Starbucks is testing the facebook @ work platform, and I am in the pilot for it. It is essentially, facebook, but only for Starbucks partners, and you can only access it by logging in with your global username and password. It is actually a very cool way to interact with partners all over the globe! I joined the coffee tastings group (naturally), and there were a few partners challenging each other to use fruit as a vessel. Kenya in grapefruits, Colombia Las Margaritas inside a pear, Willow blend in a lemon, it kind of turned into a coffee tasting throwdown. I decided to join the fun and serve up the real pumpkin spice latte.
Introducing #notacoffeecup….
While I was in Sacramento, I stopped at Teavana and stocked up on their seasonal teas. (We do not have a Teavana store nearby, sadly). So many of my friends love pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, and I thought they might appreciate the 
There is a small window, right before the Christmas mania begins, where Starbucks Thanksgiving blend appears in stores. Thanksgiving blend was created in partnership with Seattle restauranteur Tom Douglas in 2008. The goal was to create a blend that could pair with both sweet and savory foods, a culinary coffee to compliment a Thanksgiving feast. Ten blends were created, but Tom and master blender, Anthony Carrol, narrowed it down to two. Tom cooked a Thanksgiving feast, and paired the two coffees with the meal. When paired with the herbed stuffing, one coffee stood out.