This Christmas, Starbucks serves up Baileys-inspired, zero-proof drinks

At this time of the year, menus start dressing up for the holidays. Desserts get richer, cups get taller, and brands once again seek flavourful collaborations to spark seasonal excitement. From Nutella and Lotus Biscoff to Kinder-inspired indulgences, such partnerships have become a familiar December playbook across cafés and quick-service chains.

This Christmas, Starbucks India has entered the conversation with a limited-edition, non-alcoholic, Baileys-inspired beverage range, launched last week. While global coffee chains and FMCG brands have previously experimented with flavour tie-ups, the move raises a larger question: what makes a collaboration stand out in a market already saturated with familiar dessert cues?

According to Mitali Maheshwari, head of product and marketing at TATA Starbucks, the collaboration reflects two converging shifts: the brand’s long-standing focus on seasonal “joy-led” rituals and the growing relevance of zero-proof flavours among Indian consumers.

“The holiday lineup has always been about comfort, connection, and shared moments,” she says. "This year, we were also very clear that non-alcoholic, zero-proof flavours were a trend we wanted to lean into meaningfully."

Beyond dessert toppings, towards mixology-led coffee

Starbucks’ Baileys range is positioned as beverage-first and mixology-inspired, unlike earlier flavour collaborations that often appeared as syrups or toppings layered on desserts. 

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The lineup spans formats from the Signature Irish Latte and Frappuccino to a Cold Brew and even a Matcha, while Starbucks Reserve stores in Mumbai and Gurugram offer a more experimental Irish Reserve Shakerato.

The limited-edition Baileys x Starbucks beverages are available across all Starbucks India stores from December 10, with prices starting at Rs 355.

Maheshwari points out that the distinction lies in how the flavour is handled. “It’s intuitive to turn something creamy and indulgent into a dessert topping. We consciously chose not to do that,” she explains. 

“This is a bar-style flavour experience, centred on beverages, not desserts.”

Diageo India’s CMO, Ruchira Jaitly, highlights the collaboration, which brings Bailey’s signature creamy flavour to a non-alcoholic format for Starbucks India.

The Baileys-inspired Irish cream syrup has been specially developed and imported exclusively for this range and is not commercially available elsewhere, reflecting the brands’ focus on adapting a global flavour for the Indian market.

How Starbucks is leaning into the non-alcoholic flavour wave

The timing of the launch also aligns with a broader recalibration in consumer preferences. Non-alcoholic and zero-proof offerings, once niche, are increasingly entering mainstream menus, especially in urban consumption spaces.

While Starbucks has already been experimenting with zero-proof beverages at its Reserve stores, this collaboration brings the conversation into its wider store network.

For Maheshwari, familiarity plays a crucial role in making such flavours work.

“Baileys is a premium, recognisable flavour globally. That familiarity allows us to deliver indulgence while still staying within Starbucks’ quality and experience standards,” she says. “When consumers come to Starbucks, they’re not just drinking a beverage; they are engaging in a ritual.”

When asked about health concerns surrounding flavoured beverages, Maheshwari says the brand is mindful of offering choice along with indulgence. 

She points to options such as cold brews and iced Americanos for consumers seeking lower-calorie formats, adding that even small additions, like flavoured foam, can alter the experience without changing the base drink significantly.

Casting a wide festive net

Rather than targeting a narrow cohort, Starbucks sees the Baileys range as inclusive by design. The menu spans coffee purists, latte loyalists, frappuccino drinkers and even matcha consumers, cutting across Gen Z, millennials, and working professionals. “We’ve curated offerings for people who are celebrating the season in different ways,” Maheshwari says.

On the marketing front, the brand is relying largely on digital amplification and organic discovery rather than celebrity endorsements. Maheshwari believes that interesting products tend to travel through culture on their own. “Thought leaders and younger audiences often become our spokespeople when they discover something new at Starbucks,” she adds.