Introduction

Good morning, afternoon, or evening. With this dark and snowy weather, we know the only thing that can make you jolly is a new edition of the REAL Review; coming back to your screens are Iris and Emilia, Staff Reporters for The Tiger! You already know this is the only page you can actually trust to give you the facts, the formulas, and flavor, ESPECIALLY since it’s coming right out of our pockets (might be feeling a little petty about that one). Now for our third article, we’re going back to our roots and paying a little tribute by bringing back a fan favorite and reviewing the Starbucks Winter Drink Menu.

Cran-Merry Orange Refresher

Our first drink was the Cran-Merry Orange Refresher; we did need a refresh after that taste. The prices were disappointingly high but, honestly,what did we expect from Starbucks? A tall being an insane $4.95; I’m sure we could’ve ordered a whole outfit from Shein with that price. A grande being $5.45, actually started tearing up a bit. A venti being $5.75, and a trenta being $5.95. We did order a tall because it had only 70 calories, which is honestly decent for Starbucks. A grande has 100, a venti has 140, and a trenta has 190. Surprisingly, it was caffeinated with a tall being 40 mg, a grande being 55 mg, a venti being 80 mg, and a trenta being 110 mg. The inclusions consist of scoops of cranberry fruit infusion and ice. Where’s the orange? False advertising at its finest I see, nothing new coming from Starbucks though. It had a bright red base with cranberries sliced in half sitting on top. Now to the real star of the show, our reviews, we know that might be a bit cocky but let’s be honest, that’s the reason you came here.

 I, Iris, rated it a 6/10. It honestly just tasted like this raspberry tea I would have when I was younger. It wasn’t too sweet, which I did enjoy, but for having “merry” in the name it was honestly disappointing. Would I reorder anytime soon? Well, no, since I could get practically the same thing for less than a fourth of the price at a sketchy gas station. I did notice at the end it had the slightest bit of spice, not really a kick of flavor but more of a firm handshake.

I, Emilia, rated it a 4/10. I was honestly quite excited about this one, especially since it was the first drink we were tasting and it sort of set the tone in a way. Every bit of my excitement faded as soon as that first sip hit my taste buds. I was expecting this drink to be sweet with a bit of tang but boy was I wrong. This drink reminded me of unsweetened iced tea; a bit bitter and practically flavorless. And here I thought the merriness came with the drink… it didn’t.

Peppermint Mocha

After that disappointing start we moved onto trying the Peppermint Mocha, a drink full of holiday fun. The prices of this drink were devastating, being significantly higher than the last drink; a short starting at an appalling price of $5.65, a tall being $5.75 with only 10 cents more, a grande being $6.25, and, lastly, a venti settling at $6.75. Does Starbucks think we’re made of money? Anyway, onto the calories, a short already having 240, a tall having 350, a grande having 440, and, lastly, a venti having 540. You know we won’t be reordering this drink; it’s not worth betraying our winter arc for. This drink is obviously caffeinated because Starbucks doesn’t care if you get heart palpitations. A short being 40 mg, a tall being 55 mg, a grande being 80 mg, and a venti being 110 mg. Inside, this festive drink contains steamed 2% Milk, foam, pump(s) of Mocha Sauce, pump(s) of Peppermint Syrup, Chocolate Curls topping, regular Whipped Cream, and shot(s) of Starbucks’ Signature Espresso. Visually, this drink had a chocolate-y base with whipped cream and chocolate curls sitting at the top. Despite its initial look, this drink quickly melts into one big mess that’ll give you digestive disarray for a good week. 

I, Emilia, rated it a 7/10. The drink is decent, though it just tastes like hot chocolate with a weird hint of peppermint. When sipping on the drink, it’s hard to distinguish the coffee it contains. The peppermint left an odd aftertaste lingering in my mouth and I thought it paired weirdly with the chocolate flavor of this drink. I like that it isn’t overly sweet but it honestly isn’t anything special. Despite that, it correlates with the season and could serve as a nice treat when yearning for something that’ll put you in the Christmas spirit.

