Discovery Series – Phu Quoc

The Starbucks Discovery Series Phú Quốc mug highlights Vietnam’s largest island, located in the Gulf of Thailand off the country’s southwestern coast. Long known for fishing and agriculture, Phú Quốc has developed into one of Vietnam’s most popular resort destinations, with white-sand beaches, tropical forests, coral reefs, and a growing tourism industry. The island is also famous for several local specialties, especially fish sauce, pepper, seafood, and pearls. More than half of Phú Quốc is protected within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, helping preserve much of its forest and coastal environment.… Read more

You Are Here Christmas – London Speckle Debossed

The You Are Here Christmas – London Speckle Debossed mug is a fascinating prototype from a private collection, and it is currently being offered for sale. That makes this a rare opportunity to acquire a truly unique piece of Starbucks memorabilia, especially since this version never made it to store shelves. The design itself is unlike anything Starbucks ultimately released in the You Are Here series: the surface is covered with subtle speckles, while the vertical STARBUCKS wordmark is debossed directly into the ceramic instead of being printed.… Read more

Discovery Series – Curitiba

The Starbucks Discovery Series Curitiba mug highlights a city known for its parks, distinctive architecture, urban planning, and strong connection to nature. Curitiba became the capital of Paraná in the 19th century and later grew rapidly with waves of European immigration, especially from Poland, Germany, Italy, and Ukraine. Over time, the city became internationally known for its public transportation system and environmental planning, while landmarks such as the Botanical Garden, Ópera de Arame, and Oscar Niemeyer Museum gave it a very recognizable visual identity.… Read more

Discovery Series Ornament – Kaohsiung

The Starbucks Discovery Series Ornament Kaohsiung focuses on a few symbols closely connected with this major port city in southern Taiwan. Kaohsiung developed from a small harbor settlement into one of Taiwan’s largest cities and an important center for shipping, industry, and trade. In recent decades, the waterfront has been transformed with new public spaces, cultural attractions, light rail, and pedestrian areas, while the wider municipality also includes coastal districts, agricultural towns, and mountain landscapes.

– The large bunch of Cishan bananas refers to one of Kaohsiung’s best-known agricultural specialties.… Read more

Discovery Series – Huế

The Starbucks Discovery Series Hue mug highlights one of Vietnam’s most historic cities. Huế served as the imperial capital of the Nguyễn Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and much of its identity is still tied to royal architecture, court traditions, Buddhism, and life along the Perfume River. The city is also known for its refined cuisine, much of which developed under imperial influence. Today, Huế remains one of the country’s most distinctive cultural destinations, with the Complex of Huế Monuments recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.… Read more

Discovery Series – Ensenada

The Starbucks Discovery Series Ensenada mug focuses on one of Baja California’s best-known coastal cities, where the Pacific Ocean, vineyards, seafood, and outdoor adventure all play a major role. Ensenada developed as an important port and today is especially known for its wine country, cruise tourism, and food scene. The surrounding municipality stretches far beyond the city itself, reaching vineyards, rugged coastline, and mountain areas such as the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. Starbucks specifically highlights the Wine Route, La Bufadora, Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, micheladas, fish tacos, and surfing among the main themes used for this design.… Read more

You Are Here Ornament – Tokyo

People who have followed my blog from the very beginning might remember this post from 2019, when I was excited to review what appeared to be a new mug from Japan, only to realize that it was an unreleased prototype. It was especially disappointing because Japan never received any city-specific You Are Here releases. The only YAH items released there were the mini set of five country mugs and ornaments: one regular version and four seasonal editions, one for each time of the year.… Read more

Discovery Series Ornament – Taichung

The Starbucks Discovery Series Ornament Taichung highlights a few of the city’s best-known natural, cultural, and recreational features. Taichung developed from a regional settlement into one of Taiwan’s largest urban centers, while still retaining easy access to mountains, wetlands, flower farms, and agricultural areas. Its location in central Taiwan gives the city a particularly varied landscape, stretching from the coast in the west to higher elevations farther inland.

– The large cup of bubble tea is a fitting choice for Taichung, which is widely associated with the drink’s origins.… Read more

Discovery Series – Kyoto

The Starbucks Discovery Series Kyoto mug explores a city that served as Japan’s imperial capital for more than a thousand years, from 794 until the emperor moved to Tokyo in 1869. Over the centuries, Kyoto became one of the country’s most important centers of religion, art, traditional crafts, and court culture. Much of that heritage survived the rapid modernization experienced elsewhere in Japan, leaving the city with an extraordinary concentration of temples, historic neighborhoods, gardens, and traditional wooden houses.

– The traditional building above the city name is the Starbucks Coffee Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya, one of the most distinctive Starbucks stores in Japan.… Read more

Discovery Series Ornament – Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The Starbucks Discovery Series Ornament Santa Cruz de la Sierra offers a smaller selection of symbols from Bolivia’s largest city and the surrounding eastern lowlands. Santa Cruz de la Sierra was founded by Ñuflo de Chaves in 1561 and was moved more than once before becoming established at its present location. Over time, it developed into the economic center of eastern Bolivia, with a culture and landscape quite different from the country’s high-altitude Andean cities.

– The sloth is one of the most distinctive animals found in Bolivia’s tropical lowlands.… Read more

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