On Tuesday, November 2nd, Starbucks sent society into the holiday season. Whether it is the cold weather or the incoming holidays, everybody can set aside their opinions on when the holiday season *officially* starts to enjoy a delicious specialty beverage from Starbucks. The 2021 holiday drink menu features all of the fan favorites: peppermint mocha, caramel brulée latte, chestnut praline latte, Irish cream cold brew, toasted white chocolate mocha. However, this year Starbucks included a new specialty drink in their holiday drink menu: the sugar cookie latte. It's time to break down what this drink is, what everyone is saying about it, and what my verdict is.
What's inside?
This drink falls in the latte family, meaning it is made with espresso and steamed milk. The espresso in the sugar cookie latte is Starbucks' blonde roast. This roast is light and smooth, so it makes sense as a choice for this beverage.
As its name suggests, this holiday latte is made with steamed almondmilk. Starbucks has been implementing more and more non-dairy options in their drink menu, so the addition of a non-dairy holiday drink is not surprising. That being said, the options of drink customization at Starbucks are essentially limitless, so substituting a different milk is easily done. I enjoy the original almondmilk, but for anyone who does not, don't let that be the obstacle stopping you from trying this drink.
Finally, the recipe includes four shots of the holiday sugar cookie syrup. For those who enjoy a little bit of coffee with their sugar, that original recipe would be great. I am not a huge fan of too much sweetener in my coffee, so I modified it to two pumps of the syrup and I found that to be a perfect balance.
Atop the delicious steamed milk and sugar cookie foam are festive green and red sprinkles. I think this little touch ties the drink together and just really takes it the extra mile.
What are people saying?
After seeing/hearing/reading reviews on Instagram, TikTok, and blogs, I have come to the conclusion that no single person shares the same feeling toward this drink. The reviews are so mixed, and for various reasons.
One commonly held opinion seem to be a preference for the beverage hot (as opposed to iced). While I have not tried the iced sugar cookie latte, I tend to agree that the holiday drinks are better served steaming hot.
Another shared opinion was a distaste toward the almondmilk. Quite a few reviews explained that they only liked the drink once they made the substitution of oatmilk for almondmilk. I think this just comes down to personal preference - I for one prefer almondmilk to oatmilk, so I had no complaints about the original drink's recipe.
The last common theme I noticed was in regard to the sugar cookie syrup. A handful of reviews stated that the drink was too sweet for their liking. On the other hand, others thought the flavor failed to capture that of a sugar cookie. While I have no recommendations for the latter issue, if you find the drink to be too sweet, try asking for half sugar cookie syrup (two pumps rather than four).
Love it or leave it?
While the reviews are mixed, my personal opinion is that the sugar cooke latte is a great addition to the holiday menu. This drink provides a nondairy holiday option as well as the introduction of a brand new flavor. I don't think that this drink has the potential to surpass cult classics like the peppermint mocha or the caramel brulée latte, but it is definitely a great compliment. I would recommend this drink to anyone looking to spice up their coffee routine. So next time you find yourself at Starbucks, consider trying the sugar cookie latte to see whether or not this new holiday drink deserves the spotlight.