You’ll want to get in quick to nab this exclusive free present. 

Whenever our resident Starbucks expert K. Masami gets wind of a new and amazing offer at her favourite coffeehouse chain, rather than keep the news all to herself, she always shares the love by letting us in on all the juicy details.

That’s what she did on 1 December, when she was picking up her regular coffee and spotted this enticing offer.

Yes, this is a “present” from Starbucks, limited to one per customer, as part of an offer that started on the first day of winter. To receive the present, you have to purchase one of the following products:

・Starbucks Via Christmas Blend 12 sticks (1,450 yen [US$12.79])
・Starbucks Via Christmas Blend Glass Canister 15 sticks (2,600 yen)
・Starbucks Origami Christmas Blend Box 10 bags (2,200 yen)

Once you’ve done that, you’ll receive this gorgeous Mini Cup, in one of three designs shown on the poster.

By 11 a.m. on the first day of release, all the sets with the free presents had already sold out online, so Masami was lucky to pick hers up in-store. The beautifully designed tableware was presented in a lovely Christmassy box, and it measured five centimetres (two inches) in height and 11 centimetres in diameter.

▼ Masami was impressed to find that the Mini Cup was microwave-safe and dishwasher-proof.

The size was perfect for use as a side dish or for holding sweets or snacks. However, after consulting with her furry four-legged housemate, who makes all the decisions at home, it was decided that the Mini Cup would best be used as an ice cream bowl.

Masami headed off to the kitchen and filled the cup with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream, and that’s when she saw the Via Christmas Blend she’d purchased as part of the offer. So she emptied one of the sticks into a cup and added a little hot water to the powder, creating a coffee sauce to pour over the top.

This turned out to be a pretty genius idea, as it turned her plain ice cream into a delicious affogato in seconds. The coffee tasted rich and flavourful, pairing perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the ice cream.

Masami regularly buys Starbucks’ Via packs, so being able to get this gorgeous cup for nothing was a fantastic deal that really lifted her spirits and put her in a festive mood.

The Mini Cup is now happily nestled amongst all of Masami’s other festive Starbucks drinkware items, and next time she has a hankering for pudding, she’ll be reaching for it again as it’s the perfect size for making a Persimmon Purin.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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