Starbucks Unveils Anticipated X-Mas Menu
With the Christmas season approaching, several businesses have begun advertising exclusive seasonal menus. By far the most anticipated of these is the Starbucks Christmas drink menu. Several Charlotte Catholic students expressed their enthusiasm for these new menu items.
One Starbucks lover, junior Isabella Lugg, was especially eager to try the new Cran-Merry Orange Refresher. The drink consists of orange and cranberry flavors infused with warm seasonal spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and with real cranberries as a tasty addition. “I really liked it, except for the inclusions,” said Isabella. “It reminded me a lot of the violet drink that used to be on the menu.”
The Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte is another fan favorite. This drink includes sugar cookie-flavored syrup combined with Starbucks’ Blonde Espresso roast and almond milk over ice, topped with red and green festive sprinkles. This was Isabella’s personal favorite. She noted that “the best way to get it is with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. The drink tastes really good and doesn't have many calories.”
Another menu addition is the Gingerbread Chai Latte. Isabella prefers to get this drink iced as opposed to hot. It consists of a blend of chai spices, warm gingerbread notes, and creamy oat milk combined in a tea latte. Isabella felt that “the only thing that tastes like gingerbread is the foam, other than that you can only taste the chai. It could include a lot more gingerbread flavor.”
A recurring classic to the Starbucks Christmas specialty menu is the Peppermint mocha. This is an Espresso roast combined with steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint-flavored syrup topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate flakes. While this drink is popular among several people, Isabella is not as fond of it. “It’s good, but I really have to be in the mood for it to enjoy it,” she said.
Lastly, the Caramel Brulée latte was a big hit for Isabella. This is another espresso drink and includes steamed milk and caramel brulée sauce finished with whipped cream and caramel brulée bits as toppings. “It tastes like Christmas and is sentimental for me because they have it every year, which gives it a homey feel. I love the flavor because it is a good mix of coffee flavor and sweet flavor. They balance each other out really well.”
At Starbucks, the seasonal menu items continue to grow in popularity with Christmas being near. These cozy blends brighten the holiday season and create festive feelings and excitement for all Starbucks customers.
