As Christmas approaches it is time to get into the holiday spirit and what better way than going to Starbucks and getting a holiday drink. Just recently it came out with its holiday menu and people are going crazy for the new drinks on the menu. Along with the new drinks come the new holiday cup design, every year there is a cup design released with the holiday drinks.

According to Business Insider, Starbucks started doing holiday cups in 1997. The cups were purple with whimsical designs for the first couple of years. The first year having red cups was in 1999 and they have never looked back. In 2015 there was a huge controversy with the red cup designs for the holiday season. The design was minimalist red, Starbucks was accused of removing Christian imagery from the holiday cups.

Starbucks has featured drinks every season, however, the holiday drinks bring joy to people’s hearts and bring the Christmas spirit to life. I am going to try 3-holiday drinks from Starbucks and determine which one is the best. I love Starbucks and have tried the holiday drinks they have had in the past, so I know what to look for in reviewing these drinks.

Gingerbread oat milk chai (iced)

10/10

I was most excited to try this drink because I always love a good chai; however, the oat milk I was skeptical of. I am not one who likes different kinds of milk, I typically stick with plain milk, definitely not oat milk. I did not let that stop me from trying this drink, and I am so glad I tried it.

For anyone looking for a chai in the holiday season, the gingerbread oat milk chai is the one to get. It has a great balance between the chai mix and gingerbread flavor, without having too strong of a cinnamon flavor. The first sip I took it felt like I was going back in time; I was a kid again and taking a bite out of a gingerbread house. This would be the perfect cold drink when getting too hot sitting by a fire and watching the snow outside a window, a great way to spend a snowy night.

Peppermint mocha (hot)

9/10

I love mint-flavored things and with this drink, I was not disappointed, I took a sip and it was like a mint explosion in my mouth. The mint overpowers both the chocolate and coffee flavors. This is not a well-balanced drink, cannot taste much of the coffee and there is a hint of chocolate at the first sip; as I kept drinking it I could mostly only taste the mint. The aftertaste is the best, it is like an Andes mint, sweet chocolate with the spice of peppermint. 

Not only do peppermint mochas taste good, but they also have some health benefits. Peppermint extract is the essence of the mocha, and it is the peppermint that gives the health benefits. According to WebMD, peppermint can help soothe an upset stomach and improve a headache. There are many more benefits to peppermint too, so this is not only a great tasting drink but it also can help with health.

Sugar cookie latte (hot)

4/10

I was ready for this drink, so excited and I was expecting it to be amazing. That is when everything went downhill. I took a sip and it was not what I expected. I could not taste any sugar cookie flavor. It was not sweet, but I could not taste the coffee much either. It was a bland drink without flavor; it was also bitter. I could only taste foam, which was quite odd.

This drink felt like when I read the back cover of a book and get excited to read it, then I start reading the book. I get lost in what the book is about. That is how I felt about the drink, lost in what the flavor was supposed to be. $5.34 was way too much to spend on this drink, so I would not recommend it.

To recap, gingerbread oat milk chai is the best drink on the 2023 Starbucks holiday menu – peppermint mocha coming in a close second, and unfortunately the sugar cookie latte way at the bottom. Maybe in future holiday menus, one drink will overtake the gingerbread oat milk chai but until that day comes, the chai is the champion.