To the average holiday spirited custom

By Megan Laser

Bells are jingling around the necks of baristas wearing red aprons and serving coffee in cups decorated in red and green with snowflakes falling down. The new holiday series launched on Nov. 2, causing the already cheery attitude of baristas to heighten as they serve your drinks and food with big smiles on their faces. The Christmas spirit has rained down on all the Starbucks stores across the nation, and the seasonal holiday drinks are back for a limited time.

TWM (Toasted White Mocha)

The TWM is essentially a caramelized version of the WM (White Mocha), with steamed milk and espresso and topped off with whipped cream and red sprinkles and white pearls. The drink can come either iced, as a hot beverage, or as a blended frappuccino. It’s one of the more popular holiday drinks compared to the rest of the drinks.

The TWM is personally one of my favorite holiday drinks, mostly because the WM is my favorite coffee to drink. To be honest, there’s not much of a difference between the regular WM and the TWM, probably because it’s the same basic flavors. I, personally, always ask for no whipped cream because not only does it make the calories go up by like 80 calories, it makes it way too sweet for me to drink. I prefer the steamed milk version because when you think of the holidays, it’s the warmth of hot chocolate in the cold weather that really hits home. The warm feeling it provides, that’s what makes the TWM taste even better. Plus, when the ice melts the drink becomes really watery and it’s not as amazing as the original flavor.

CB (Caramel Brulee Latte)

The CB is another favorite for those who usually get the CRF (Caramel Frappuccino) in the summer. The latte consists of the Caramel Brulee sauce with steamed milk, espresso and topped with whipped cream and the Caramel Brulee sprinkles. The drink can come either as a hot coffee, an iced beverage, or a frappuccino. Again, another popular holiday drink, but it’s not much of a fall flavored drink.

In my opinion, the CB is too sweet for me to drink. I was never able to drink the CRF because of how sweet it was, and this beverage is the warm version of it. Again, I go with no whipped cream because a lot of Starbucks drinks are too sweet and the whipped cream only adds onto that. Although it’s all too sweet, I do enjoy the sprinkles on top. They’re like little bits of caramel and it might just be a me thing — but I like to chew on the bits, especially when they’re softer. If I did buy the CB, I’d get it as a frappuccino because it’s too sweet to actually be considered a coffee. But for all the CRF lovers who think it’s too cold to drink a blended beverage, the CB is the drink to warm you up this winter.

SHC (Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate)

The SHC is the sweet twist to the classic hot chocolate. There’s no espresso shots so kids can enjoy this beverage without being caffeinated. The drink is made with White Chocolate sauce, Cinnamon Dolce syrup, and steamed milk and topped with whipped cream. Only the warm beverage is available on the menu, but if you wanted it cold or as a frappuccino, you could order it as a milk with flavoring or a cream frappuccino, which just means no coffee, and the syrups that go with it.

This drink is good for a while, especially the first time you try it. But, after a few sips for me, I realized how sweet it really was, and I couldn’t drink the rest (I only had the short size!). I didn’t even try it with whipped cream because I knew it’d be too sweet just by smelling it as I poured the milk into the cup. I, personally, wouldn’t order this drink unless I was really craving something sweet. Other than that, it does really taste like a snickerdoodle cookie. It’s like drinking a liquified version of a snickerdoodle cookie that came straight out of the oven.

Chestnut Praline Latte (CPL)

And last but certainly not least, we have the Chestnut Praline Latte. It has a Chestnut Praline Syrup mixed with espresso shots and steamed milk. It’s topped off with whipped cream and the Praline topping that looks almost like breadcrumbs. This drink is one of the less popular drinks, but it does smell really good when it’s ready.

If you’re looking for a stronger coffee flavor, this drink is the perfect one for you. It’s both sweet and bitter at the same time, and I enjoyed it very much. I didn’t drink it with whipped cream, but I’d assume it’d make the drink sweeter by a little bit. It’s not one of my favorites, but it’s still a better drink compared to the SHC.

And with that, you have the holiday beverages that baristas across the nation have been waiting all year to make. And with these amazing drinks, Black Friday and Thanksgiving are just around the corner, and you know what that means. Deals! They’re may be a huge line, but if you stop by your local Starbucks you could get this drink for a deal much less than what it’s worth. Merry Christmas from your local barista!