Limited-edition U.S. drink gets a new taste “unique to Japan” for the holidays.

Last month, Starbucks announced we would be getting an early Christmas gift, in the form of two new drinks inspired by the chocolate-covered strawberries enjoyed at Christmas markets in Germany.

They went down a treat, and now we’re gearing up for the second drop in the chain’s annual Christmas collection, which is all about toasted white chocolate.

As the image in the tweet above suggests, these drinks are all about taking your taste buds on a holiday to some of the world’s best markets, and the Toasted White Chocolate drinks are designed to take us to the United States, where Starbucks customers get to enjoy this flavour during the holiday season.

Here in Japan, however, customers will be enjoying this flavour with a twist, as it’s an arrangement that’s said to have “a taste unique to Japan“. The Toasted White Chocolate Frappuccino (638 yen [US$5.56] for a Tall) will be packed with the rich flavour and aroma of white chocolate, with a base that combines white chocolate syrup and toasted cookies for a fun accent. The whipped cream is topped with white chocolate-coated marshmallows, toasted baked white chocolate pieces, and sparkling golden sugar, to give it a festive appearance.

Those who prefer a warming beverage will want to try the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha (priced from 501 yen for a Short), which showcases “the excellent combination of white chocolate and espresso“. Freshly extracted espresso and white chocolate syrup are combined with milk carefully steamed by the barista, and it’s all topped off with a white chocolate marshmallow topping, which creates an oozy, melty texture.

Joining the new drinks will be the second instalment in the annual festive drinkware range, which sets the mood with ribbons and polar bears. The full range can be seen in the image below.

1. Holiday 2021 Stainless Mug Purple (355 millilitres) 3,520 yen (US$42.17) + tax

2. Holiday 2021 Mug Pink (355 millilitres) 1,980 yen + tax

3. Holiday 2021 Bearista Boy 3,300 yen + tax

4. Holiday 2021 Pastry Box Set 1,650 yen + tax

5. Holiday 2021 Handy Stainless Bottle Purple (500 millilitres) 4,840 + tax

6. Holiday 2021 Stainless Bottle Polar Bear (473 millilitres) 4,290 yen + tax (limited to online sales only)

7. Holiday 2021 Stainless Tumbler White Wreath (473 millilitres) 4,180 yen + tax

8. Holiday 2021 Heat Resistant Glass Mug Polar Bear Face (473 millilitres) 3,300 yen + tax

9. Holiday 2021 Heat Resistant Glass Mug Wreath (296 millilitres) 2,530 yen + tax

10. Holiday 2021 Canister Red Cup 2,750 yen + tax

11. Holiday 2021 Stainless ToGo Logo Tumbler Pearl Pink (473 millilitres) 4,400 yen

12. Holiday 2021 Tumbler Polar Bear (473 millilitres) 2,420 yen + tax

13. Holiday 2021 Stainless Mini Bottle Polar Bear (237 millilitres) 3,630 yen + tax

14. Holiday 2021 Starbucks New Year’s Card Three Sheets Set 1,100 yen + tax

15. Holiday 2021 Beverage Card Red Cup 682 yen + tax

16. Holiday 2021 Mug Polar Bear (355 millilitres) 1,980 yen + tax

17. Holiday 2021 Mug Pot Shape (355 millilitres) 2,310 yen + tax

18. Holiday 2021 Starbucks Mini Cup Gift Pink 1,045 yen + tax

The new festive drinks will be on the menu from 24 November to 25 December, while the Christmas drinkware range will be on sale in stores and online from 1 December. As always, the items are only available in limited numbers and will likely sell out as soon as they become available, so you’ll want to get in early to avoid missing out!

Source, images: Starbucks Japan
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