By Janvi Acharya and Oswah Chaudhry
The widely awaited Starbucks holiday menu is here for the season once again. Every year, Starbucks embraces the holiday spirit by concocting holiday drinks that boast a variety of seasonal flavors and cups that resemble wrapping paper.
A few holiday beverages that are on the menu this year are the Peppermint Mocha Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Caramel Bruelée Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino and the Irish Cream Cold Brew, which wasn’t available last year. However, the Eggnog Latte is not available this time around.
The newest drink that Starbucks released is the Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. Surveys show that 56% of coffee drinkers love a cold coffee in the dead of winter, so it’s no surprise Starbucks released this chilly drink.
“It tastes just like a sugar cookie and I love the fact that it has a dairy substitute,” said freshman Destiny Gillespie.
As the first non-dairy drink on the menu, the Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte has climbed its way into the hearts of Starbucks customers. It is made with sugar cookie-flavored syrup, blonde espresso, and creamy almond milk, then topped with red and green cookie sprinkles for good measure.
The famous Peppermint Mocha is made up of espresso roast, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint syrup which mingle perfectly in this tasty seasonal beverage. It is a perfect mix of sweetness and bitterness that coffee drinkers often crave. The dash of peppermint syrup ties it all up in a refreshing bow and gives it that much-craved holiday flavor.
The Caramel Brûlée Latte is a favorite among customers. Consisting of a mix of steamed milk and rich caramel brulée sauce finished with whipped cream and a supreme topping of even more caramel brulée bits, the Caramel Brûlée Latte is Starbucks’ signature espresso.
"I highly recommend the Caramel Brûlée Latte. It's definitely up there when it comes to Starbucks drinks. The best part of it is the brûlée-ness of the beverage, the browning and Maillard reaction flavor adds a whole other level to the complexity of the drink,” said freshman Alexander Tomalski.
Starbucks’ holiday treats are also mouth-watering. The Sugar Plum Cheese Danish is a fluffy danish filled with delicious cream cheese, topped with a spiced sugar plum spread. The Cranberry Bliss Bar contains dried cranberries mixed in a blondie cake, topped with a layer of cream cheese icing dusted with orange zest and dried cranberries.
Source by Anna Detke
Starbucks' newest reusable red holiday cups, depicting two different designs.
Called by chief marketing officer Brady Brewer as “a step towards reducing single-use cup waste as we work towards helping our planet-positive goals,” Starbucks has brought back their reusable red cup giveaway for the fourth year in a row. On November 18, Starbucks gave away free limited-edition, red reusable cups to customers who ordered a holiday or fall-themed beverage. This year’s cup design honors Starbucks’ 50th anniversary and is also made with 50% recycled content. It has a festive red background with the Starbucks logo front and center with colorful ribbons dancing around. Starbucks’ goal is to reduce single-use cup waste by 50% by the year 2030.
Coffee lovers agree that this year’s cup design, festive drinks and treats are perfect for the holiday season.