Starbucks Is Handing Out Free Hot Chocolate All Month

Few things are more festive than warming up from the chilly December weather with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. But Starbucks is taking the cheer up a notch with a special promotion that will last through the end of the year.

The coffee chain just announced that it is giving away free cups of hot chocolate every remaining weekend in December. Any customer who visits a Starbucks store during the next few weekends and orders a grande handcrafted beverage will also receive a free short (8-ounce) Hot Chocolate. This means you can bring home an extra drink to share with a loved one at no extra cost or save the bonus beverage for yourself if you're craving an extra pick-me-up.

The free hot chocolate offer is only available to customers who place their orders in stores or at the drive-thru, so make sure to plan accordingly.

Starbucks Hot Chocolate — Courtesy of Starbucks

Even if you're not big on hot chocolate, Starbucks has a few more exciting deals lined up for its fans before the end of the year. Last week, the chain announced a festive new promotion called "ThursYays" that will give customers 50% off any drink every Thursday for the rest of December.

The discount will only be available from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. local time on each Thursday this month. The promotion is also only valid to Starbucks Rewards members, so make sure to sign up for a free account if you want to score if you're not already enrolled but want to score a discounted beverage.

Customers can find the coupon for the deal in the Starbucks app. They can apply it when placing mobile orders ahead of time or ask their barista to apply it in stores.

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Starbucks launched these exciting new promotions about a month after it debuted its 2023 holiday menu. This year's festive lineup of holiday-themed drinks includes returning favorites like the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and Gingerbread Latte, plus a brand-new Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. Meanwhile, the chain's holiday food selection includes the Cranberry Bliss Bar, Gingerbread Loaf, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop, Snowman Cookie, and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish.

Starbucks also introduced four brand-new holiday cold foams last month that customers can use to top off their chilled beverages: Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Foam, Sugar Cookie Cream Cold Foam, Chestnut Praline Cream Cold Foam, and Caramel Brulée Cream Cold Foam.