I was not expecting to be adding any more Icons to the collection, but this one is special. Starbucks Icon Turks & Caicos is a very limited edition mug that either was never offered to the public or the whole lot was acquired by one person! My understanding is, that the reason it was not produced in bigger quantities, is that by the time the first store on the Grand Turk Island has finally opened, Starbucks had already switched to Been There collection.… Read more
Here’s an interesting release for a country within a country. Officially, it is the Basque Autonomous Community, but probably a more common name is “The Basque Country”. Starbucks chose to use the local (Basque) name for the mug, hence the title is You Are Here Euskadi.
Speaking of the language, it is very important to note, that the Basque language (Euskera) is not related to Romance languages (Latin) like Spanish or French, and is one of the oldest languages that are being spoken today.… Read more
Starbucks Been There – Barbados mug commemorates, in a way, the official opening of the first Starbucks store in this island country from the Caribbean region. Located at Haggatt Hall, Bridgetown (the country’s capital), it welcomes its first customers starting today (July 30).
The mug showcases the flora and fauna of the island, which is one of the major touristic destinations of the region.
I am seeing Carlisle Bay, with Bridgetown in the back. This natural harbor has been turned into a marine park which became a popular spot for scuba diving.… Read more
Mini mugs have a special place in my heart and I am always excited to see the new ones coming out. This release is no exception, please meet Starbucks You Are Here Ornament – Kazakhstan that makes it the 150th little “ornie” from this collection. Interestingly enough, there is no sign of the bigger mug being released yet, but something tells me this is just a matter of time. I don’t recall a country ornament without a full-sized mug from Starbucks, do you?… Read more
Starbucks Been There – India is one of the five mugs from BT series released for this country recently. As a reminder, there were only two YAHs from India: New Delhi and Mumbai.
This new mug is designed using the blue palette (my favorite) and showcases certain landmarks which India is known for: from architecture and animals to Bollywood and dancing.
Dance has always been a major part of the religious and cultural life in India. It dates back to ancient times and is believed to originate from dances and rituals of the Vedic period (circa 1500 – 500 BC).… Read more
Starbucks Been There – Guatemala is a mug for the most populous country in Central America. The territory of modern Guatemala is considered the historical center of the Mayan civilization, hence the pyramid-shaped structure that you can see on the left of the front of the mug. This is Tikal Temple I (a.k.a. the Temple of the Great Jaguar) located in Tikal, one of the largest cities and archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Mesoamerica. This funerary temple is built over the tomb of Jasaw Chan K’awiil I who ruled AD 682–734
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Starbucks Been There – El Salvador is a mug for the smallest country in Central America. One of the elements on the front of the mug is Pupusa. This is a national Salvadoran dish which is essentially a thick corn tortilla stuffed with the filling of your choice, which usually includes beef, beans, cheese, or pork. Pupusas are often served with curtido, a fermented cabbage relish, which usually includes carrots, onions, spices, and garlic. This authentic food is so popular that it even has its own festival – Festival Nacional De La Pupusa, which is held in November.… Read more
Starbucks Been There – Jamaica introduces the switch from Icon to Been There series for “the land of wood and water.” As per the company’s Facebook page, this mug is available for purchase in all stores right now. As soon as we get better pics, we will go over the details of the design. So far, it seems they’ve added the famous motto of the island – “no problem”. I guess it is supposed to symbolize the philosophy of life or a part of Jamaican culture, which is a big topic of its own.… Read more
To my surprise, Starbucks releases You Are Here Ornament Christmas – Sweden along with the regular ornament. For a country with only ten stores (all in Stockholm), it is great news! See these two ornaments below for a comparison. As you can notice, it is a giant Christmas Tree and a Snowman that were added on the front.
To my understanding, these can still be found in stores, so you better hurry up before they are gone.
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I salute the release of Starbucks You Are Here Ornament – Sweden as it completes the Nordic countries ornament list (with the exception of Iceland, which doesn’t have stores). Similar to the bigger mug, the ornament presents the Royal Palace (an official residence of the Swedish monarch) on the front. The Palace was built between 1697 and 1760 in Italian Baroque style on the remains of the “Tre Kronor” castle which was burned down in 1697.
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