As the days are getting colder and the holidays are getting closer, many coffee shops around Columbus are bringing out their holiday themed drinks and treats! The classic Christmas mochas from Starbucks are back, along with the signature lattes from Dunkin’. But which of these drinks will be your new favorite this Christmas season? Let’s go try some and find out!
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Starbucks
The Starbucks holiday menu has so many options, from ice cold refreshers to piping hot lattes. The main holiday menu consists of 13 beverages: 8 drinks and 5 cold foams. This year, Starbucks is introducing 4 new drinks: Cran-Merry Orange Refresher, Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher, Cran-Merry Drink, and the Gingerbread Cream Cold Foam. All of these released on November 7th, 2024, so they are available now!
Starbucks Iced Peppermint Latte Review: I’m not a big fan of peppermint flavored things so I didn’t expect to like it too much. It did taste very strongly like peppermint so if you like minty beverages, then the Iced Peppermint Mocha is definitely for you! Overall, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good, so I’d give it a 6/10.
Starbucks Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte Review: This drink was probably my least favorite out of the all of the ones I tried. It has almost no flavor when you first drink it and the aftertaste isn’t very good. I expected it to be more sweet like a cookie, but it didn’t really live up to those expectations. It did smell good though, so the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte gets a 2/10.
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Dunkin’
Since November 1st, Dunkin’ has started their winter festivities with 5 holiday drinks. The classics like their Peppermint Mocha, Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte, and Cookie Butter Cold Brew are returning alongside 2 new drinks: White Hazelnut Bark Iced Coffee and Holiday Cookie Iced Signature Latte.
Dunkin’ Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Review: The first thing I noticed about this drink was how strongly it tasted like coffee. It was yummy and pretty flavorful, however, for me, the coffee was a little overpowering. It’s also very sweet but it did lack the Christmas vibe in my opinion. In all, it gets an 8/10.
Dunkin’ Cookie Butter Cold Brew Review: This one was more bitter than the Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte. Both Dunkin’ drinks didn’t taste very seasonal but still had some good things about them. I didn’t hate this drink but I didn’t love it either so I think I’d give it a 5/10.
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Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons takes first place with the most amount of holiday spirit. They released 11 seasonal drinks this year! A majority of their holiday beverages are either Peppermint or Gingerbread flavored, so if you are a fan of either of those flavors, you’re in for a treat!
Tim Hortons Iced Gingerbread Chai Latte Review: After the first sip, I immediately gave it a 10/10. It was very refreshing and it checked all of the boxes for a perfect holiday drink. It tasted very Christmasy and felt like the perfect drink to get into the holiday spirit. I could definitely see myself getting it again and I would recommend it for anyone else looking for a festive drink for the holidays!
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The temperatures are dropping but your holiday spirit doesn’t have to! Get out to Starbucks, Dunkin’, Tim Hortons or any local coffee shop and give their seasonal drinks a try. Hopefully through this article you can find your new favorite Christmas beverage and share it with all of your friends. Have a fun and safe holiday season, Go Wolves!
