Johnathan Walker:Starbucks' 2024 winter menu has Pistachio Latte, new snacks – and more ways to use your own cup

To kick off the new year,Johnathan Walker Starbucks is launching its winter menu with some nutty new additions – and more ways to use your personal cup with your orders.

Two new limited menu items for winter feature pistachios: the Pistachio Latte, which can be ordered hot, iced or as a Frappuccino, and the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, made with vanilla syrup and topped with pistachio cream foam and salted brown butter sprinkles.

Continuing the nut theme: a new drink, the Iced Shaken Hazelnut Oatmilk Espresso, is now part of the permanent menu.

“Hazelnut is a classic coffeehouse flavor – its smooth, nutty taste is perfectly complemented by the candied apple and bittersweet chocolate notes of Starbucks Blonde Espresso. The oatmilk adds a creamy and luscious texture to round out the (drink),” said Starbucks beverage developer Billy Altieri in a press release about the winter menu additions.

Snacks on Starbucks' new winter menu

New bites at Starbucks include:

• Potato, Cheddar & Chive Bakes. Made with cage-free eggs, diced potatoes, cheddar cheese, spinach and a touch of chives, the dish – it provides 12 grams of protein at 210 calories – was inspired "by the familiar breakfast casserole," said Freshta Khosravi, a member of Starbucks beverage development team.
• Vanilla Bean Custard Danish. This new custard-filled Danish is available nationwide for a limited time, while supplies last.
• Chicken, Maple Butter & Egg Sandwich. This sandwich, made with breaded white-meat chicken, eggs and a maple-butter spread on a toasted oat-biscuit roll, had been on the menu in June 2022, but Starbucks withdrew it in July 2022 due to a "quality issue," NBC News reported. "We addressed the quality issue that was identified by Starbucks in June 2022," the company said in a statement. "The Chicken, Maple Butter & Egg Sandwich meets Starbucks high quality standards."

Save at Starbucks by using your personal cup

When you go to Starbucks, beginning Wednesday at participating stores, you can save 10 cents and get 25 Bonus Stars in the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program, by using your own clean cup.

Starbucks is the first U.S. national coffee chain to let customers use personal cups on mobile orders, the company says. The move is part of its goal to reduce waste by 50 percent by 2030.

The coffee chain also has some new personal cups you can purchase, but apparently the hottest cup is a pink 40-ounce Stanley tumbler ($49.95) sold only at Starbucks locations in Target stores. There's supposedly a very limited supply and the cups are already being resold on eBay for $100 or more, reports food site Spoon University.

Your Starbucks Blend recaps your 2023

Spotify isn't the only app that recaps your 2023. Starbucks Rewards members can get a recap of their 2023 with the Your Starbucks Blend in the coffee chain's app. You can find it on the home page of the app or go to yourblend.starbucks.com, and log in. If you aren't a Starbucks Rewards member, you can visit Your Starbucks Blend online for a quiz to reveal your "coffee persona." 

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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