What Ever Happened To Starbucks' Cherries Jubilee Mocha?

Some Starbucks drinks come and go, while others are here to stay. The Caffe Latte, for example, has been around since the mid-1980s, not long after the chain was first created. And although the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso made its debut more recently in 2021, it has quickly become a fan favorite and stayed steadily on the menu ever since.

But some Starbucks creations just didn't make the cut. Some of the discontinued beverages in the chain's unofficial graveyard may sound familiar. The Eggnog Latte, for instance, was retired right before the holidays in November of 2021, much to the chagrin of disappointed customers. But other drinks go so far back that they may bring up nostalgic childhood memories or they may be forgotten about completely at this point. Case in point, the Valencia Orange Refresher was introduced in 2013, only to get discontinued two years later.

And the Eggnog Latte wasn't the only holiday drink to run its course on the Starbucks menu. Back in the day, the chain sold a cherries jubilee-inspired beverage that didn't even make it to every store before it was sent to the graveyard.

During the 2013 holiday season, Starbucks was testing out the Chestnut Praline Latte and the Cherries Jubilee Mocha. If you're a fan of Starbucks holiday drinks, you probably already know that the Chestnut Praline Latte has stood the test of time, since it was still featured on the 2022 holiday menu. The Cherries Jubilee Mocha, however, was more of a flop. It was inspired by the dessert cherries jubilee, which includes cherries cooked with cornstarch, sugar, orange zest, cherry extract, and brandy, then served over ice cream. 

However, the Starbucks drink added a chocolate twist to the classic dessert. A typical mocha with espresso, steamed milk, and mocha sauce was finished off with cherry syrup, whipped cream, cocoa powder, and a cherry drizzle. Perhaps anticipating that the drink wouldn't do as well as its chestnut partner, Starbucks only introduced the Cherries Jubilee Mocha in select stores in Orlando and Tampa, Florida. But that's where the hype ended. 

The mocha never made it to all national stores and was eventually taken off the menu completely. This wasn't Starbucks' only attempt at a chocolate cherry drink, however. In 2018, the chain debuted the Cherry Mocha right before Valentine's Day, an espresso drink with mocha sauce and candied cherry syrup. It still remains to be seen if the Cherry Mocha will last the test of time, but so far at least, it's faring better than the forgotten Cherries Jubilee Mocha.