Starbucks Red Cup Day is coming back with more giveaways than ever and a brand-new reusable cup. Here's how to get yours.
This is a busy time for Starbucks, whose seasonal drinks and holiday cup designs draw customers in droves. But nothing gets fans of the brand quite so excited as Red Cup Day, a yearly giveaway that promises freebies for customers and a serious one-day sales boost for stores. After much anticipation, Starbucks has finally announced the date.
What is Red Cup Day?
It works like this: You order one of Starbucks’ handcrafted holiday beverages and receive a free reusable, holiday-themed red cup—while supplies last, of course. The promotion extends to any qualifying holiday drink, and orders can be placed in person, through the Starbucks app or via DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub.
The cup itself is grande size (16 ounces), and this year’s version comes with a jolly upgrade: It’s made with 95% recycled material and features a hand-drawn illustration of a Starbucks storefront by designer Yvonne Chan. “The design is inspired by the little moment of magic you feel when you step into a Starbucks from the cold outside,” Chan said. “With the hand-drawn sketch, I tried to capture the feeling of something crafted by one person for another.”
For logistical reasons, most Starbucks locations won’t serve your drink in the reusable cup, but rather in the standard paper cup, with the giveaway supplied on the side.
Red Cup Day has long served as the unofficial kickoff to Starbucks’ holiday season and one of the busiest days of the year for the brand. Because of that, it’s also the day upon which Starbucks Workers United has previously organized strikes to call for union rights.
When is Red Cup Day?
This year, Red Cup Day falls on Thursday, November 13, at participating U.S. Starbucks stores.
Starbucks says it’s giving away more cups than ever this year and bringing in additional baristas to make the day smoother for both customers and staff. It’s all part of what the company calls its Green Apron Service—a nod to the in-store warmth and hospitality that define its busiest days. Expect a full house, a lot of peppermint mochas and the kind of holiday chaos that baristas handle with superhuman grace.
If you’re planning to snag a red cup, go early, be patient and don’t forget to tip generously—it’s a long shift for the folks behind the counter.
Which drinks qualify for the red cup giveaway?
According to the official Starbucks announcement, Red Cup Day applies to any handcrafted holiday or fall beverage, whether hot, iced or blended. That includes this year’s lineup of returning favorites and new seasonal additions:
- Peppermint Mocha
- Caramel Brulée Latte
- Sugar Cookie Latte
- Sugar Cookie Breve
- Gingerbread Chai
- Gingerbread Latte
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- White Hot Chocolate
- Hot Chocolate
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai
- Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte
- Pecan Oatmilk Cortado
- Holiday and Fall Cold Foams and Protein Cold Foams
Sorry, black-coffee drinkers—the Christmas blends still don’t qualify. But use this as a time to treat yourself to a festive sip of something fun.
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