As our coffee-loving readers know by now, Starbucks is facing some Internet outrage over its new holiday cup design.
Since 2009, Starbucks has released red cups with winter-themed designs, including snowflakes and ornaments, and the cups have become a symbol of the holiday season. This year’s cup is a little different than the rest. Instead of a design, the cup is ombre red as a way to “embrac[e] the simplicity and the quietness of” the holiday season, said Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of design and content, in a statement.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
But after one man went viral for his angry video accusing Starbucks of removing the cup’s winter decorations “because they hate Jesus,” the cups are now a symbol of the ubiquity of Internet outrage.
See also: Get Wired: Coffee Exhibit Opens at Missouri History Museum
So far, the red cups haven’t upset St. Louisans as much as the extensive media focus on the cups has:
But for those of us who want to drink coffee without taking a side in the “War on Christmas,” there’s good news: there are still places to buy coffee in St. Louis that aren’t Starbucks.
We picked a few of our favorites:
From our recent review: “La Cosecha Coffee Roasters…is a one-stop shop where you can get your bread, cookies, and coffee—both by the bag and cup—and enjoy your goods at one of the coffee bar’s tables or take them with you as you continue to shop Maplewood. Jamie Jeschke and Gio Sparks, the founders and two of the three owners, met in church back in the 90’s, where they discovered they had similar interests in home roasting coffee.”
Rise is another coffee shop that boasts sustainably crafted, local coffees, as well as baked goods from Whisk Bakeshop on Cherokee Street. The decor is fun and funky, with large windows offering perfect people-watching. Oh, and they have a coffee truck, too.
When SLM first visited Blueprint Coffee when it opened last year, our reviewer especially admired the “function over form” aesthetic, created with industrial concrete and wood. “Customers now sip lattes while sitting on tall metal stools placed around long wooden counters. A blue stretch of wall and metal tables add splotches of color. The result is uncluttered and inviting,” we said.
If you’re in the Loop and Blueprint Coffee’s industrial style isn’t for you, you’re in luck. There’s another cafe just a few storefronts down with a softer, more comfortable vibe and an impressive menu. Pro tip: If you’re looking for some peace and quiet to get work done, head up to the second floor.
This popular coffee chain has three locations in Lafayette Square, Downtown and The Hill neighborhoods with a new location in the Cortex Innovation District slated to open this month. Besides coffee, PAC also sells 76 flavors of that St. Louis staple, the Gooey Butter Cake.
These folks seriously love coffee. The team at Sump Coffee is always coming up with new and delicious ways to experience a cup o’ joe, including flash-brewed coffee, and their beans are the ones that give Sump Pump coffee ice cream its flavor.
Stone Spiral Coffee and Curios
Stone Spiral in Maplewood is the kind of coffee shop you can spend all day in. With a library, live music performances and a busy flow of local regulars, Stone Spiral feels like your cool best friend’s living room.
Comet Coffee & Microbakery
Located on Oakland Avenue, this is a great spot to grab some coffee before heading to class at St. Louis Community College or a picnic in Forest Park. Comet’s impressive coffee menu is sourced from local and international roasters and changes with the seasons.
This popular South Grand cafe is most famous for its gelato, but the coffee is darn good, too. And with a patio, comfy chairs and a spacious second floor, there’s always a cozy corner. The cafe’s roaster, John Donovan, roasts beans three times per week to keep the restaurant stocked with coffee and espresso drinks. Want to make a good cup at home? Gelateria Del Leone also sells brewing equipment.
Casey and Jeremy Miller run this lovely coffee shop and restaurant in Cherokee Street’s Antique Row. Anyone on the South Side will tell you The Mud House brews one of the best cups of iced coffee in the neighborhood, and the friendly staff is always happy to help the uninitiated coffee drinker feel at home. Craving a latte? Flavor it with one of the cafe’s house-made syrups.
Contact Lindsay Toler by an email at [email protected] or on Twitter @StLouisLindsay. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
