Starbucks’ “Bearista” cup is now available (sold out quickly)
Starbucks fans lined up before dawn to get the bear-shaped Bearista cups from the new holiday collection.
Starbucks introduced the original Glass Bearista Cold Cup in November 2025 as part of its holiday product line. The release of this cup was a defining moment in Starbucks’ product strategy.
In a blog post shared exclusively with USA TODAY ahead of its release, Treci Lieberman, Starbucks’ global chief brand officer, said the launch of the Bearista Cup was “more than just a successful product launch; it was a turning point.”
The Glass Bearista Cold Cup with Straw is shaped like a teddy bear with a green Starbucks stocking cap on its head and is designed to hold 20 ounces of cold beer or your other favorite beverage. Starbucks said the cup, which retails for $29.95, sold out in less than a day, prompting some disappointed customers to flood Starbucks’ social media accounts about the out-of-stock cup.
“Excitement about our product has exceeded even our highest expectations, and even though we shipped more Bearista Cups to coffeehouses than almost any other product this holiday season, the Bearista Cup and some other products quickly sold out,” Starbucks said in a statement last November.
Lieberman said in a blog post that today’s customers are looking for products and experiences that “reflect who they are and what they love,” and that customers didn’t just buy the Bearista Cup, they “shared it, celebrated it, and made it part of a broader cultural conversation.”
According to Lieberman’s blog post, Starbucks is expanding the ways customers can access its products, with an online merchandise shop currently available only to Starbucks Rewards members becoming available to all customers ahead of the holiday season later this year.
Lieberman said the merchandise plays a key role in the company’s “Back to Starbucks” plan, which allows it to extend the “Starbucks experience beyond the coffeehouse” and create new ways for customers to engage with the brand.
The Bearista Cold Cup was so popular among fans that Starbucks subsequently launched two additional versions: a soccer-themed cup ahead of the World Cup in June, and a pink Bearista Cup earlier this month. Most of the North American inventory of pink cups had been sold out by 7 a.m. local time, Lieberman said. It’s unclear whether the fan-favorite cup will be released again.
The coffee chain also cites other recent collaborations, including a special “Peanuts” cup and a special line of “Hello Kitty” merchandise, to highlight “the power of culturally relevant design that travels the world.”
Other food and beverage companies are focusing on products to connect with customers
The movement to utilize goods and collaborate with popular pop culture brands seems to be spreading to the food and beverage industry.
Ahead of the 2026 Men’s World Cup, beer brands such as Miller Lite and Coors Light have announced unique items that will be sold exclusively through online shops to attract customers.
Last month, Coors Light introduced its new Tallboy canister. This is a limited edition taller than Tallboy designed to hold and cool three full Coors Light cans at once. This canister was available on Shop.Coorslight.com on June 11th and June 18th. Miller Lite also joined in on the World Cup fun, introducing the Miller Time MVP Match Ball in May. This ball is approximately 50% larger than a standard soccer ball, holds up to 12 Miller Lite cans, comes with a display stand, and is refillable (beer not included). The ball was available for purchase on May 20th and again on June 3rd exclusively on the Miller Lite website.
Trader Joe’s tote bag lineup has become a social phenomenon, with Black Friday-style lines forming in stores when new bags go on sale and videos of people going through the process of securing bags going viral on social media.
Many popular fast food companies have created online shops where fans can purchase branded products. McDonald’s has Golden Arches Unlimited, Chick-fil-A has Chick-fil-A Shop, Panera Bread has The Panera Shop, Whataburger has Whatastore, and many other examples.
Gabe Hauari is USA TODAY’s national trends news reporter. You can follow him at X @gabehauari Or email Gdhauari@usatoday.com.
