Starbucks holiday menu 2026: Red Cup Day

Starbucks' holiday menu starts Nov. 5 and Red Cup Day is Nov. 17. See the new drinks, food, Bearista dates and prices, and how to get the free cup.

Starbucks' 2026 holiday menu goes on sale today, Thursday, Nov. 5, and the date to circle after it is Red Cup Day on Tuesday, Nov. 17. According to Starbucks' own announcement, the headline additions are a Tiramisu Velvet drink line and an Apple Pomegranate Refresher. Here is what is new, what is back, and what the free cup actually requires, as of Nov. 5.

What is on the Starbucks holiday menu in 2026?

Two new drink lines lead the lineup, per Starbucks. The Tiramisu Velvet Latte comes hot or iced, with Signature Espresso, milk and vanilla syrup under Velvet Mascarpone Cold Foam and a dusting of cocoa. The Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew swaps in cold brew with the same vanilla and foam. The Apple Pomegranate Refresher uses apple flavors and popping pomegranate-flavored pearls, with a coconut-milk version called the Snowy Apple Refresher, a lemonade option, and a caffeinated Energy Refresher version.

The returning favorites are Peppermint Mocha (hot, iced or as a Frappuccino), Caramel Brulée Latte (also hot, iced or blended), Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai. Starbucks also lists two new iced variations, the Iced Caramel Brulée Cream Chai and the Iced Sugar Cookie Cream Matcha, plus five holiday cold foams: Velvet Mascarpone, Gingerbread, Peppermint Chocolate, Sugar Cookie and Caramel Brulée.

One detail worth knowing if you avoid dairy: Starbucks says many of the foams can be made non-dairy, but not the Velvet Mascarpone or the Caramel Brulée.

What food is new this year?

Starbucks is adding two warm sandwiches. The Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese has caramelized onion jam, a hint of Dijon, and cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella on sourdough. The Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich is back with a new recipe on a cranberry baguette with gravy and cranberry sauce.

In the bakery case there is a new Bearista Cake Pop, which Starbucks describes as vanilla cake with buttercream dipped in chocolaty icing. The Snowman Cookie, Cranberry Bliss Bar and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish all return.

When is Red Cup Day 2026, and how do you get the free cup?

Red Cup Day is Tuesday, Nov. 17. Starbucks says customers who buy any handcrafted holiday beverage that day get a collectible reusable red cup, at participating stores and while supplies last. So the cup is not automatic with any order. It has to be a holiday drink, and it can run out.

USA Today reports that last year the offer applied however you ordered, including in-store, drive-thru, the Starbucks app and delivery through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats, and that people who brought a reusable cup back afterward got a 10-cent discount and double stars for Rewards members. Starbucks has not said in the material we read whether those extras repeat this year, so treat them as last year's perks, not promises.

What are the Bearista dates and prices?

The Bearista cold cup is the merchandise story to watch. The 20-ounce glass cup shaped like a teddy bear sold for about $30 last year and, according to Starbucks as quoted by USA Today, sold out in less than a day. This year the schedule is staggered:

Nov. 5: the new Holiday Bearista collection, plus the Holiday Village and Peppermint Mocha drinkware lines.
Nov. 10: a Glass Bearista Cold Cup Surprise Box Edition, with a mystery character inside, in limited quantities.
Nov. 17: the Winter Wonderland drinkware collection.
Dec. 1: the original Bearista Glass Cold Cup returns to select coffeehouses while supplies last.

USA Today lists the Nov. 5 Bearista collection prices as $34.95 for the Owala water bottle, $14.95 for the plush bag charm, $19.95 for the mug and $27.95 for the stainless steel cold cup. Starbucks has not put a price on the Surprise Box in what we read, so check the app before you go.

Also new: a limited holiday pup cup, a small cup of whipped cream for dogs, at select coffeehouses while supplies last. It is the first time Starbucks has made a holiday design for it.

Our take

The menu itself is a safe mix of returning drinks with one real gamble, the tiramisu line, which sounds closer to dessert than coffee. If you like sweet foam on cold brew, it is probably your pick. If you want the classic, the Peppermint Mocha is exactly where you left it.

The practical advice is about timing. Prices vary by store and drinkware sells out, so if you want a Bearista item, go early or check the app. If you only want the free cup, you do not need to rush today. Nov. 17 is the date, and you will need to buy a holiday drink either way. That is our read of the announcement, and stock will differ store to store.