Here’s The Deal With Starbucks’ Cinnamon Dolce Shortage

The beginning of November marked the start of Red Cup season at Starbucks when the coffee giant unveiled its holiday menu for 2021, but fans were disappointed to discover they couldn’t get a Cinnamon Dolce Latte in many locations. The Cinnamon Dolce Latte is actually a year-round offering, but with its holiday-perfect flavor, customers were looking to add it to their Starbucks order. Unfortunately, it’s been a part of the chain’s supply shortages, leading people to wonder if Starbucks’ Cinnamon Dolce syrup was discontinued. Here’s the deal with the hard-to-find syrup.

Beyond just wanting a festive flavor (that, again, is available year-round), Cinnamon Dolce syrup is also an ingredient in a well-known Gingerbread Latte dupe at Starbucks — and with the drink missing again from the holiday menu, the requests for Cinnamon Dolce syrup likely increased. Starbucks stans were coming up empty when asking for the syrup, and the shortages, which have been happening since the summer of 2021, per The New York Times, convinced customers that the Cinnamon Dolce syrup was discontinued.

Thankfully, that’s not the case. “We can confirm that the Cinnamon Dolce syrup is not discontinued in stores,” a Starbucks rep told Elite Daily via email. The missing syrup is due to larger supply chain issues. “We are experiencing temporary supply shortages of some our products. Specific items will vary by market and store, and some stores will experience outages of various items at the same time,” the rep said.

So, no, Cinnamon Dolce syrup isn’t gone for good, but it might still be tough to find. Supply chain issues have been a growing concern for a while now, so it’s no surprise that Starbucks’ supplies have taken a hit. But there’s no need to worry, because the rep said that Starbucks is “working quickly and closely with our supply chain vendors to restock items as soon as possible.” Until then, the rep suggested fans of the spice in the Gingerbread Latte try the Chai Tea Latte as a replacement.

Your local Starbucks baristas have no control over the condition of the supply chain, so remember to be patient during your coffee runs this season. And remember to check the CDC guidelines for the most updated health rules before you head out.