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Only Certain People Know What Drinks Are On Starbucks' Happy Hour Menu

by Amanda Fama
Starbucks

Once the clock strikes five, you can usually find me at a Happy Hour of some sort. Can you blame me? It's hard to pass up cheap drinks, especially after a long day at work. Thankfully, Starbucks understands the struggle. Back in March 2018, the coffee company announced the comeback of their weekly Happy Hours, and they're perfect for post-work sips. Even though the drinks aren't boozy, they're still delicious (and will definitely give you a caffeine buzz). Surprisingly, Starbucks' Happy Hour drinks change every week. To find out what drinks are on Starbucks' Happy Hour menu, there are a few steps you'll need to take.

Unfortunately, there are no creative signs outside Starbucks stores that advertise the weekly Happy Hour drinks. The entire ordeal is a lot more secretive than that, so you'll have to dig a little deeper. To be specific, there are two things that you can do in order to find out about Starbucks' Happy Hour drinks, and you can do them both from your phone. Sneaky, I know.

First, you can sign up to be a Starbucks Rewards member. If you're someone who visits Starbucks on a daily basis, I'd suggest signing up anyway — but I digress. When you sign up to be a member, you'll get an invitation to Starbucks' Happy Hour via your Starbucks app. The invite will tell you which Starbucks drinks will be discounted, and when you should stop by to grab one. Once you get the Happy Hour invite, the discount code will be loaded onto your phone. When you get to Starbucks, all you have to do is tell the barista you'd like to redeem your Happy Hour code, and then, voila! You're good to go. You can even redeem your Happy Hour offer ahead of time, which might prevent fumbling on your phone during checkout.

Starbucks

Another way to find out which drinks Starbucks is selling during their Happy Hour is to simply sign up on Starbucks' Happy Hour website. TBH, that's what I did, and it was super easy. All you have to do is submit your name and email address, and a Happy Hour code will appear on your screen. I'm not going to ruin the surprise and tell you when the next Happy Hour is, so if you want to find out, sign up. You'll also find out which Starbucks drink will be discounted during the next sale (trust me, you won't be disappointed).

I'll give you a hint: The next Happy Hour drink at Starbucks is frozen and delicious. You might even want to top it off with Starbucks' new Sweet Cold Brew Whipped Cream.

Starbucks announced the company's Happy Hours on March 27, and the company has been rolling them out on a weekly basis ever since. During the first sale, which took place on Thursday, March 29, the coffee company offered 50 percent off any espresso beverage from 3 p.m. to close. Although that Happy Hour was publicized, the rest were only announced via Rewards members' Starbucks apps or through email.

So, why did Starbucks decide to make their Happy Hours so exclusive to Rewards members and tech-savvy drinkers? Apparently, it was in effort to strengthen digital relationships with Starbucks customers. Matt Ryan, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Starbucks, talked about the promotion in a press release. He said,

With nearly 100 million customers in our stores every week, we’re looking for more opportunities to engage directly and personally, providing them with special benefits and offers that are meaningful. This shift in Happy Hour is just one example of how we can further establish, strengthen and develop digital relationships with our customers.

IDK about you, but I'm into the idea of a "secret" Starbucks Happy Hour. Not knowing which drinks will be on sale until a few days beforehand makes the experience kind of exciting. With that being said, I'm sorry I can't tell you which Starbucks drinks will be available during their Happy Hours moving forward. You'll have to just find out through the Starbucks app (or though your email) like everyone else.