Starbucks Big Island mug: Discovery Series

By The Starbucks Cups team · Last checked 2026-10-15 · How we make these pages

Starbucks Discovery Series Big Island mug with a scuba diver, red coral and a rainbow around the words BIG ISLAND — Front view · numbered markers match the list below Show markers

The Big Island mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets the name in teal over a dark green circle, with a scuba diver, spiky red coral and a rainbow around it. A waterfall, a horse and rider, a coffee branch and a spotted sea creature fill the other sides.

Series: Discovery Series
Place: Big Island, Hawaii, USA
Type: Mug
Released: Not confirmed
Capacity: 14 fl ozstandard mug size
SKU: Not confirmed

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The Kona coffee count that did not add up

In 2019, Bob and Cea Smith joined two other Kona farms in suing Amazon, Costco, Walmart and 18 other companies. Their claim was that much of the coffee sold as Kona was not ^[1]. They started with arithmetic. According to their complaint, 2.7 million pounds of real Kona beans are grown each year, while more than 20 million pounds labeled Kona are sold at retail ^[2]. Hawaii requires a Kona blend to hold at least 10 percent real Kona, but that law covers only sales inside the state ^[3]. The defense said Kona is a place name, not a trademark ^[4]. The companies that settled denied wrongdoing ^[5]. The settlements came to $13.1 million, and 11 companies committed to new rules on using the name ^[6]^[7]. The red berries on the branch on the back of the Big Island mug (8) hang on the plant all of it was about.

The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.

What's on the mug

1
Lettering
BIG ISLAND in teal capitals over a dark green circle.
2
Scuba diver
A diver in black with an orange fin swims across the top of the circle, with small fish and bubbles beside it.
3
Red spiky coral
A cluster of red fan-shaped coral rises at the upper left of the lettering.
4
Rainbow
A rainbow arcs under the lettering, over a patch of dark sea floor with colourful shells.
5
Figure with raised arms Side view
A figure in orange with both arms raised holds a banner overhead, in front of pale blue triangles.
6
Spotted sea creature Side view
A dark teal creature with white spots and a long tail rises along the right of this view.
7
White house and kayak Side view
A white building with a red-striped roof stands among orange trees, with a small kayak at the lower right.
8
Coffee branch Back view
A branch with glossy leaves and red berries hangs at the upper left of this view.
9
Steaming mug Back view
A blue mug with a palm tree and sun on it sends up steam.
10
Horse and rider Back view
A rider in a patterned top sits on a red horse beside the mug.
11
Waterfall Back view
A waterfall with a rainbow in its mist drops into a teal pool between orange and pink leaves.

The three photos together cover most of the outside of the mug. The inside colour and the base are not visible in any photo.

Collector notes

The horse and rider, the coffee branch and the steaming mug sit on the back, opposite the lettering, so a seller photo taken only from the front shows none of them.
The Side photo shows a figure with raised arms holding a banner beside a spotted sea creature, a white house and a small kayak, which the Front and Back photos do not show.

Before you buy

The coffee branch, the steaming mug and the horse and rider are on the back, opposite the lettering, so a seller photo taken only from the front shows none of them. The Side photo shows the figure with raised arms, the white house and the kayak. The inside colour and the base are not visible in any photo.