including in-store, at the drive-thru, in the Starbucks app and through Starbucks delivery on DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. After Red Cup Day, customers who brought back their reusable cup, or any personal cup, received a 10-cent discount on their drink, and Starbucks Rewards members earned double stars on their order. Starbucks has not confirmed whether those same perks return in 2026.

Tips for Red Cup Day

• Go early. The cups are limited and popular stores can run out by midday.
• Order a handcrafted holiday drink. Only those qualify for the free cup.
• Check the app the night before for any updates on participating stores.
• Keep the cup. Reusable cups can reduce single-use waste for the rest of the season.

Photo: WANGYIFAN2024 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Holiday merchandise collections to know

Beyond the Bearista cups, Starbucks has announced several holiday merchandise collections:

• Holiday Bearista collection (Nov. 5): Bearista-themed drinkware, a plush keychain and accessories.
• Holiday Village collection (Nov. 5): Mugs, ornaments, a snow globe and a ceramic coffeehouse modeled after the original Pike Place store, where Starbucks began in 1971.
• Peppermint Mocha collection (Nov. 5): A glass holiday tree cold cup, a handled travel tumbler, a striped espresso cup and more.
• Winter Wonderland collection (Nov. 17): A quilted light-blue cold cup, iridescent water bottles and statement tumblers.

Holiday drinkware is a popular small gift, and the timing overlaps with early holiday sales. Our Black Friday 2026 guide covers the key shopping dates. And once the seasonal cups come out, the countdown to the big holiday moments, like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting, really begins.

How to plan your Starbucks holiday menu 2026 visits

With four key dates in less than a month, a little planning goes a long way. Here is a simple approach.

Week of Nov. 5: try the new drinks first

Launch week is the best time to try the Tiramisu Velvet drinks and the Apple Pomegranate Refresher while every store has full stock. If a new drink becomes a favorite, you will know what to order on Red Cup Day. Halloween will barely be over by then, so if you are still putting away costumes from our Halloween costume trends roundup, the switch to holiday cups will feel fast.

Nov. 10: decide if you are chasing a Surprise Box

Because the Surprise Box Edition is limited and the character inside is a mystery, it is best suited to collectors who enjoy the surprise. If you want the classic green-hat bear specifically, Dec. 1 is the date to target instead.

Nov. 17: Red Cup Day plus Winter Wonderland

Red Cup Day and the Winter Wonderland collection share a date, so expect busier stores than usual. Mobile ordering ahead can help, though Starbucks has not yet confirmed how this year's cup will be distributed. With clocks already turned back, it will also be dark early that evening; our guide to daylight saving time ending in 2026 explains the change.

Dec. 1: the original Bearista returns

Starbucks says the original cup will be in select coffeehouses only, while supplies last. Not every store will carry it, so check the app and arrive early if it is on your list.

FAQ

When does the Starbucks holiday menu come out in 2026?

The Starbucks holiday menu 2026 launches Thursday, Nov. 5, at participating US stores.

When is Starbucks Red Cup Day 2026?

Red Cup Day is Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026. Buy any handcrafted holiday drink to get a free reusable cup while supplies last.

Is the Starbucks Bearista cup coming back?

Yes. A Surprise Box Edition arrives Nov. 10 in limited quantities, and the original Bearista Glass Cold Cup returns to select stores Dec. 1.

What new drinks are on the Starbucks holiday menu?

New drinks are the Tiramisu Velvet Latte (hot or iced), Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew, Apple Pomegranate Refresher and the Snowy Apple version made with coconut milk.

Is the Peppermint Mocha back at Starbucks?

Yes. The Peppermint Mocha returns Nov. 5 along with the Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai.

Sources

• Starbucks: Holiday menu is coming to town Nov. 5
• Starbucks: Bearista Glass Cold Cups are returning with a twist
• Starbucks: 2026 holiday merchandise begins to arrive Nov. 5
• USA Today: Starbucks announces Red Cup Day date
• Fortune: Starbucks apologizes for Bearista cup chaos (2025)

Featured image: Photo: Toa Heftiba / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (with text overlay added by Trend Ranker).