Celebrating 20 Years of Starbucks Anniversary Blend

A whole-bean coffee, intended to be offered for only a few weeks, has become a fall tradition at Starbucks every year since it was introduced.

In the autumn of 1996, Starbucks was celebrating its 25th anniversary. The company had grown from a single store at Pike Place Market to more than 1,000 stores, including its first location in Japan. As a tribute, Starbucks introduced Anniversary Blend, a complex, hearty coffee with cedary spice notes.

Twenty years later, Anniversary Blend is still expertly crafted from a blend of Asia Pacific coffees, starting with lush, full-bodied coffee beans from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Aged coffee beans from Sumatra add a distinctive, spicy flavor.

“Aged Sumatra is rich and dense with a full-bodied flavor that is unlike any other coffee,” said Anthony Carroll, Starbucks senior manager, Coffee Quality. “The aging process causes Sumatra to lose acidity and gain body, a perfect platform for its notes of deep cedar and toasted marshmallow.”

Related: Aged Sumatra: Fresh Isn’t Always Best

Customers can enjoy Anniversary Blend as a featured brewed coffee in participating stores in the U.S. and Canada through September 18. It is also available as whole bean coffee, Verismo® pods and K-Cup® pods in participating stores this fall for a limited time and online.

This fall the Starbucks® Anniversary Collection pays tribute to the symbol of Starbucks with siren-themed drinkware in shades of gold and blue. The collection includes a special Anniversary tumbler adorned with Swarovski® crystals, available for a limited time online and at participating stores in the U.S. and Canada.