On Thursday, November 7, Starbucks released its annual holiday menu. It features refreshers, iced drinks, warm lattes, mochas, and festive pastries. Alongside the old and new drink flavors, Starbucks released a new paper cup design with dynamic Christmas-colored circles that mimic glowing holiday lights.
Cran-Merry Orange Refresher
For the first time ever, Starbucks has released a refresher on the holiday menu. It features a tart cranberry and sweet orange flavor as well as notes of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Taking a sip of this drink can be compared to the “cold air of ice skating.” When ordering, you have the option to get it plain, with lemonade, or coconut milk. The plain refresher tasted bland by itself so it would be advised to get lemonade to enhance the flavor better. The freeze-dried cranberries that come in the drink have a slightly bitter taste; however, they add visual appeal to the perfect holiday drink.
Iced Peppermint Mocha
Once again, the Peppermint Mocha returns! Described by us as “mint chocolate chip ice cream as a liquid,” the drink had a combination of sweet components. The texture was more on the grainy side and the flavor was slightly overwhelming if you don’t favor artificial peppermint syrups. Visually, the drink was cute, adorned with whipped cream and chocolate swirls. The drink was an aesthetic combo for anyone with a love of holiday peppermint.
Bliss Bar
Each year, Starbucks features festive bakery items on their menu. This year, Starbucks has shared a slice of bliss, as depicted in their name. The holiday Bliss Bar returns again this year featuring dried cranberries and a layer of cream-cheese icing topped with bits of orange zest. We believe it is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy. It is classified as a blondie; however, it had more of a cookie dough-like texture. Its flavoring is reminiscent of a Special K bar, specifically the strawberry pastry crips. Overall, the bakery item brings a nice fruitful flavor to the more refined taste of day-to-day items and is a must to try.
Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai
Last year, the Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai made a return from original discontinuation in 2019, making this year its second year back. With hints of “Christmas tree hunting” and “holiday craft store,” this drink is a casual festivity. The Iced Gingerbread Chai can be compared to the Pumpkin Chai from the fall season, although it’s not as flavorful. Given its name, the drink would be expected to be more reminiscent of a gingerbread flavor; however, it’s scentless and lacking the spiced taste.
Chestnut Praline Latte
Another returning menu item, the Chestnut Praline Latte, consists of a perfectly balanced drink with spiced praline crumbs and the signature espresso roast. While not visually as attractive as drinks like the Cran-Merry Refresher, the drink made up for it with a delectable smell we described as “Christmas night in a warm cup.” Although the drink incorporated espresso roast, the coffee hints were not as noticeable, and depending on your taste, that may be a pro or con. This drink is a perfect sip for day-to-day activities to bring a cheerful warm feeling to your stomach.
