The feeling of Christmas cheer and joy has already started to spread, and the excitement has gone into full effect. With the holidays coming up, many well known New York food and cafe chains are opening up their holiday menus. One of the most noticeable and popular being Starbucks. Starbucks is a fast food chain known for its large variety of flavors with their drinks that customers can customize to their liking. Every holiday season Starbucks takes it upon itself to come up with different drinks to match the festive energy and cheer in the air. When their holiday menu comes back, it’s always big news with any new festive drinks, the iconic red cup designs, and secret menu concoctions that everyone craves.
Starbucks has recently released their holiday menu which includes, Gingerbread Loaf, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop, Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino, Signature Hot Chocolate, Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk latte, Snowman Cookie, New Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai, Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte. These items were a bit on the pricey side and they were in high demand so I was not able to review all these festive items. However I was able to get my hands on the Sugar Cookie Latte, Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai, Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, Gingerbread Loaf, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop to be able to give you a proper review and ranking.
As soon as you walk into Starbucks, you can smell the coffee and see all the holiday decorations which creates the perfect cozy mood. The Sugar Cookie Latte is one of the items on the holiday menu that could be ordered both iced or hot. This drink has a very smooth creamy feeling in your mouth. The taste of the blonde espresso roast with sugar cookie syrup combined gives you a mix of savory and sweetness. However, if the drink is too sweet for your liking you are able to modify the amount of sugar or expresso pumps in the drink. The drink itself has an aftertaste of cookies as mentioned and promised in the name. It was the perfect balance of a holiday feel with a regular coffee that could replace your regular Starbucks order for this season. The warm drink has steamed almond milk on top that provides a delicious and warm cup to drink. The iced version was topped with red and green sprinkles that added to the drinks festive feel and vibe.
Another great holiday drink they offer is the Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai. This is another drink that could be ordered both iced and warmed. I ordered this drink iced and it is a great drink if you are craving a cool but festive drink. The perfect mix of gingerbread and chai latte is refreshing with a pop of spices in your mouth reminding you of Christmas in a cup.
The Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is also another great holiday drink for people who love the taste of peppermint. It is cold and has a very sweet taste from the white chocolate mocha. While drinking it, you are hit with a cool but surprising taste of peppermint. I advise people to get it only if you love the taste of peppermint.
Moving on to desserts that you can pair with your holiday drinks. The Gingerbread Loaf that is soft and fluffy, and breaks apart easily. It tastes like a gingerbread man in your mouth with frosting on the top. As a bonus, it is perfect for vegetarians.
The final item, I reviewed was the Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop. This item was by far my favorite out of everything I tried because it is perfect for chocolate lovers and it is the perfect dessert to go with your holiday drink. The cake pop was decorated with white chocolate and peppermint pieces to provide a crunch with the contrast of the soft and chewy inside of the brownie cake pop.
These are all the Starbucks holiday items I reviewed and hope this helps you decide what holiday drinks and desserts you want to order the next time you go to Starbucks. Enjoy the holidays!
