Review: Starbucks' Winter 2025 Menu Delivers A Warm Welcome With A Clear Winner

It was quite a whirlwind end to 2024 for Starbucks, with a totally "Wicked" set of movie tie-in drinks, followed by a bevy of festive and tasty drinks and treats to ring in the holidays. To kick off 2025, Starbucks is hoping to keep January rather wet instead of dry with some returning favorites, like its pistachio beverages and new permanent additions to the menu. This includes the introduction of a vegan-friendly Spicy Falafel Pocket, and also one drink in particular that has oddly been absent from Starbucks' menu, but has been enjoyed for over a century elsewhere — a Cortado.

Starbucks' beverage product team member Ricky Gonzalez said in a statement, "Our goal was to create a new way for customers to experience espresso from us." Starbucks offers a wide array of espresso drinks, which run the gamut from the bold Doppio, and all the way to the lighter end of things with a Caffè Latte. Starbucks is hoping its new Cortado is the final complement to its espresso portfolio, as a perfect middle ground beverage. It's even going a step further by offering a sweeter variation — the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado.

So, should we roll out the welcome mat to these new winter items that are here to stay at Starbucks, or is 2025 already starting on a sour note? The Takeout took plenty of sips to see where the truth lies.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Starbucks' new winter menu launches nationwide, at participating locations, on January 3, 2025. The menu includes the return of limited time only favorites like the Pistachio Latte, Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, Vanilla Bean Custard Danish, and a Valentine Cake Pop. This menu will also usher in the new option of customizing the level of sweetness with its Matcha line of beverages with a reformulated mix. The good news about the Cortado, the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado, and the Spicy Falafel Pocket is that they will permanently reside on the menu year round. All of these items will also be available to order anytime Starbucks is open, based on availability. They can be ordered in store at the register, in advance for dine-in, or pick up at Starbucks using its app. Delivery may also be available at participating locations.

The two Cortado drinks are only available to order hot and in a single size — the Short, 8-ounce cup. The standard cream with Cortado is whole milk, but customers can substitute it with a milk preference of their choosing. The Spicy Falafel Pocket is available in one size and is served warm. Prices of these items may vary based on location. The Cortado ranges in a suggested retail price of $4.45 to $5.45, the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado, $4.95 to $5.95, and the Spicy Falafel Pocket from $4.25 to $5.25. Prices of these items will vary market-to-market.

The new Cortado consists of three ristretto shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, which contains less water to cut down on the bitterness. The Spanish word "cortado" means "to cut," and the added steamed milk "cuts" through the boldness of the shots to create this drink's balance.

To best exemplify the Cortado's place in Starbucks' espresso spectrum, I was first asked to try its polar opposite offerings — the Doppio and the Caffè Latte. The Doppio was a strong straight shooter, as a biting wallop of a beverage. On the other hand, the Caffè Latte is a simply smooth character, essentially just an easy sipper that tastes like a sea of steamed milk.

True to definition, Starbucks' Cortado is a middle of the road drink that isn't overly bold, exceedingly creamy, and is mostly devoid of sweetness. The steamed milk gave it a consistently creamy taste with each sip, and it added up to be just a nice all around, approachable beverage.

An 8-ounce Cortado nets 90 Calories, 40 Calories from fat, 4.5 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of total carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugars, 5 grams of protein, and contains 230 milligrams of caffeine.

With the popularity of its Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, Starbucks borrowed its talents for an offshoot for its new Cortado — the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado. This one also features three ristretto shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso, and mixes in steamed oatmilk with brown sugar syrup. When ready, it's topped off with a shake of cinnamon dust.

After enjoying the regular Cortado, this Brown Sugar one was next brought to my attention. I could tell from just from looking it at that this was going to be a whole different affair. Its surface almost had a burnt sugar crème brûlée appearance to it, and I took that as a good sign of sips to come. My mouth was instantly rewarded with this winning beverage, where cinnamon and brown sugar unite to bring a new sense of warmth to the Cortado, without resorting to being saccharine sweet. It's almost like a Cortada married a comforting cup of hot cocoa, with no chocolate in sight. This delightful flavor profile stayed intact even well after my drink started to run lukewarm. That's a true testament to its greatness.

An 8-ounce Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado contains 130 Calories, 30 calories from fat, 3.5 grams of total fat, 125 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 14 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein, and contains 230 milligrams of caffeine.

While a "Spicy Falafel Pocket" doesn't really sound all that wintry as a food item, any new warm offering by Starbucks is worth investigating at this chilly time of the year. The pocket here was formed from folded lavash bread, which was filled with smashed falafel, hummus, roasted red peppers, pickled onions, and a spicy herb sauce. From its wrapped surface — it didn't look like much, both by appearance, and in size. Was this a snack? A tiny nibble? Or was it just layers of dry, sandy dough, with marks on the outside to indicate it once was toasted?

The inside contents actually weren't all that appealing to look at either, as if it was a mushy, spinach-laden mix of Stove Top peeking out. Thankfully, inside-out looks turned out to be deceiving with this item, which sneakily packed a lot of flavor from its mushy confines. While my taste buds couldn't detect the direct elements of the peppers, onions, or even the hummus, they are working some sort of effect on the prevalent falafel mash to create a uniform delightful little appetizer. While I didn't find it all that spicy while eating it, this pocket lingered in the back of the mouth, leaving a memorable tingle of heat and its full flavor behind.

A Spicy Falafel Pocket weighs in at 230 Calories, 7 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 430 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugars and 8 grams of protein.

The last Starbucks winter item I tried remained the freshest on my mind, well beyond my tasting. I was able to score a second Spicy Falafel Pocket to take home. After spending the night in my fridge, I tried to resurrect its tastiness by reheating in an air fryer, and was able to replicate the same enjoyment of it as I did the first time around. This cemented my belief that this pocket makes for a great item to have any time of day, and would pair well with a cooler drink, like the returning pistachio ones, or perhaps the reformulated matcha-mixed libations. It's also certified vegan, which means all are welcome to get their fill with this surprisingly deep pocket.

As for the Cortados, it seems like a long overdue, no-brainer to add the standard one to the menu. Welcome to the menu! However, the Brown Sugar Oatmilk one is far superior option, and the one that should be the next drink you try on your next visit to Starbucks. It fits the season's mood and I was overjoyed to know that it will be hanging around on the menu, even when the weather starts to heat up. The only real downside with this Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado is that it's limited to its "Short" size. No matter, this drink mightily stands tall, and is ready for you to try it, too. Stay warm, dear readers!

In late December, Starbucks invited me to a taste testing of its Winter 2025 menu at a Starbucks location in Midtown Manhattan. I was presented with samples of its espresso Doppio and Caffè Latte drinks, to compare with its new Cortado. It was followed up with a sample of another new drink — the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado. The tasting was finished off with the presentation of the new Spicy Falafel Pocket, which was cut in half for the sole purpose of this tasting, but is normally served whole and uncut.

This chew and review, and sip and say was based on flavor, temperature, visual appeal, overall lovability, and the likelihood of reordering them in the future.