I, Iris, rated it a 6/10. It was good but it made my stomach hurt even after a small savory sip. I wasn’t too thrilled about the flavor since it was so sweet I genuinely almost teared up. It did remind me of hot cocoa that I would have when I was little and these Lindt candies that were always sold during this time of year. It was mediocre at best and tasted like a poorly made T.J. Maxx hot coco. I would still not reorder since I did think I was going to throw up after.

Caramel Brulée Latte

Our lucky number 3 wasn’t really lucky in this case with the Caramel Brulée Latte, not much of a holiday drink in our opinion, but it was pretty sweet. In this drink we were able to order a short, but that didn’t stop this obnoxious business from over charging it. Honestly I’m more disappointed in us for spending that kind of money. A short being a disgusting $5.65, mind you this drink is about the size of my pinky. Not only that but 220 calories, for a short? Absolutely insane. Though we might be repurchasing in the near future, so let me calm down… On that note, maybe we should speak on the other prices, yeah? A tall is $5.75 and 310 calories as well as a dagger to my heart and wallet, while a grande is much worse at $6.25 and 410 calories, and, finally, a venti being $6.75 and 500 calories. They didn’t even dare to make this drink in a trenta. It’s obviously caffeinated since it is a latte: a short and tall both being 75 mg while a grande and venti had 150 mg. We did expect something stronger to make up for the lack of flavor. Inside, we were confronted with steamed 2% Milk, 2 shot(s) of Signature Espresso, Pump(s) Caramel Brulée Sauce, Caramel Brulée Topping, Whipped Cream, and shot(s) of Signature Espresso. It had foam on top, though when melted it was just a pastel yellowish liquid. 

I, Iris, rated it a 3/10. It honestly lacked flavor. It was literally sweet milk, maybe just maybe creamer but I’m convinced it was milk and sugar mixed together. I’m not saying it was bad, but it sure as heck wasn’t worth what we paid. 

I, Emilia, rated it a 6/10. The idea was there, can’t say the same about the execution. I feel like the drink has potential but it lacks. If I’m going to spend an unreasonable amount of money on a drink, I expect it to be amazing. This drink just wasn’t. What I will say is that it had a nice texture and good milkiness to it that I enjoyed but that’s about it in terms of what this drink brought to the table.

Chestnut Praline Latte

Next we sipped on the Chestnut Praline Latte, nothing short of an underwhelming performance, just like the last drink. Let’s get into the prices and calories, which compared to the drink itself are much too overwhelming as is the case with every other drink in this review. A short starts out at $5.65 with 190 calories…we might have to cut this review SHORT. Unfortunately, it only gets worse from here. A tall is $5.75 with 270 calories, a grande is $6.25 with 330 calories and, lastly, a venti is $6.75 with 410 calories. Needless to say this drink is caffeinated since it is a latte, though that wasn’t apparent when we were having the drink; a short and tall contained 75 mg, while a grande and venti contained 150 mg. On the interior, we find steamed 2% Milk, pump(s) of Chestnut Praline Syrup, Regular Whipped Cream, Chestnut Praline Topping, and shot(s) of Espresso. Visually, this drink had a white foam on top along with an unnecessary topping that didn’t really add anything to the drink.

I, Emilia, rated it a 5/10. It was fairly similar to the last drink, not only visually but also through the fact that neither of them had flavor. It was pretty bland and tasted like a regular latte, just creamier with the slightest dash of cinnamon. Despite its lack of flavor, which unfortunately isn’t rare when it comes to Starbucks’ drinks, this drink could be nice for when you’re cold and looking to warm up. Other than that, I don’t have any compliments to give.

I, Iris, rated it a 4/10. It tasted very similar to the last drink; it was slightly more cinnamon-y. I was disappointed by the fact that I ordered what seemed to be milk and cinnamon in a miniature cup for $5, but I might just be picky. It also had no business smelling the way it did; it wasn’t exactly bad but it was quite funky.

Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte

For our 5th drink we had the Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte, leaving us with mixed reviews and even a silent ride home. Now since you already know the drill, I don’t think a long intro complaining about the prices is necessary with this drink since its flavor was disappointing enough, at least for one of us that is. A tall is $5.95 with 110 calories, a grande is $6.45 with 150 calories, and a venti is $6.95 with 220 calories. A tall has 85 mg of caffeine, a grande has 170 mg , and, lastly, a venti has 225 mg. Inside it consists of Almond Milk, pump(s) of Sugar Cookie Syrup, Red and Green Sprinkle Topping, Ice, shot(s) and Blonde Espresso. When looking at it we were disappointed since it was just a coffee with sprinkles, pretty sure a 5 year old could make that, too. 

I, Iris, rated it a 6/10. I enjoyed it, though it was honestly really watered down, but I do usually get this drink during the winter time. It wasn’t super sweet, tasting mostly like regular coffee just a bit sweeter and milkier.

I, Emilia, rated it a 5/10. Something about this drink was off and it tasted really watered down, so I can’t imagine what it’d taste like once all the ice has melted. I hear pretty good opinions about it, but I personally don’t think it can get any more mediocre than this. I don’t understand the purpose of the sprinkles either and, quite frankly, they just made me sad.

Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

And last but certainly not least, we finished off strong with the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai, the true star of this review, which is nothing new. Starbucks’ Chai drinks never disappoint, though the prices might, but we’ll let this one fly since it was our favorite of the six drinks. A tall starts out at $5.45 with 270 calories, a grande is $5.95 with 370 calories, and a venti is $6.45 paired with a disturbing 510 calories; if we were to consume a drink containing 510 calories, it’d indubitably be this one. As for the amount of caffeine, a tall has 70 mg, a grande has 95 mg, and a venti has 145 mg. Taking a closer look at the ingredients, this drink contains Oatmilk, Nondairy Gingerbread Cream Cold Foam, Pumpkin Spice Topping, pump(s) of Chai, and Ice. Pumpkin Spice is sooo last month, though it did add a nice touch of flavor so we can’t complain too much, bummer.

I, Emilia, rated it a 9/10. I thought this drink was nearly flawless, even close to perfection. I deducted a point due to how similar it is to the Pumpkin Cream Chai (which we’ll never forget) from the Fall Menu, but that could be justified since the flavor of Chai is pretty pungent. Besides that, this drink is creamy, has a perfectly smooth texture, and I could 100% see myself craving it.

I, Iris, rated it an 8/10. I really enjoyed it. It tasted very similar, practically identical, to the Pumpkin Spice Chai, which will live longingly in our hearts, though it was slightly more flavorful than our favorite Fall Menu item. Both drinks shared a common ingredient of cinnamon. I was left at a loss of words since this was our only decent flavor, which still ended up being somewhat disappointing for me, but maybe it might just be the stomach ache talking. I can’t be too negative towards it, though, since I did end up coming back an hour later and chugging down a venti…but don’t tell Emilia.

Conclusion

Finally the moment you’ve all been dreading, the end. We’re going to keep you for a few more seconds to give you a run down of the REAL review. We both voted the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai the highest: Iris gave it a dazzling 8/10 while Emilia gave it an outstanding 9/10. Our only complaint was how similar it was to the Pumpkin Cream Chai, which honestly was a blessing in disguise. While of course we had fun with this review, I do think we should discuss how much money we spent. Keep in mind we both bought all the talls and one short. Now drum roll please… about $40, yay. Honestly, the next article we’re making you all pay. Just jokes! But seriously, we had a blast doing this and we’re so glad you took time out of your day to read! STAY TUNED for the next REAL review!

Works Cited

• Featured menu. (n.d.). Starbucks. Retrieved December 3rd, 2024, from https://www.starbucks.com/menu
• lkami. (2024, November 6). Starbucks holiday menu returns with festive new refreshers & food, beginning Nov.7. About Starbucks. https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2024/starbucks-holiday-menu-returns-with-festive-new-refreshers-and-food-beginning-nov-7/