Starbucks is jumping into the Upside Down this holiday season, but not in the U.S.—a pattern that’s starting to feel like a franchise curse, with McDonald’s dropping Stranger Things Happy Meals complete with Hellfire dipping sauce and collectible Demogorgon figures in Spain, Portugal, and Argentina this month, but skipping the U.S. entirely despite the Hawkins setting.
The limited-time collaboration recently launched across select markets in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), featuring two themed drinks and a small run of collectible merch available while supplies last.
A Menu for the Upside Down
The focus isn’t monsters or gore. It’s the one thing the show has always reliably delivered: a tight-knit group of weird kids who refuse to abandon each other, even when the world goes sideways.
The partnership leans on a simple hook: one over-the-top, nostalgia-coded Frappuccino and one no-nonsense coffee for anyone who secretly relates more to Hopper than to the kids on bikes.
On the menu in participating Latin America and Caribbean stores, Starbucks describes the Stranger Things Frappuccino Blended Beverage as “a strangely delicious red velvet-flavored blended beverage with rich mocha undertones, topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate drizzle.”
Also joining it is Hopper’s Brew. As the brand puts it, “Inspired by the fearless Hawkins police chief himself, this bold coffee is served without cream or sugar, just how Hopper takes it. No extras, no frills, just a rugged cup of coffee, ready to face whatever the day (or Demogorgon) brings.”
The split is deliberate; one drink aimed at fans who want something theatrical and Instagram-ready, and one that mirrors the show’s gruff, exhausted sheriff trying to keep it together while reality peels at the edges.
Alongside the drinks, Starbucks is dropping a small Stranger Things–inspired capsule in select LAC stores. It’s not a full fashion line, but more of a “grab it at the counter before it disappears” situation.
The collection includes reusable cups inspired by the signature styles and standout colors worn by Hawkins High characters throughout the series, character-inspired stoppers, and limited-edition commemorative Starbucks E-Cards featuring Stranger Things artwork. It’s designed to sit somewhere between fandom and daily habit, the kind of stuff that quietly sneaks into your routine and stays there long after the show’s finale has aired.
The Business of Nostalgia
With the final season of Stranger Things landing and the series officially aging into “comfort rewatch” territory, brands are lining up to catch one last wave of attention from fans who grew up with Hawkins.
The scale is massive: LEGO is prepping a 2,593-piece Creel House set for January 2026—a $299.99 heavyweight featuring a transforming Mind Lair and 13 minifigures.
Netflix is also looking past the finale, greenlighting a spinoff that the Duffer Brothers promise is “1000 percent different” from the original. While they’ve confirmed it ditches the main cast for a fresh story—a concept Finn Wolfhard apparently guessed correctly—the details remain under lock and key.
Essentially, Starbucks is plugging into what already exists: nearly a decade of built-in nostalgia, a global fanbase that still quotes lines and ships characters, and a story built around small, human connections in the middle of absolute chaos.
By limiting the collab to Latin America and the Caribbean, Starbucks is also doing something slightly different from the usual U.S.-first rollout. The brand has been leaning harder into regional campaigns in recent years, and this one is framed explicitly around its “community of customers and partners” in LAC markets, not a global tentpole launch.
There’s no word yet on whether the collaboration will expand beyond the region or if the recipes might quietly stay under new names after the show ends. For now, it’s pitched as a one-time crossover meant to line up with the series finale and disappear with it.
The campaign closes on a line that sums it all up: “This is your moment to sip the strange, collect the rare, and celebrate friendship, one cup at a time.”
For fans in Latin America and the Caribbean, that’s exactly the offer — one last return to Hawkins, just with a Frappuccino in hand instead of a flashlight.
Source: Starbucks