Starbucks Holiday Items Include Yummy New Food And Drinks

Today begins the holiday season at Starbucks. I stopped by today, and your favorite holiday food items are back, along with some new ones. And the newest festive holiday cups are here (I have to admit, I am a sucker for the holiday cups)!

All of your favorites are on the menu, once again. The very popular Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Iced Sugar Cookie Oat Latte, and the Iced Gingerbread Oat Chai, are all back for the new season.

I'm not a huge coffee drinker, so for those of us who are not, but still want a fun drink, Starbucks has introduced the Cran-Merry Orange Refresher. It has a combination of sweet orange, tart cranberry and warm spices. Tasted it - perfect for the holiday season. And even more perfect, if you're an adult, here's a helpful hint: Add a little red wine to it. You're welcome!

Along with the festive drinks are two new food items. One, I find interesting: The Turkey Sage Danish. It's turkey sausage with a light béchamel sauce, tucked in a flaky sage pastry. I asked one of the employees what it was like, she said just that - it's "interesting." And it 'tastes like the holiday season." Yes, I will try it. The other new holiday food item is the Dark Toffee Bundt, topped with holly and berry sprinkles.

Returning favorites include the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, holiday cookies, and that ever so popular, Cranberry Bliss Bar.

The motion picture, Wicked, opens in theaters on November 22. Starbucks has partnered with Universal Pictures, and has released a line of Oz inspired tumblers, cups, keychains, and more. In bright pink, shining gold, and that bold Wicked green. Available for just a limited time.

Oh, and here's some major news for non-dairy lovers. You can now order your favorite Starbucks beverage, and customize it with non-dairy milk - at no extra charge!

Here's to Starbucks holiday season, and kicking it off with some great new holiday drinks and food, and those old favorites you love!

Who doesn't love a good cup of coffee to wake you up? Well, here are 6 coffee shops in Las Vegas that will keep you happy and energized.

There are many different types of coffee beans. There are four variations of coffee beans: Robusta, Arabica, Liberica, and Excelsa. Each bean comes from a different part of the world and has a different flavor profile.

According to Stone Street Coffee, the most common type of bean used in the United States is Arabica. Nearly 60% of coffee is made from Arabica beans. These beans have that "traditional" coffee taste that we know and love in America. The beans are light and sweet with a low acidity level.

The next type of coffee bean is Robusta, which makes up for 40% of the world's coffee consumption. Stone Street Coffee says that Robusta beans have double the amount of caffeine than Arabica beans. The high caffeine levels are also a natural insect repellant, and the coffee trees are immune to many diseases.

The flavor of Robusta beans is a little more harsh and bitter compared to Arabica beans. But they're also popular when creating decade coffee.

Liberica coffee beans only make up for 2% of the world's coffee supply, Nescafe states. These beans are floral, smoky and bold. It's also a very polarizing coffee flavor, which means you either love it or hate it. They also have lower levels of caffeine.

The last type of coffee bean is Excelsa. According to Stone Street Coffee, the aroma of the Excelsa beans is "not pleasant." People discovered these coffee beans in 1903 in Central Africa, and they were classified as their own genus of coffee. However, they were reclassified as a variety of the Liberica coffee beans -- which adds a layer of controversy in the coffee community.

If you're a coffee lover then we want to share our special list of the best spots for some java in Vegas.

Phin Smith is the newest coffee spot in Las Vegas. Located at 7208 S Jones Blvd #101, Las Vegas, NV 89118 in the southwest part of Vegas, Phin Smith specializes in Vietnamese coffee and special brewing. There's another location in Garden Grove, California. The place is the perfect hangout to study at or to meet with friends. Some of our favorite menu items include the O'ahu Joe, which is a drip coffee with coconut cream and macadamia syrup. The drink is silky, sweet and nutty. Another popular item is the coconut coffee, which is blended coffee with a coconut slush that's fluffy and sweet.

There's also Vietnamese Iced Coffee that can also be ordered "phin style." The ratio of sweetness to coffee is perfectly balanced. Another cool part about this new coffee shop is the baristas ask for you to sample to drink before paying for it! This way, you could potentially order a new drink -- if you don't like what you ordered -- or you can add adjustments to it. This coffee shop is one of my favorites, and everything on the menu is delicious.

If you type "best coffee in Las Vegas," then this place will always show up. PublicUs is a canteen-style eatery with a stellar coffee bar in downtown Las Vegas right on Fremont Street. This place is a must-try for all Las Vegas locals and more. The coffee is made with quality and each drink is crafted with care from the roast of the beans to the final product. 

Some of our favorite coffee drinks at PublicUs include the Death Cream, which is a cold brew simmered with milk and sugar. The flavor creates a beautiful caramelized drink that is quenching on a hot day. Other great drink options include the Caribbeano, which is a pina colada-flavored coffee. The Einspänner is a delicious iced americano with a thick and fluffy cream top and satisfies a sweet craving. If you're in the mood to try something more unique then you need to give The Cannon a try. The Cannon is flash-brewed iced coffee with freshly squeezed limes and Scrappy's lime bitters. The food is also great and made fresh daily. It's truly the perfect place to take family, friends and loved ones. 

Gäbi Coffee & Bakery is a gem in Chinatown. The desserts are adorable and the coffee drinks are innovative. The inside decor is very cute, so this is definitely a place that you want to sit and hang out at. I love the ambiance, and the location is also great. You can get some all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and then head on over to Gabi after your meal for some dessert and post-meal coffee. 

This locally owned coffee shop has a few different locations across Vegas. My favorite location is the one in the Fergusons Downtown area. This location is perfect for a Sunday afternoon coffee date. They have beautifully roasted coffee that can energize any pallet. It's right near Fremont Street, and there are different shops. The venue is beautiful, and they usually have live music on Sundays.

They also have special drinks that help different charities. This month (September), the pumpkin spice latte directly supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Each month, the coffee shop usually rotates different charities. So what's better than sipping on a delicious drink that directly helps a great cause.

If you're a true coffee connoisseur then Sambatlatte will not disappoint. They take pride in their coffee from the cultivation, processing and brewing of the beans. Their menu is simply because it doesn't need to be fancy -- the quality speaks for itself. I adore an iced American from Sambalatte because the flavor is perfect.

It's another great spot to study, to get some work done and to enjoy a great cup of coffee. Sometimes, they have live music that's calming. I've even witnessed a live harp player perform, providing an ethereal ambiance to the coffee shop. There are a few locations, but my favorite one is the location at Boca Park. It's spacious and has a lot of outlets (for those who need to work).

The Coffee Class is another great spot for delicious coffee drinks and light bites. There's a location in Henderson and on Eastern Avenue. There's also a sister coffee shop called Almond & Oat that specializes in non-dairy coffee drinks, which is a plus for any of my lactose-intolerant friends.

The light bites are delicious, and it's another stellar spot for an afternoon pick-me-up. The coffee shop has special lattes like a banana nut latte, a maple blueberry latte and a delicious vanilla latte.