Starbucks Unveils 2026 Holiday Cups and First Holiday Pup Cup Ahead of Nov. 5 Menu

Starbucks revealed its 2026 holiday cups on Nov. 4, including its first holiday pup cup, ahead of a Nov. 5 menu launch featuring new Tiramisu Velvet drinks, with Bearista cups arriving Nov. 10 and Red Cup Day on Nov. 17.

Nov 04, 2026 - 11:21

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Starbucks unveiled its 2026 holiday cup designs on Wednesday, Nov. 4, one day before its holiday menu returns to U.S. coffeehouses on Thursday, Nov. 5. The lineup pairs new Tiramisu Velvet drinks and an Apple Pomegranate Refresher with returning seasonal staples, and for the first time includes a holiday-themed pup cup for dogs, according to the company and reporting by USA Today.

The cup reveal came about a month after Starbucks shared its holiday menu, USA Today reported. In a separate Oct. 26 report, the paper said the chain first shared the menu on Oct. 5.

Ribbons, bows and a retro palette

In a story posted on its corporate newsroom, Starbucks said this year's to-go cups include four hot-cup designs and a cold cup, plus the holiday pup cup. The company described designs featuring "ribbon motifs, bows and a palette of Starbucks green and red alongside retro shades of mint, antique gold, cranberry and creamy white," with festive holiday trees and bows on the hot cups and a cold cup adorned with evergreen and red bows.

The newsroom story identified London D. as the person who led Starbucks' creative work for this year's holiday, from the first sketches of cups and coffee packaging to the design of menu boards and in-store trim. According to the company, the Starbucks Creative Studio team starts with trend research, trying to predict the customer's mindset 24 months out, and the holiday cups now represent nearly two years of work.

"Any company can leverage a trend," London said in the Starbucks story. "But the question is, 'How do we make this unmistakably Starbucks?'" "One of our early mood boards had a lot of motifs and wallpaper," she said. "We were thinking about the classic holiday decor that feels accessible with moments of handmade details."

A green vintage-style ribbon from those mood boards became a consistent element across the campaign, appearing on coffee packaging, on the back of the to-go cups and in the garland used to decorate coffeehouses, the company said. "It was very much inspired by real physical ribbons," London said. Explaining the color choices, she said: "We brought in this cream color that softens the palette while the gold adds a little bit of vibrant energy. And then the mint is a nice soft neutral to pair and balance."

Starbucks also offered historical context. When it introduced its first holiday cups in 1997, they were designed by a handful of employees about two months before arriving in the company's 1,400 coffeehouses, the company said. Today, the cups appear in more than 40,000 locations around the world.

A first holiday pup cup

The new holiday pup cup is a 3.5-ounce cup featuring a dog inspired by a real-life beagle named Junie, according to Starbucks. The company said the cups will be available in company-operated coffeehouses for a very limited time while supplies last. Toronto food site Hungry416 noted that the restriction to company-operated stores means licensed locations inside other stores may not carry it.

What is on the menu

The headline addition is a Tiramisu Velvet line inspired by the Italian dessert. Starbucks said the Tiramisu Velvet Latte, available hot or iced, combines Starbucks Signature Espresso with milk and vanilla syrup, topped with a Velvet Mascarpone Cold Foam and a dusting of cocoa. The Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew uses Starbucks Cold Brew with vanilla syrup and the same mascarpone cold foam. People, which sampled the drinks ahead of launch, reported that the Tiramisu Velvet offerings include vanilla, mascarpone cold foam and cocoa dusting.

The other new beverage is the Apple Pomegranate Refresher, made with crisp apple flavors and popping pomegranate-flavored pearls, according to Starbucks. A creamier version, the Snowy Apple Drink, is made with coconut milk, and the Refresher can also be ordered with lemonade.

Returning drinks include the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai, USA Today reported. Starbucks also listed two new variations: an Iced Caramel Brulée Cream Chai and an Iced Sugar Cookie Cream Matcha.

Not every past favorite made the cut. Allrecipes reported that the Tiramisu Velvet additions mean no Chestnut Praline Latte this season, and that the Cran-Merry Refresher was also dropped.

On the food side, the new items are a Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese and a Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich with a new recipe, according to USA Today. Starbucks described the grilled cheese as made with braised short rib, caramelized onion jam and a hint of Dijon, layered with Cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella on sourdough. The turkey sandwich features sliced turkey, stuffing and gravy on a new baguette baked with cranberries. A new Bearista Cake Pop joins the bakery case, and the Cranberry Bliss Bar, Snowman Cookie and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish return, Delish reported.

Bearista cups and Red Cup Day

Merchandise is part of the rollout. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 10, a surprise collection of Bearista Glass Cold Cup characters will arrive in coffeehouses, with each box containing a mystery cup revealed only after opening, USA Today reported. The original Bearista cups return starting Tuesday, Dec. 1, which Starbucks said was "just in time for holiday gifting." USA Today reported that the 20-ounce teddy bear-shaped glass cup sold for about $30 last year and, according to Starbucks, sold out in less than a day.

Nov. 17 is also Red Cup Day. Starbucks said customers who purchase any handcrafted holiday beverage that day will receive a collectible reusable red cup at participating stores while supplies last. USA Today reported that last year the giveaway was available in-store, at the drive-through, in the Starbucks app and through delivery on DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats, and that Starbucks said it would share more details about this year's event closer to the date.