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Starbucks’ $39.95 Bearista Glass Cold Cup Surprise Box hit select stores Nov. 10, with five hidden bears including rare Goldie and a two-box limit. Red Cup Day follows on Nov. 17. Here’s how to get both.
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Starbucks’ Bearista Glass Cold Cup Surprise Box went on sale on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at select coffeehouses. Each box costs $39.95, holds one of five holiday bear cups, including a rare golden bear called Goldie, and you can buy up to two in store while supplies last. The next big date is Red Cup Day on Tuesday, Nov. 17, when a handcrafted holiday drink gets you a free reusable red cup at participating stores. Here is what you need to know about both, plus the rest of this season’s Starbucks holiday calendar.
The Surprise Box is a new, blind-box version of Starbucks’ collectible Bearista Glass Cold Cup. According to Starbucks’ Nov. 9 announcement, each cup is made of hand-blown glass and costs $39.95. You won’t know which bear you have until you open the box, and each one comes with a personality card that lists the character’s “vibe,” holiday tradition and signature Starbucks drink order. Starbucks calls it its “biggest Bearista drop ever.”
The collection joins the Soccer Bearista, Pink Bearista and Snoopy Glass Cold Cup that Starbucks released earlier this year.
Starbucks has revealed four of the five bears and kept the fifth mostly under wraps:
Starbucks hasn’t said how many Goldie cups exist or what the odds are of pulling one, so anyone claiming exact odds is guessing.
The boxes are sold at select coffeehouses, not every Starbucks, and only while supplies last. Each customer can buy up to two Surprise Boxes in store. TODAY noted that the limit may help prevent the scrambles seen at earlier Bearista drops. Because stock and participation vary by location, it’s worth calling your nearest store before you go and getting there early.
A limited number of boxes went to Starbucks Rewards Reserve members on the Starbucks Shop website starting Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. Eastern time, with a limit of one per member. From Nov. 10, the Starbucks Shop is open to all customers, with holiday Bearista hoodies, sweatshirts and T-shirts. Starbucks’ announcement doesn’t say whether the Surprise Boxes themselves are sold online to everyone, so check the shop directly rather than assuming they are.
If a $39.95 blind box tempts you, it can help to set a spending cap first. Our guide to a stress-free holiday gift budget you can stick to has simple ways to plan for treats like this without overspending.
Starbucks confirmed that Red Cup Day is back on Nov. 17. Customers who buy any handcrafted holiday beverage that day get a collectible reusable red cup at participating stores, while supplies last. USA TODAY reports that Starbucks has run the one-day giveaway every year since 2018. Starbucks hasn’t shown this year’s reusable cup design yet.
Nov. 17 is a Tuesday, so if you’re juggling work and holiday errands, it may help to plan the stop the way you’d plan any other busy-season task. Our time-blocking template for busy December weeks works just as well for mid-November.
The holiday menu arrived on Nov. 5. Any handcrafted holiday drink qualifies for Red Cup Day, including these:
Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai are back. Starbucks says all of its holiday cold foams can also be made with protein, adding about 15 grams in a grande.
The new Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese and a refreshed Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich lead the food menu, alongside a new Bearista Cake Pop and the returning Snowman Cookie, Cranberry Bliss Bar and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish.
According to TODAY, the season has a few more dates to watch:
This year’s paper holiday cups, which feature trees and bows on hot cups and evergreens with red bows on cold cups, have been in stores since Nov. 5. For the first time, Starbucks also has a limited-edition holiday pup cup at select stores.
If you’re trying to fit seasonal treats around bigger holiday costs, our tips on how to save, spend and still enjoy a year-end bonus can help you decide what’s worth the splurge.
Each Bearista Glass Cold Cup Surprise Box costs $39.95, according to Starbucks.
Up to two per customer in coffeehouses, while supplies last. The Rewards Reserve online pre-sale was limited to one per member.
No. The character is hidden inside the box, so you’ll only know which bear you have after you open it.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026. Buy any handcrafted holiday drink at a participating store to get a free reusable red cup while supplies last.
The reusable cup itself is free, but you need to buy a qualifying handcrafted holiday beverage to get it.
Sources: Starbucks (Nov. 4 and Nov. 9, 2026 announcements), TODAY, USA TODAY and Quartz. Details are current as of Nov. 10, 2026, and stock and participation vary by store. Featured image: a Starbucks Caramel Brulée Latte in a holiday cup, photo by c w via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0, cropped.
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