Ranking Starbucks’ Seasonal Drinks

Nothing says ’tis the season like a festive coffee from Starbucks. From apple crisp macchiatos in August to peppermint mochas through December, it’s all about the drinks that get you in the mood for the fall and holiday season. The menu changes every year, but this year I’ve decided to try them all and rank them from worst to best.

11. Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte

One of the newest additions to the holiday menu is hands down my least favorite. I can’t say I’m surprised because I don’t like coffee with almond milk. It took me forever to finally get my hands on this drink, because multiple locations were out of the ingredients for multiple days, which makes it seem like it’s a popular drink although I can’t imagine why. (I have been informed that I need to try this iced and not hot so I will follow up).

10. Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai

I honestly had higher hopes for this one, as I really liked the new pumpkin chai drink (see higher rankings). For me, I could hardly taste the gingerbread, which is usually a very strong flavor. I couldn’t really taste the nutmeg or cinnamon flavors of the chai either, so it basically mostly tasted like oat milk. The more I drank it, the less I liked it.

9. Chestnut Praline Latte

While this sounds yummy and festive, the chestnut praline latte was not it for me. Since hazelnut is my favorite coffee flavor, I really thought that I would enjoy a nutty holiday drink more. But it was really just overpoweringly sweet and I couldn’t taste the chestnut praline until the last few sips.

8. Apple Crisp Macchiato

Pumpkin haters, rejoice. There’s a new, non-pumpkin fall drink on the menu this year. As a pumpkin lover, the apple crisp macchiato doesn’t top the OG PSL, but I still like it. You can really taste the apple and brown sugar which goes surprisingly well with coffee.

7. Peppermint Mocha

I know this is a top choice for a lot of people, but I’m just not a fan of the mint/chocolate combination. Because of this I was actually surprised at how high the peppermint mocha ranked on my list, but I liked it a lot more than the super sugary drinks. And the peppermint flavor really does get you in the holiday spirit.

6. Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

I feel like the apple crisp macchiato wasn’t very well-received when it launched in 2021, so I was kind of surprised that Starbucks released a second seasonal apple drink. That being said, I do love shaken espressos and the apple one is definitely better than the apple macchiato. The shaken espresso is very cinnamon-forward, and even before sipping it you get a whiff of the flavors that will remind you of apple pie on Thanksgiving.

5. Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai

Between the apple brown sugar syrup and the cinnamon-y chai spices, this drink is like apple pie in liquid form. The flavors are reminiscent of Thanksgiving dessert or a crisp yet sunny afternoon at an orchard. Basically, it’s everything you want out of a fall coffee.

4. Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte

Confession: This was the first time I’ve ever had a chai tea latte — but I loved it! Nothing against chai, I will just always pick coffee over tea. That being said, the pumpkin cream paired with the chai spices go together like Jack and Sally. It’s also nice for the tea drinkers to partake in the fall flavor fun, or to have a less-caffeinated option for later in the day.

3. Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

I was so excited when this was added to the seasonal menu in 2020. Living in Miami, it never really felt like fall, so it was nice to have a drink that tasted like fall but could still be drank in the 80+ degree weather. The pumpkin cream is so cool, smooth and refreshing. In New York it’s perfect for those warmer late September/early October mornings when it’s not quite sweater weather yet.

2. Pumpkin Spice Latte

This remains an unparalleled fall favorite. Haters will say it tastes like dirt, but fellow pumpkin lovers understand the hype. There’s something about a warm pumpkin coffee on a cool September morning that makes it feel like it’s officially fall (maybe because I wait until it’s actually fall to drink it and not in August when it becomes available ridiculously early).

1. Caramel Brûlée Latte

The caramel brûlée latte has been my go-to holiday drink since high school. Partly because it tastes so good and partly because of the happy memories I associate with it. The first time I ever had it, my best friends and I went to a Taylor Swift concert the night before. In the morning, my friend’s mom got us all Starbucks before driving us to school. In college, I would always order it before my flight home for Christmas and it would always get me even more in the holiday spirit as I flew from balmy Miami to snowy New York. For me, it’s like Christmas in a cup.

Happy Holidays, everyone!