It’s that time of year again! Starbucks Winter menu is back in stores and, personally, the winter months aren’t quite the same without my peppermint mocha. To help us prepare for the holiday season, Parker, Lea, Zelda and Sam have taken it upon themselves to review each item on this menu, and they were excited to taste them. Starting Nov. 2, this menu that consists of six drinks and five holiday foods will be released to help make the winter months a little more sweeter.

Sam Dunn:  

I started with the Caramel Creme Brulee and immediately teleported to the North Pole. The smooth caramel tasted perfect combined with the crunchy brulee on top, although my initial reaction was a 10/10, the sweetness left me a little overwhelmed and after finishing, I gave this drink an 8/10. Next was my Peppermint Mocha, from the smell I could already tell it was another 10/10, but once I tasted it, I saw God.

 I savored my drinks and was sad when it was over. I won’t lie and say the Caramel Creme Brulee didn’t get me sick, as well as my fellow companions; so after thinking hard on my rating, I gave it a 6/10.

Lea Olivares:

 The first sips of my Gingerbread Chai disappointed me with a mild, creamy foam. The closer I got to the bottom of the drink, the richer the chai tasted. I could only taste the gingerbread in the last few sips. It was a sweetyet-light taste of both home and the holiday season. I would give this drink a 7/10.

 On the other hand, my Snowman cookie was the star of this fantastic feast. The cookie batter is cooked to perfection with its edges slightly browned. The cookie slightly crumbled with each bite, but the mess was holstered by the fondant-like frosting. This item was by far the most liked by my peers. A strong 10/10, it is by far my favorite thing from this festive menu.

Parker Morgan: 

As I craved a sweet-yet-not-all-consuming Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop from Starbucks, the barista had to crush my soul and throw me into a spiral. 

“Ummm… We’re actually all out.” 

At least I wasn’t one of the few who fell ill in the group, and I was accompanied through my sorrows by a glorious decaf White Peppermint Mocha with oat milk. The scrumptious peppermint drink, through its warmth, put me in just the right mood for this festive period. It was a beautiful moment I will never forget and will be forever attached to this delightful winter season. This beverage is a solid 9/10. 

Zelda Zamora-Villa:

 My affiliates got food poisoning, which rattled my Christmas spirit. I decided to bring in the season with an Iced Sugar Cookie Latte with oat milk. The flavor was watered down and nowhere near as blissful as a fresh warm sugar cookie.

 I was so disappointed my head hung low as I asked my friends to try it, all with the same dismal response. Watery, flavorless, pale, mediocre, yucky even. I couldn’t even bring myself to drink more than a sip.

 Later in the evening I received a text asking, “Anyone else feeling sick?” No drink is worth such a feeling. I am so close to writing a bad review on Yelp.