Starbucks Holiday Drinks You Won't Find In The US

Starbucks die-hards in the U.S. may eagerly await the return of Pumpkin Spice Latte when holiday drink season rolls around (in August!), but they have no idea what they're missing from the fanciful holiday drinks found in other Starbucks markets around the globe. There may be a presence from some of the more familiar flavors like Peppermint Mocha and Gingerbread Latte, but there's a whole world of flavors that never make it to North American shores. These crafty creations capture something special for the cultures in which they appear, using rich flavors that might have difficulty finding footing with domestic drinkers from the staunchly PSL Nation. We may believe that, at such a special time of year, all coffee drinks deserve a fair shot, Starbucks has its own holiday plans.

Though some of the more familiar once-a-year blends can be ordered from a secret menu any time of year, the fun of waiting for the Starbucks line-up is akin to watching for Santa. The same is true in other regions where limited-edition concoctions make celebratory occasions even more special. We put on our hiking books and took a virtual trek around the world to find out what sorts of sweet selections we in the States are missing out on. It turns out there are some creative offerings that sound seriously delicious, even if we never get the chance to try them for ourselves.

Maybe ordering food from the Starbucks pastry case isn't the best idea, but it's a whole different story when pastry ingredients are included in the company's coffee beverages. Though the name may include some familiar flavors, Butter Caramel Mille-Feuille Latte isn't simply a repackaged caramel latte in a red holiday cup. The formula recreates the classic French mille-feuille pastry by combining custardy sauce and gooey caramel with a sprinkling of flaky dough and crisp pie crust crumbles, all topped with whipped cream and a gleaming drizzle of caramel sauce. And of course, there's Starbucks' signature espresso in the cup too, along with steamed milk. It's like having coffee and a treat without having to order twice.

As popular as Starbucks is in Japan, customers prefer their drinks made less sweet than American guests, making an overly sugary drink like a Butter Caramel Mille-feuille Latte seems like a holiday gift destined for the return bin. But this market adjusts the sweetness even in its best-known formulas to keep things appealing for its faithful clientele. So it's safe to say a holiday drink designed for the region is dialed into the tastes to keep the season perfectly festive. We have holiday faith that if it ever shows up in a U.S. Starbucks, it will be served at full-strength sweetness and super-charged caffeinated voltage.

Fruit flavors are nothing new to the Starbucks set, though these nature-inspired essences are almost always featured among the frozen drinks and iced teas sold at the siren's shop. Finding a special blend like Merry Strawberry on the menu in locations around Latin America, Japan, and the Caribbean is like discovering a secret gift hidden deep in the toe of your Christmas stocking. Merry Strawberry Cake Frappuccino continues the tradition of cold fruit drinks, but this time, there's sponge cake and shortbread flavors sharing the cup with strawberry syrup and fluffy whipped cream. The finished beverage displays elegant layers and sips like a drinkable parfait. Fans of hot drinks can enjoy steamed milk flavored with blitzed strawberries in addition to the sauce. Both versions promise to taste like strawberry shortcake, which happens to be a popular Christmas cake in Japan, a treat once seen as a luxury but can now be recreated from any of a multitude of online recipes. 

For Starbucks enthusiasts in Latin America and the Caribbean, Merry Strawberry Mocha brings together fruit and chocolate in a vibrant whirl that's both tangy and rich. While coffee specialists in other regions are ticking off their holiday to-do lists with something spicy or chocolatey in hand to remind them of the season, Starbucks visitors in these warmer climates can cradle a more customary Christmas quaff in their mittened hands.

Luxurious red velvet cake flavor mixed into a latte sounds like a specialty drink only celebrities would know about. But lucky customers in Latin American and the Caribbean can count on Christmas magic to bring Red Velvet Latte to Starbucks in their regions just as sure as Santa swings by in his sleigh to scatter gifts under every tree. Imagine a red velvet sauce swirled into bold espresso with a cloud of whipped cream on top, decorated with a garland of extra red velvet sauce. Of course, this soothing swig comes in both hot and iced variations to make sure everyone gets what they put on their wish lists. It's like having visions of sugarplums you can drink with a straw. Joy to the world, indeed!

Asian countries sneak in their own take on this cheerful coffee chug with a Red Velvet Oatmilk Latte, replacing standard dairy with plant-based milk for a vegan-friendly recipe. As accommodating as Starbucks is, it's a safe bet that you can ask for this beverage with your choice of milk despite having oat milk locked into the name. After all, if you can't get what you want at Christmastime, why have you bothered being good all year long?

You may think of strawberry as a fruit flavor that sings more about the sensations of spring than the wonders of winter. But in Japan, a Strawberry Merry Cream Frappuccino from Starbucks does its best to pair this tangy berry with undeniably indulgent ingredients to make an enchanting new beverage that arrives like a gift from the North Pole — in Japan, at least. Not only is there real strawberry pulp in the cup, but the white fluff that would ordinarily be whipped cream is actually a mix of white chocolate and silky mascarpone. The only other confection that measures up to a description like that is strawberry cheesecake, which makes us think we should ask Santa for a Starbucks card and a trip to Japan this year. A report from Japan Today notes that this singular Christmas goodie will be sold as a Tall only, a one-size-fits-all gift.

Daring drinkers may think this mix could use a little traditional tea to make things even more complex. For these holiday beverage adventurers, there's Strawberry Merry Cream Tea Latte. Available hot or cold in any size you prefer, it tweaks the formula with a mix of Earl Grey tea and milk. With drinks this sweet, who needs Christmas cookies?

Cranberries are a winter staple, and white chocolate and cranberries are a popular holiday cookie combination. So there's nothing strange about combining the flavors into a Cranberry Mocha Blanco Latte as the Starbucks locations in Latin America have done at holiday time. Also listed as a Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha, this tingly zinger included white chocolate syrup and cranberry sauce (liquid, we're guessing, not the weird, wiggly canned kind) mixed with espresso and steamed milk, with the holiday-standard whipped topping topper decked in a cranberry swirl and sparkling sugar. Though the debate over what form cranberry should take in a holiday meal may rage eternally, there's something to be said for a coffee drink that aims to sweeten the tartness with generous amounts of sugar.

Latin America wasn't the only market to receive this cranberry coffee drink. The flavor was tested in U.S. markets in 2012, having appeared the prior year in several other regions as well. Since it isn't part of the returning domestic line-up, we have to assume Starbucks didn't find merit in keeping it around for its stateside revelers. Too bad. It sounds like a fantastic use for cranberries at holiday time that everyone would be able to agree on.