Although I am for sure a caffeine addict and Starbucks fanatic, I’m also very picky about what I order. I have about three orders that I rotate through, but with winter approaching and Christmas music starting to play in Starbucks, the holiday spirit got to me. That’s why for the last two weeks, I’ve been venturing outside of my caramel macchiato comfort zone and ordering every drink on the Starbucks holiday menu as seen on the website, new and old, and giving them a rating out of 10.
Cran-merry refresher
Rating: 7/10
As a certified refresher fan, I enjoyed the combination of sweet and tart in this cranberry-orange combo. Nothing was too overpowering, and it tasted pleasantly like cranberry relish, although I avoided eating the actual cranberries because of their unpleasantly sour (in my opinion) taste. Overall, I think it’s a good holiday addition to the refresher lineup, although I don’t know if I’ll be reaching for it over my usual Strawberry Acai.
cran-merry drink
Rating: 7.5/10
With what is essentially a cranberry-orange Pink Drink, coconut milk and all, I preferred this one over the regular refresher, although it was close. Like the refresher version, it’s a good mix of the sweet and tart, but the coconut milk made it a little sweeter and lighter. It’s definitely good, it just didn’t stick out to me compared to how much I enjoyed all of the other holiday menu drinks.
iced sugar cookie almondmilk latte
Rating: 4/10
I usually enjoy anything sugar cookie adjacent, but this drink was not my thing… like, at all. The four points I gave it were solely because of how much it smelled like freshly baked cookies. While it smelled delicious, the actual drink tasted more burnt than baked. It didn’t taste very Christmassy, and tasted like a worse version of a straight up latte. Luckily, while this one was a miss for me, the rest of the menu made up for it with how yummy it was.
peppermint mocha
Rating: 8/10
This one is a classic for any Starbucks holiday enjoyers, and for good reason. It’s like if an Andes mint were a mocha, blending the chocolate and mint together perfectly. It’ll get you in the mood to sing Christmas carols and watch “Elf,” but if you’re someone who actually enjoys the taste of coffee, it might not be the drink for you. It’s deliciously chocolatey, but both times I tried it, I barely tasted any coffee at all.
Chestnut praline latte
Rating: 9/10
This latte is a great mix of the cozy fireplace vibes of the chestnut and praline flavoring and the actual coffee taste. The whipped cream and chopped nuts on top also make it scrumptiously sweet. I didn’t have many thoughts on this one, other than that it was just good. I’ve ordered this more than once in my afternoons of coffee-fueled essay writing, and it’s never failed me.
caramel brulee latte
Rating: 10/10
I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so it’s no surprise that the caramel brulee latte was my favorite coffee and tied for my favorite overall drink. It tastes nostalgically like butterscotch and caramel candies and is overall pretty sweet, but the coffee cuts it enough to where it’s not overpowering. If I’m in a coffee mood, this latte is my go-to for the entire time it’s available because it’s consistently delicious and always gets me in a warm and comfy mood.
iced gingerbread oatmilk chai
Rating: 10/10
If I’m not feeling like coffee, oat milk chai lattes are consistently what I order, and the gingerbread version is an improvement on an already delicious thing. The spices in the chai go perfectly with the gingery flavor, and the foam on top is SO good. It tastes like what I feel like when I look at gingerbread houses. It’s still very much available, but I’m preemptively mourning the time when I’ll have to go back to regular oatmilk chai lattes.