Starbucks' Veterans Day offer is back with a major change!
Thanksgiving may be the star holiday of November, but it’s not the only thing to celebrate as the year draws to a close. Veterans Day may not include large family gatherings and pumpkin pies, but it’s a chance to thank and honor the military community and other federal workers, especially with this Starbucks Veterans Day deal.
Along with many other restaurants and retailers, Starbucks is reviving its Veterans Day special. However, a free drink isn’t the only way they’re thanking veterans for their service.
What Is Starbucks’ Veterans Day Offer?
This year, Starbucks is offering a free tall (12-ounce) coffee for veterans, active-duty members and spouses. To take advantage of this deal, you’ll need to present your military ID or a state driver’s license with veteran status. The offer now extends to both hot and iced coffee, which, according to military.com, recognizes that “veterans represent younger generations of Americans who prefer nontraditional coffee.”
The deal is effective in stores and in the drive-thru but doesn’t apply to online orders. There’s also a limit of one coffee per customer, and you’ll still have to pay for any customizations—like these Starbucks secret menu items for Fall. It’s also important to note that while the Veterans Day offer includes iced coffee, it does not include cold brew.
Starbucks is also splitting a $200,000 donation to veteran-focused charities this year. They’ll be donating $100,000 to Team Red, White, and Blue, a health and wellness community for veterans, and Team Rubicon, a veteran-based disaster relief organization.
When Can I Get Starbucks’ Veterans Day Offer?
Starbucks’ Veterans Day special is available on Friday, Nov. 11, during store hours. Check with your local Starbucks and make sure they’re participating before hitting the drive-thru. If Starbucks isn’t your cup of tea—or in this case, coffee—there are plenty of other restaurants offering free food and drinks on Veterans Day. Check out the complete list of Veterans Day offers on the military website.
How Else Does Starbucks Support Veterans?
Starbucks doesn’t just give veterans free coffee—they also help provide them with jobs. In 2013, Starbucks started a dedicated veteran and military spouse hiring team. So far, they’ve hired more than 26,000 veterans and spouses. In 2021, they hired more than 7,700 veterans and military spouses. These positions offer 80 hours of military service pay annually when service obligations take them out of work.
Starbucks Secret Menu Drinks
1 / 60
Darren Hartwell for Taste of Home
Barbie Frappuccino
If you, like us, are obsessed with everything Barbie right now due to the anticipated release of the new Barbie movie, this drink is for you. Display your pink Barbie pride by trying this Starbucks secret menu recipe.
How to order:
Start with a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino
Add 3 pumps of vanilla
Add 1 scoop of dragonfruit inclusion, blended
Top it off with whipped cream
Voila! Our fantasy Barbie Starbucks drink comes to life. Feel free to skip the extra pumps of vanilla if you want—this drink is already pretty sweet. Take a sneak peek at the newly rolled-out Starbucks menu.
Finish it off with some mocha cookie crumble topping
Claire Krieger/Taste of Home
Honey Peach Freeze
We're feeling real peachy about this pairing on the Starbucks secret menu.
How to order:
Start with a Venti Blended Lemonade with peach juice and a splash of guava juice
Ask your barista to strip up the inside of the cup with agave
Top with vanilla sweet cream foam and toasted honey topping
The best part? This tastes like summer no matter the season. Try our versions of the coffee chain's most popular drinks and eats with our copycat Starbucks recipes.
Can't make it to Disneyland this year? No problem. You can whip up the famous Dole Whip at your closest Starbucks.
How to order:
Start with a Grande Paradise Drink Refresher
Add sweet cold foam on top, and ask for it to be blended with vanilla bean powder
Blending the sweet cream cold foam with vanilla bean powder helps create a consistency similar to a Dole Whip. If you'd prefer to make the original, here's how to make a copycat Disneyland Dole Whip at home.
The icon's 100th birthday would've been on Jan 17th, 2022, and what better way to celebrate her life than with a Frap of her very own? TotallyTheBomb.com came up with this drink for the Starbucks secret menu to celebrate Betty White, the ultimate Golden Girl.
How to order:
Start with a Grande White Mocha Frappuccino
Add 1 pump of hazelnut syrup
Add 1 pump vanilla syrup
Top it off with caramel crunch topping
We're sure you'll love this sweet, cheesecakey delight.
