The holidays can't officially start until Starbucks rolls out its much anticipated red cups, and this year, the coffee chain has an extra special gift it's handing out: the Starbucks Holiday Spice Flat White. Though we've known about its existence for a couple of weeks now, the elusive new beverage didn't hit stores along with the rest of the red cup holiday drinks that have become even more synonymous with holiday joy than visions of sugar plums that once danced through our heads. The Starbucks Holiday Spice Flat White is available starting Nov. 30, and if you ask me, that's not a moment too soon.
While we've been sipping on the warm, soul-quenching likes of the Peppermint Mocha and Gingerbread Latte since the beginning of November, Starbucks decided to make us wait a bit for the newest drink in its holiday lineup. I don't blame them — it's good to have something to look forward to, and the Holiday Spice Flat White is definitely worth the wait. Not familiar with the Flat White? Allow me to break it down. Much like a cappuccino, the Flat White is usually heavy on the espresso and steamed milk, and doesn't come with any flavored syrups. It's foamy, velvety, smooth, and, like most espresso-based drinks, gives you a gentle yet much-needed energy boost. Along with a rich Christmas Blend Espresso Roast ristretto shot, Starbucks' Holiday Spice Flat White also comes infused with a blend of festive spices, including ground sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and tangerine sugar. The result is a drink that smells and tastes instantly like Christmas, but in a subtle way that isn't overpowering.
Oh, also? It looks pretty darn cool:
Of course, this isn't the first time Starbucks has introduced a Flat White (which claims origins in Australia and New Zealand, by the way) to its menu. The chain first added a Flat White in January 2015, to much applause. And hey, if you can take something and make it Christmas-y, why wouldn't you?
In case you are in the mood for something a little more old-school, though, the Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, and Caramel Brulee Latte are also available through the holidays for all your sipping pleasures, as is the Chestnut Praline Latte, which returns to the Starbucks menu this year after a successful debut in 2014.
Basically, the holidays are coming, and there is no place more ready than Starbucks. Not that you're surprised.
For more holiday ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.
Images: Courtesy of Starbucks
