As a resident of Miami, I’m always searching for a way to keep warm during the Nashville winter season. Whether it’s inside my 80-degree dorm room or underneath layers of clothing, I always find a way to stay cozy. One solution I’ve found to combat the cold is Starbucks.
I never lose an opportunity to buy a cup and feel the soothing warmth of the coffee after every sumptuous sip. That rich, earthy smell of coffee in the morning is the little bit of heaven I need to keep me awake for the rest of the day.
Recently, I tried the ginger snap latte that Starbucks serves almost every Christmas season. “But we just celebrated Thanksgiving!” you may exclaim. What’s with all the commercialism? I have to say, back in November I thought it was pretty early for Starbucks to be selling coffee in those famous “red cups.” But as temperatures drop and the holiday season rolls our way, the time seems right to promote that toasty, homey feeling.
Ashley Young, general supervisor at the Starbucks in the Student Life Center, said if students thought the holiday cups appeared earlier this year, they were right.
“This year, we started selling the cups on Nov. 4 rather than Nov. 27 as in previous years. There is no real reason behind it that I’ve heard of,” she says.
Each year, Starbucks presents artwork on the cups that follows a holiday theme.
“The cups are always different. We like to focus on the artwork more than anything, which is why they don’t have quotes like the regular cups.” Young said. “If there is an increase in sales, it’s usually attributed to people getting into the season and wanting to take some home to their families. People usually buy somatic types of coffee, but they get into the themes and the new blends.”
The first Christmas blend ever was released in 1984. It features a mix of Latin American and Asian/Pacific coffee along with rare and aged Indonesian beans. The exotic and spicy lure of the blend made customers want to buy it by the pound. Today, new flavors such as the gingersnap latte, peppermint mocha twist and espresso truffle are popular drinks as customers look for alternatives to the traditional combination.
With so many new holiday offerings, it can be difficult to choose the right drink for that chilly day. Each is very different, so when you’re trying to choose, consider what kind of flavor you’re looking for in your steamy beverage.
If you are in the market for a creamy drink with the added kick of crystallized ginger, go for the gingersnap latte. Prefer the taste of mint, bittersweet chocolate and coffee flavor? Then the peppermint mocha twist is for you. If you need that early morning eye-opener to make it through the last full week of early classes, try espresso with Starbucks’ European-style cocoa. Whichever one you choose, these holiday delights leave little room for disappointment.