Whether you've binged all the way through the hit Korean show or still aren't convinced, this frap is sure to be a winner. And yes, it looks just like the guards' uniforms, which are actually pink, not red. This recipe comes to us courtesy Totally the Bomb's Holly Walker, and it's super easy to order.
How to order:
Potterheads, have you ever wished you could sip pumpkin juice in the Great Hall? Well, we can't get to Hogwarts, but we can get a cup of this "magical" juice with some secret know-how.
How to order:
Order this innovative drink created by a Starbucks barista in the wintertime, when the sugar cookie syrup is available. Check out Eggbaloni on TikTok for more Starbucks secret menu ideas.
How to order:
Start with a Grande Iced Chai
Top with sweet cream cold foam, and ask for 2 pumps of sugar cookie syrup to be blended into the foam
Claire Krieger/Taste of Home
Peach Cobbler Frappuccino
Our favorite spring dessert in a cup? Yes, please.
How to order:
Start with a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino
Add 2 pumps of peach syrup
Add 1 pump of cinnamon dolce syrup
Blend in whipped cream
Top with more whip and cinnamon dolce topping
Claire Krieger/Taste of Home
Strawberry Shortcake Latte
Tangy strawberries, sweet vanilla and crunchy biscuit—there's nothing better than strawberry shortcake! Get it in drink form next time you go to Starbucks.
How to order:
Start with a Venti Iced Latte, and ask for it to be blended with strawberry puree
Add 3 pumps of brown sugar syrup
Add 1 pump of classic syrup
Add vanilla sweet cream cold foam, and ask for it to be blended with strawberry puree
Finally, top off the drink with strawberry inclusions and salted brown butter topping
Need to pick up a pick-me-up for a friend? This sweet Frappuccino should do the trick!
How to order:
Start with a Grande White Mocha Frappuccino
Add 1 pump of hazelnut syrup
Add 1 pump of vanilla syrup
Finish this treat with caramel crunch topping
Cookies 'n Cream Chai
Chocolate and chai is a combo we love in desserts like chai chocolate chip shortbread and chocolate chai snickerdoodles, so why not try the combo in your morning coffee? This recipe idea comes from Eggbaloni on TikTok.
How to order:
This Starbucks secret menu drink is a Venti, so there's more to love!
How to order:
Start with a Venti Sweet Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew, but with only 2 pumps of vanilla
Add 4 pumps of mocha
Ask to blend 2 pumps of mocha syrup into the foam
Top with cookie crumble topping.
Claire Krieger/Taste of Home
Winnie the Pooh Frappuccino
This drink was created by Ryan Gawlik, a Starbucks barista and TikTok creator.
How to order:
Start with a Grande Vanilla Bean Frappuccino
Add 1 pump of honey
Add 1 pump of dark caramel sauce
Add 1 pump of cinnamon dolce syrup
Add a sprinkling of cinnamon powder
For extra sweetness, ask for caramel drizzle inside the cup and on top of the whipped cream. Check out Ryan's original TikTok video for a glimpse of Piglet at the end, too!
Our favorite ice cream flavor in coffee form? Sign us up! This sweet drink was developed by our friend Holly Walker over at Totally the Bomb.
How to order:
Start with a Venti Sweet Cream Cold Foam Cold Brew
Add 2 pumps of vanilla
Add 4 pumps of white mocha
Then, ask for 2 pumps of regular mocha syrup in the cold foam
Top with mocha cookie crumbles
Those cookie crumbles add that signature cookies and cream crunch! If you like this drink, we're sure you'll love other cookies and cream recipes.
Remember the peach ring gummies from your childhood? Imagine that in a drink. That's what you'll get in this sweet, satisfying orange drink from the Starbucks secret menu.
How to order:
Start with a Venti Iced half-sweet Black Tea Lemonade
When you request 1 shot espresso affogato, your barista will pour hot espresso over your blended, frozen drink, creating a creamy, dreamy Italian-style coffee treat. Affogato is just one of the types of coffee you should know by heart.
via @starbucks/ instagram.com
Butterbeer Frappuccino
This magical twist on a Starbucks classic will leave Harry Potter fans spellbound.
How to order:
We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices.