Starbucks is marking the 40th anniversary of its beloved Christmas Blend, first introduced on November 23, 1984, the day after Thanksgiving, at the original store in Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. At that time, Starbucks had just five locations.
The Christmas Blend was initially delivered to stores in five-pound metal bins, with coffee scooped directly into wax paper bags. The coffee was so fresh that the bins would sometimes still be warm when delivered. The blend is a post-roast mix, meaning the beans from various regions—Sumatra, Guatemala, Kenya, and Colombia—are roasted separately before being blended to enhance their unique flavors. The profile remains true to the original recipe, with rich, robust notes of spiced chocolate and spruce tips. Starbucks Christmas Blend is made with 100% Arabica coffee, ethically sourced through the Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices.
David Seymour, a Starbucks roasting plant partner for 42 years, recalled the excitement surrounding the launch. “Christmas Blend was our first big hit, so we were sort of guessing on the volume, and we didn’t really guess right,” he said. “We’d get calls for emergency 1,000-pound orders, and we could package and deliver it within a couple of hours.”
By the following year, buzz around the Christmas Blend began to build as early as autumn, with stores counting down the days until its return. Seymour added, “It’s kind of similar to when they release the red holiday cup nowadays. Everyone wants that first pound or first cup.”
In 1987, Starbucks reached a new milestone when customers could enjoy the Christmas Blend as brewed coffee in stores. This marked the beginning of significant growth for the company. By 1988, Starbucks offered the Christmas Blend by mail order.
In 1997, the now-iconic red holiday cups were introduced. A year later, in 1998, Starbucks Christmas Blend and other packaged coffees were available in grocery stores.
The new millennium brought innovations like the Peppermint Mocha (2002) and the launch of the Holiday Blend in 2013—a medium-roast coffee made from bright Latin American and smooth Indonesian beans. In 2015, Starbucks released the Reserve Christmas Blend.
Today, Starbucks Christmas Blend remains a holiday favorite. It is available as whole beans for USD $15.95 for a one-pound bag, as well as in ground and decaf versions. It is the featured dark roast brewed coffee in participating stores throughout much of the holiday season. The blend is typically released alongside the Starbucks holiday food and beverage menu each November.
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