Mattie Baker

Seasonal sips. Starbucks offers new and old drinks for the holidays. The coffee chain kept their drinks from years prior, and added a new cranberry flavored refresher to the menu.

Starbucks released their holiday menu on Nov. 7, and as you may or may not have noticed, not much has changed. The only new addition in terms of drinks is their Cran-Merry refresher, while, back once again for another season of cheer, are the Peppermint Mocha, the Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai and the Caramel Brulee, Chestnut Praline and Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Lattes. The question now is are these drinks as much festive fun as they were last year?

Cran-Merry Refresher

8/10

The most recent addition–and probably the boldest–the Cran-Merry refresher is sure to surprise you. As with most people, my curiosity got the best of me with this one, so I caved and tried it. One thing about this refresher is it’s definitely unique; I don’t think it’s possible to get another drink like it. It combines tart cranberry juice (and cranberry inclusions) with flavors of orange citrus and classic holiday spices. The Cran-Merry drink is traditionally made with coconut milk, but can also be made with water or lemonade like all of Starbucks’ refreshers. I was most concerned about the “spices” part when I tried it, and, thankfully, they weren’t overwhelming like they tend to be in the Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. I also really appreciated the little hints of orange hidden in the cranberry. Still, as good as it was, it just wasn’t on the same level as the pink drink, so I couldn’t (in good conscience) give it a full ten out of ten. 

Peppermint Mocha

6/10

The Peppermint Mocha, believe it or not, is exactly the same as it is every other year. That being said, I do prefer Starbucks’ peppermint mocha over any other coffee shop’s version. As someone who isn’t a big fan of dark or milk chocolate in my coffee, this mocha is pretty close to perfect; the coffee and peppermint flavors take up most of the space, so the chocolate doesn’t get the chance to be too overbearing. You can also get this drink with white chocolate (White Peppermint Mocha), which is my favorite alternative (white chocolate and peppermint is just the better combination). 

Caramel Brulee Latte

10/10 (again)

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know how much I missed this latte until I had it again. Every time I took a sip, a part of me expected it to be a regular caramel latte that just happened to get overhyped, and every time, it exceeded my expectations. It is silky, rich and extremely flavorful (without being overbearing). Plus, the whipped cream and caramel pieces on top don’t hurt either. That being said, I am biased because I love practically all caramel-flavored coffees…still, I think it’s worth a try from anyone who appreciates a good latte. 

Chestnut Praline Latte

7/10 

Last year, this drink surprised me once, and then disappointed me immediately after. This year, I’m happy to report things went a lot better. The flavor is almost like caramel, but with a nutty twist. It’s perfect for anyone who likes a slight mix of sweet and salty in which neither overshadows the other. If there’s one thing this drink is, it’s balanced; and once that espresso is added in it just gets better. The flavors might not be your first thought when you think of the holidays, but they still know how to leave a good impression that’ll have you thinking of it in the off-season. 

Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte

7/10 

Unfortunately, I can not give this drink the eight out of ten that I gave it last year. Whether they tweaked the recipe, or I’ve just been having ridiculously bad luck with it, it has not lived up to what I remember. Though it still has that strong shortbread cookie flavoring and light, festive feel, lately it has either tasted watered down or way too intense. Getting it with its matching Sugar Cookie coldfoam does help, but not enough to make up that lost star. All I can say is I hope I have better luck next year.

Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

2/10

I actually like Starbucks chai with oat milk; the milk adds another layer of flavor to the drink and makes it feel fuller. Unfortunately, I think adding gingerbread to it is a little bit much. The amount of flavors happening in this drink are so overwhelming that even if someone happened to like it, they probably wouldn’t be able to do much more than sip it. It reminds me a lot of trying a piece of the gingerbread house as a kid–and immediately spitting it out on account of the various spices. While the drink itself isn’t new, Starbucks has also implemented a gingerbread cream coldfoam in honor of it. The coldfoam is much calmer than its parent drink, probably because of the “foam” part. Though it may not be my favorite coldfoam, it does give a good, nonlethal dose of gingerbread flavor, and if someone still wants to try that gingerbread-chai combination, they might be pleasantly surprised by an oat milk chai topped with only the coldfoam.