While many people look forward to Pumpkin Spice Latte season in the fall, I enjoy Starbucks winter holiday drinks. On November 2nd, 2023, people’s favorite drinks from the Starbucks holiday menu are coming back, with the famous free red cups also making a return for the 25th consecutive year. Starbucks releases its holiday menu each year during the holiday season that lasts through the winter.
The holiday drinks include the New Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai, Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. I decided to give them a try and rate them
We start it off with the worst one out of the bunch for me – Peppermint Mocha. The peppermint mocha contains Starbucks signature Espresso Roast mixed with steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint-flavored syrup, and then is finally topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. It’s one of Starbucks’ most beloved drinks to many, its first appearance was in 2002 and is inspired by the well-known peppermint candy, and it was made by a taste team.
I had good expectations for this one from reading information about it and the positive reviews of it, but when I took the first sip I was disappointed. The peppermint was way too strong, and the mocha did not help. It was very strong and was not enjoyable to me, though the steamed milk and whipped cream made it soft and warm. And it was the only drink I wasn’t able to finish completely. I rate it a 2.5/10.
Up next is the Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. The Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai contains warm chai spices, and creamy Oat Milk, topped with frothy Oat Milk infused with Gingerbread-flavored syrup and a spice topping. It’s a new drink introduced into this year’s holiday menu and is inspired by the famous Gingerbread cookies.
I didn’t know what to expect with this drink so when I tasted it, I was like “Meh.” It’s really spice-focused and I kind of liked that about it because it holds up to the name and gives but other than that I wasn’t wowed by it. I thought it was decent but nothing special. I rate it a 6/10
Next is the Chestnut Praline Latte. The Chestnut Praline Latte contains Starbucks signature Espresso Roast and velvety steamed milk, and then they add flavors of caramelized chestnuts and spices and topped with whipped cream and specially spiced praline crumbs. It was introduced in 2014 after its creator, Amy Dilger, pitched 8 drinks for the holiday menu and this one was the winner.
I already knew I would like this one because I enjoy coffee with some type of nut flavor like hazelnut, chestnut, etc. It didn’t disappoint, I enjoyed the sweetness of it and the chestnut flavor that is very calm, warm, and a little spice. It’s a good drink and I enjoyed it, it’s what I expected. I rate it a 7.5/10.
The next drink is Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. The Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte contains Sugar cookie-flavored syrup mixed with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast and steamed almond milk, topped with red and green sprinkles. The drink first appeared in 2021, and it was inspired by spritz cookies.
I didn’t have high expectations for this one, but it exceeded them. It’s sweet, it has the cookie taste, which tasted good, and I kinda tasted vanilla but I don’t know if that’s just me. Overall, this drink exceeded my expectations and was really good. I rate it an 8.5/10.
Finally the last drink, my favorite one, my go-to, the one, the only, the Caramel Brulee Latte. The Caramel Brulee Latte contains Starbucks signature espresso, steamed milk, and rich caramel brulée sauce, with whipped cream and toppings of even more caramel brulée bits. Its first appearance was in 2009. The Caramel Brulee Latte is my favorite holiday and overall favorite Starbucks drink.
Its sweetness, the creamy taste and feel of it, and the caramel touch to it, and the shot of espresso makes it so simple yet so damn good. I love this drink so much and it sucked not being able to get this drink for a while because I had to try the other drinks first to try them. This drink is the best holiday drink on the menu in my opinion and it’s delicious. I rate it a perfect 10/10.
Overall, all these drinks have something most people will like and enjoy. I think all drinks can be good depending on your likes and dislikes. I had fun trying out these drinks and I enjoyed most of them, except the Peppermint Mocha. I recommend giving at least one of these drinks a try because it’s the holiday season and all these drinks remind you of that and make you feel cozy and feel good knowing it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
