As soon as it gets cold, Starbucks takes the time to capitalize on this using very special holiday beverages. They make it big, with new holiday cup designs each year that throw society into chaos (TBT to the time Starbucks propagated the “War on Christmas” with plain cups in 2015).
This year, since the cold weather hit Boston a little early, I took it upon myself to try each of the ~classic~ Holiday drinks and rank them, from worst to best.
- Eggnog Latte
-
I used to love eggnog as a child and honestly have no idea when it became so gross. I had an open mind but this really smells like stale, expiring milk. It’s so festive in ideology, but in practice, no thank you.
- Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
-
Although this one sounds delicious, it is a bit too sweet for my taste. White chocolate is also ~controversial~ since it’s not real chocolate, which is what I initially thought of. The syrup can overpower the coffee with its brazen hyper sugary taste.
- Peppermint Mocha
-
We’re just going to ignore that that’s a Dunkin gif … I generally really enjoy peppermint-flavored drinks but the beautiful mocha was almost covering the peppermint, chocolatey flavor that I really wanted from the drink.
- Caramel Brulee Latte
-
This is my go-to holiday drink! It has a nice toastiness to it and isn’t overly sweet. This is the gourmet holiday drink like its cousinly dessert namesake, Caramel Brulee.
- Chestnut Praline Latte
-
Okay, so honestly I’m a little mad that this won, but it was undeniably delicious. What is more festive than chestnuts roasting on an open fire while Jack Frost is nipping at your nose? It has the sweet and nutty flavor combination nailed, and I really enjoyed this.
Honorable mentions that are ~unofficial~ holiday drinks: Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate and Caramel Apple Spice. Both are sweet and delicious for cold days when you aren’t in the mood for caffeine.
After drinking these Starbucks favorites, I was ready to tackle my day and it basically felt like the end of December! Starbucks does not go wrong during the holiday season, from the cups to the festive music in stores, down to the delicious drinks they’re known for. Happy winter!
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!