Chicago Rabbinical Council Guide to Starbucks Beverages

Click to see List of Recommended Starbucks Beverages 
Chicago Rabbinical Council  Guide to Starbucks Beverages
אב תשע"ח  July 2018
The good news is that there are many Starbucks locations that do not serve hot meat sandwiches. These are generally the Starbucks kiosks which can be defined as a Starbucks location, usually found in a mall, retail store, a bus or train station or airport, that does not sell hot sandwiches.The cRc is comfortable recommending any drink made from kosher ingredients (even though some others use ingredients that may not be kosher). 
 It is also worth noting that many items sold at Starbucks are dairy and chalav stam.

CRC-Over the years, Starbucks shops have evolved from simple coffee shops to stores that serve many kosher and non-kosher items, with the most serious non-kosher items being hot meat
sandwiches. The standard daily clean up at Starbucks includes a hot wash of all utensils and some parts of that washing are done without soap. This clean up process challenges the kosher status of the otherwise kosher products and each product must be judged by a competent halachic authority.
When evaluating these issues, Rav Schwartz א"שליט ,Rosh Beis Din of the cRc, acknowledged that there is basis for being lenient on many of the items being sold at Starbucks stores, but directed the cRc to be true to the mission of a reliable Kashrus Agency which only recommends items that are free of all shailos and not those which are only acceptable b’dieved. Rav Schwartz noted that this is especially true because there are viable alternatives in every Starbucks store, and even more options in those locations that do not serve hot meat sandwiches. These are generally the Starbucks “kiosks” that can be found in some airports, highway rest-stops, supermarkets etc., and at these locations the cRc is able to recommend many more beverages, as noted on the list below. [Some kiosks, such as those found at Target, share sinks and other equipment with nearby stores; those Starbucks facilities have the status of the full-service stores noted below.]
To fully explain the details, questions, and shailos involved in this issue the cRc printed an analysis of the topic in the Spring 2011 edition of The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, and that article is available on the cRc website. The coming list is accurate at this time for stores in the United States and Canada, and since the information is subject to change this list should not be used after May 30, 2019. [The list is limited to beverages and does not address foods sold in Starbucks (e.g. sandwiches), or toppings and other items added to beverages.] It is also worth noting that many items sold at Starbucks are dairy and chalav stam.