Starbucks’ holiday cups might be the best they’ve been in years

This year’s Starbucks holiday cups aren’t really fussy, instead opting for retro and rather clean aesthetics. Talk about being ready for Instagram.

The Starbucks holiday cups have become something of a tradition, and, as with this year’s super-early Pumpkin Spice Latte debut, the holidays are starting Nov. 2 at the coffee chain. Yes, that includes the cups.

This year, there will be four distinct designs. Per the press release, the thought process included “vintage colors and patterns” as well as “Starbucks holidays past.” Sometimes, it’s good to innovate or try something new, but sometimes, it’s almost welcoming to bring back some classics.

Honestly, the most boring cup here is the color-blocked red one, but that’s because it’s really the most modern-looking of the four. Even the one on the far right, which is probably the “candle flame” referenced in the press release, still has something of a houndstooth pattern as a result, although others might just see tufts of Muppet fur instead.

Check out the cups below:

Starbucks holiday cups for 2018. Image via Starbucks press room.

It seems like it’s the green cups that win out this time. The one second from the right almost looks like it could just be wrapping paper stuck onto a cup with the Starbucks logo, which really isn’t a bad thing. Although it’s not holly — it’s probably coffee berries instead, again per the press release — it still evokes a holiday feel.

The winner here, though, almost has to be the green cup on the far left. Like its other green fellow, it does look quite festive, and the interlocking star pattern is eye-catching without being eye-searing. It just feels well-balanced overall, and the stars work well with the logo itself. With every other cup, the logo just feels slapped on. With this cup, it’s integrated into the design.

Of course, Starbucks’ ongoing initiative to reduce waste will continue through the holidays. There’s going to be a reusable red cup:

Starbucks 2018 Holiday Cups shown on Thursday, October 25, 2018 in Seattle. (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

Sure, it’s a bit plain, but it’s also just a red Starbucks cup that you can use over and over again, and it’ll give you a discount on holiday drinks into the new year after 2 p.m. As for the drinks themselves, there are no surprises, but a Sugarplum Cheese Danish will make an appearance for the first time.

Again, the holiday cups arrive Nov. 2.