Starbucks Just Added a New Drink to Its Permanent Lineup—and We Tried It First

The new year may have you itching to turn a new leaf, and we're right there with you. Whether it be switching up your routine or just trying to build better habits, 'tis the season to embrace those New Year's resolutions. And if your resolution was to try new things, you're in luck, because Starbucks is introducing a new winter menu full of them. However, if your resolution was to stop spending so much money on coffee, you may want to avert your eyes, because these items are surely going to test that.

Introducing Starbucks' First Ever Cortado

If you're worried about the post-holiday winter doldrums, Starbucks is here to put some pep in your step. And by that, I mean send you on your way with a healthy dose of caffeine.

Starbucks is kicking 2025 off with a bang by bringing a new, fan-requested coffee drink to menus: the cortado. The cortado is an espresso drink somewhere between an espresso (which is just pulled coffee) and a latte (which is espresso with steamed milk). It originated in Spain, and is made by combining three shots of espresso with the same amount of steamed milk, with a 1-1 ratio of espresso to steamed milk. If lattes or cappuccinos have too much milk for you, but an espresso is too strong on its own, this drink will be right up your alley.

Starbucks' take on the cortado can be made with any kind of milk of your choice, though it's classically made with steamed whole milk. In keeping with tradition, it is only available hot and in an 8-ounce cup (anything larger would change the amounts of milk and espresso that make a cortado what it is).

It's available as a regular cortado or in one variation: the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado, which features espresso, brown sugar syrup, cinnamon, and steamed oat milk with a dash of cinnamon on top. And that's not the only drink innovation in the winter lineup.

Starbucks Makes a Big Change to Its Matcha

The other big change on the menu is to another customer favorite: Starbucks' matcha. Starbucks has had matcha on the menu for a while (dating back to its Green Tea Latte in 2006), but a longtime complaint of customers was that the green tea powder was already sweetened. Well, Starbucks heard the feedback and made a change.

Now, all of Starbucks matcha drinks are made with an unsweetened powder, so you can customize the level of sweetness to your liking. The default matcha drink will still be sweetened, but it's with added simple syrup, so you can now amp up or remove that syrup entirely if you prefer a stronger tea flavor.

There's also a new savory food option to go with it: the Spicy Falafel Pocket. This certified vegan wrap features smashed falafel, creamy hummus, roasted red bell peppers, pickled onions, and a spicy herb sauce in toasted lavash flatbread wrap.

The best part of all of these new Starbucks treats is that they're all permanent menu additions, so there's no need to panic that they'll be gone soon. But, if you're already headed to Starbucks, a few fan favorites are returning for a limited time that you should be aware of.

The Return of Starbucks' Fan-Favorite Pistachio Latte

Starbucks' beloved Pistachio Latte is returning for a limited time. The nutty drink features espresso and steamed milk infused with the cozy flavors of sweet pistachio and a brown-buttery topping. It's available hot, iced, or blended as a Frappuccino.

That also means the Pistachio Cream Cold Brew is back, too. Despite chilly temperatures outside, this drink will wrap you up in warm notes of smooth pistachio cream cold foam and salted brown buttery sprinkles, which sit atop vanilla syrup-sweetened Starbucks cold brew.

Also returning from last year's winter menu is the Vanilla Bean Custard Danish, a sugared danish filled with rich vanilla bean custard. There's also one more sweet treat for lovers out there: Starbucks Valentine Cake Pop. It's a classic Starbucks cake pop dipped in red chocolate icing and decorated with a heart design.

I got a sneak preview of the new Starbucks winter menu items, and here are my honest thoughts.

My Review of Starbucks' 2025 Winter Menu

Though it's new to Starbucks, the cortado is not new to me, and I can say with honesty that Starbucks' cortado is a well-made, faithful rendition. According to Starbucks, the company has been perfecting the drink for a long time, even testing it in Chicago and South Florida where there's a large Cuban-American community, and coffee is a way of life. The drink elicited great feedback from the tests, prompting the coffee chain to bring it nationwide.

But the real star for me was the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado, which has the perfect level of sweetness and warmth that will make it feel like the holidays aren't over just yet. In telling you how good it is, I'll just say this: I always try to pace myself at these tastings, but without even noticing it, I had all but polished off this drink.

As for the matcha, it's a welcome change for those who, like me, only want a little sweetener in their matcha, and sometimes none. I previously found Starbucks' matcha to be too sweet for my taste, but the new-and-improved version is perfect. Plus, the chain also perfected its blending process, which yields a delightfully foamy top to the matcha lattes.

The Spicy Falafel Pocket was a pleasant surprise, too. I was expecting something dry, as so many store-bought falafel wraps are, but this one was moist and flavorful, without an overpowering hummus flavor. Many customers have been asking the chain for more vegan-friendly food options, and this one will surely tick the boxes for vegans and non-vegans alike. I think I found my new go-to airport lunch.

All in all, the winter menu is an impressive showing for Starbucks, and proves that the company's new CEO, Brian Niccol, is dedicated to making the changes customers have been begging for for years. Our cold, gray January just got a little bright spot.

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