The Starbucks Merry Strawberry Holiday Drinks Sold Internationally

Holiday-inspired beverages are all the rage at Starbucks. For a limited time, you can feast your eyes (and palate) on chestnut praline, toasted white chocolate mocha, peppermint mocha, sugar cookie, and caramel brulée flavors, according to Starbucks.

Granted, some of these flavors may not be available outside of the United States but fear not, for the holiday spirit lives on with other festive and often vibrantly colored drinks. As Starbucks Stories & News mentions, Japan celebrates the creme brulée latte, caramel almond milk, and its own spin on the toasted white chocolate mocha. South Korea, on the other, loves to add a splash of color to its beverages, namely with the snow mint chocolate (think white chocolate and minty matcha flavors), pink chamomile relaxer (with lychee, lemongrass, chamomile, and youthberry tea), and dolce cookie latte (adorned with a bear-shaped cookie on top).

But only one of the above beverages contains fruit, which isn't that common in Starbucks holiday drinks. Luckily, if you're looking for a creamy, sweet, and refreshing option, we've got you covered with this very "merry" beverage.

According to Starbucks Stories & News, the merry strawberry beverage is available at Starbucks locations across Latin America and the Caribbean and can be ordered hot, iced, or blended into a frappuccino. Here's the breakdown: White chocolate mocha, ice, espresso, and milk, are all blended and then topped with whipped cream and drizzles of strawberry sauce. 

Japan has its variation of the merry strawberry beverage, enhancing it with strawberry sauce, strawberry bits atop the whipped cream, and a base composed of shortbread and blended sponge cake. The drink can be ordered hot or as a frappuccino and bears some resemblance in its taste to a classic strawberry shortcake (via Starbucks Stories Asia).

One thing to note about the merry strawberry cake frappuccino is how it ties to a Japanese Christmas cake. As Japan Centre explains, this features a sponge cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. You'll also often see plastic ornaments on top, such as a mini sign that says "Merry Christmas," per Savvy Tokyo. And as you might have already guessed, it's commonly consumed during the holiday season in Japan, similar to how turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving in the United States.