Every November, colourful bags of Starbucks holiday coffees arrive in stores, beckoning to be scooped up as a gift or as the perfect <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/2019-starbucks-holiday-coffee-and-pairings-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accompaniment to a festive meal</a>. The original Christmas Blend, introduced in 1984, has been a holiday tradition at Starbucks even longer than the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/starbucks-peppermint-mocha-a-love-story/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peppermint Mocha</a> or <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2017/20-years-of-starbucks-holiday-cups/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">red holiday cups</a>, beloved for its special blend of Latin American and rare aged Sumatran beans. Over the years, the holiday coffee family has grown to include new varieties like Starbucks® <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/295/whole-bean" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/295/whole-bean" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holiday Blend</a> and <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/770/whole-bean" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/770/whole-bean" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christmas Blend Espresso Roast</a>, with fresh twists on the classic recipe.­­­ Their packaging helps tell the story of more than three decades of coffee passion and craft – if you know where to look.

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“The coffee packaging is always like these little jewels that show up in the store that cue the holidays,” said Jeff Wilkson, creative director for Starbucks, whose team led <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/the-holiday-season-at-starbucks-starts-tomorrow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this year’s holiday design</a>. “They are so beautiful and they have a little bit of shine to them.”

When Starbucks first introduced Christmas Blend, it was packed into plain brown paper bags to be brewed at home. But as Starbucks transformed from a whole bean retailer to a coffeehouse, its bags became vessels for visual storytelling starting with decorative adhesive stamps and later with higher tech packaging that uses a printed laminated film, called “­­rollstock,” with a FlavorLock™ seal to help the beans to taste fresh longer. The new rollstock packages offered a larger canvas for sharing each coffee’s unique story through images and words. Christmas Blend could be <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/12-years-of-starbucks-christmas-blend/" target="_blank">wrapped as a treasured gift</a> – bedecked with boughs of holly, snow-filled scenes, or shimmering ornaments – along with tasting notes and brewing tips from the blend’s creators.

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The artwork for the 2020 Starbucks holiday coffee bag draws from this long and vibrant tradition. Each one distinctive, with traditional reds, greens and gold with highlights of sugar plum and candy pink. They also tie into <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/the-holiday-season-at-starbucks-starts-tomorrow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this year’s holiday cup design</a>, with iconography pulled from the ribbon cup – like the Siren’s crown, tail and scales.

The coffees inside the bags are just as beautiful. Inspired by the original flavours of the holiday coffee blends, Starbucks team of expert coffee developers built upon their comfort, tradition, and familiarity while also bringing new coffees from Asia, Africa and Latin America. They also considered brewing methods such as iced and cold brew and savoury pairings as well as sweet.

“What I love about all the holiday coffees this year is that there are so many new origins and so many unique, extraordinary sensory experiences, across the portfolio,” said Mary Mayorquin, senior manager for Starbucks Global Coffee Strategy and Development.

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Christmas Blend Espresso Roast

Starbucks® Holiday Blend

Starbucks Reserve® Christmas 2020

Starbucks Reserve coffees have a keepsake card affixed to every package, each is its own work of art like the coffees themselves. Since 2015, Starbucks Reserve Christmas has been a vibrant, modern expression of the holiday, with savoury spice notes and a bright sweetness. The blend, roasted at Starbucks Reserve™ Roastery locations, features three rare and remarkable coffees: Hacienda Alsacia®, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2018/five-things-to-know-about-starbucks-coffee-farm-hacienda-alsacia/" target="_blank">from our Starbucks Costa Rica farm</a>, returns with hints of citrus alongside aged Sumatra, long treasured for its earthy, aromatic spice. New this year is the inclusion of full-bodied Sulawesi coffee from the Indonesian archipelago. These hand-selected beans, cultivated by smallholder farmers, bring a delicate butterscotch sweetness to the 2020 blend. This year’s artwork reflects the rare and magical elements of these three coffees coming together. Orange, butterscotch and warm spices all inspired the colourways, iconography and textures in this artwork with greens and reds coming in to help further celebrate the holiday season.

Available at&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us?" target="_blank">Starbucks Reserve Roastery</a>&nbsp;locations in the United States and Canada.

Trace the journey of Starbucks holiday coffees

Customers can learn even more about Starbucks holiday coffees by using the company’s <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/new-starbucks-traceability-tool-explores-bean-to-cup-journey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new Digital Traceability tool</a> to explore the journey from bean to cup. The mobile web app will take you to meet the farmers behind the coffee, explore the growing regions where the coffee beans are sourced and roasted, and show you how they became the Starbucks coffee you know and love.

To get started, go to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://traceability.starbucks.com/#/" target="_blank">traceability.starbucks.com</a> to scan or enter the number on the back of any bag of whole bean coffee at Starbucks stores in Canada or the U.S. Or, simply visit the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://traceability.starbucks.com/#/" target="_blank">mobile web app</a> to explore anytime. Access to the mobile web app is also available through the Starbucks® app until December 31.

The packaging of Starbucks holiday coffees share the legend of more than three decades of coffee passion and craft – if you know where to look.

The Story Behind Starbucks® Christmas Blend Coffees

Starbucks Canada

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/sites/9/2020/11/Starbucks-Christmas-Blend-Coffees.jpg

https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/the-story-behind-starbucks-christmas-blend-coffees/

Holiday coffees

The Story Behind Starbucks® Christmas Blend Coffees