It’s finally that time of year again! When the cold settles in and the decorations start showing up, you can rightfully say holiday season has arrived! And with that, the heavily anticipated Starbucks holiday drinks are once again on the menu. This year, six holiday drinks are on Starbucks’ menu, from the new Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte to the fan-favorite Peppermint Mocha. Luckily for you, we have tried and reviewed them all so you don’t have to! 

Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte

Being the first non-dairy holiday drink Starbucks has ever offered, the Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte is pretty solid. Already a fan-favorite, this nostalgic latte evoked feelings of being nestled inside and baking delectable sugar cookies with loved ones. It boasts a strong taste of vanilla with hints of the buttery and sugary goodness of a sugar cookie. Overall, it’s very light and has just the right amount of sugar. 

Toasted White Chocolate Mocha

Being fans of both white chocolate and mocha, we were excited to try this drink. However, it unfortunately didn’t match up to our expectations. Being the holiday version of the white mocha that is available year-round, this drink includes toasted marshmallow (hence the “toasted” in the name) and is topped with an abundance of sugar sparkles and candy pearls. Despite its add-ins that differentiate it from its white mocha predecessor, the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha lacks in flavor and tastes so sweet that every other flavor is masked (especially the flavor of the actual coffee). We’d rather stick to the regular White Chocolate Mocha! 

Chestnut Praline Latte

With a glorious combination of espresso and steamed milk that is flavored with chestnut praline syrup and topped with spiced praline crumbs, this latte is certainly very flavorful and nutty. Despite its bonanza of flavors, though, it maintains its flavor of coffee very nicely, and no flavor was overbearing. It successfully finds the middle ground in being cloying sweet and excessively syrup, which I would say is the best part of the drink! 

Peppermint Mocha

Since Starbucks mochas are a personal favorite of mine, trying the Peppermint Mocha was a must! Although minty flavors aren’t my go-to drinks, I wanted to try this out to see if the sweetness and mintiness would blend well. I only happened to try a warm mocha version, and I felt the hot chocolate type of taste with slivers of mintiness combined flavorfully together. This drink works perfectly for the last few weeks of December, with the blending of caffeine to help speed through final exams, as well as a hint of mintiness to give a Christmas-like taste. 

Caramel Brûlée Latte 

If you are in need of a sugar rush, the Caramel Brûlée Latte is the most ideal drink for you! This drink consists of a heightened taste of caramel and sugar, and some may only last a few sips in with the energy it gives out. Along with the steamed milk and caramel brûlée sauce, the drink is also topped with whipped cream as well as caramel brûlée toppings. This drink also shares remote similarities to the regular caramel latte. Nevertheless, if you’re having sugar cravings, this drink will fill you up!

Irish Cream Cold Brew

This drink did not catch much of my attention the first time trying it, I thought the taste was sort of bitter and unsweetened compared to the other holiday drinks. The drink’s supposed to consist of cocoa and syrup flavoring, but unfortunately those flavors failed to blend consistently in the beverage. On the plus side, if you’re looking for a healthier alternative compared to the other festive drinks on this menu, this drink is considered a lower calorie drink!