Many companies like to indulge in the Christmas spirit by offering holiday drinks and confections. Each company has their own specialty drink offered this winter, so The Saga sent out its editors and journalists to taste and review these festive treats:
-Alexis Oliver: Dutch Bros: Hazelnut Truffle Mocha-
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“The nuttiness of the hazelnut compliments the classic mocha flavor in a way I really like, with a nice foam and drizzle on top. However, I didn’t really taste any truffle, so I give it a four out of five, because it’s a good coffee, but it isn’t exactly what they advertised. However, it does come in hot, cold, and blended options!”
-Anthony Vang: Dutch Bros: Candy Cane Cold Brew-
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“Today I got the Candy Cane Cold Brew for the first time from DutchBros, and as someone who doesn’t like the taste of Iced coffee, I thoroughly enjoyed drinking this cold brew. The drink is a Christmas classic at DutchBros and contains a peppermint flavor that pairs well with the iced mocha acidity flavor, and soft cream on top with peppermint sprinkles. Also can be ordered as a nitro cold brew to increase the caffeine levels and to give more of a velvety texture. But the downside is that you lose some of the peppermint flavoring of the Candy Cane Cold Brew and in return a more powerful yet bitter caffeine drink.”
-Greta Hauser: Coffee Ranch- Snickerdoodle Latte-
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Going to Coffee Ranch was such a delightful experience. With their cozy outdoor setting and the cheer of Christmas music still ringing in my ears, my heart feels full. I got the Snickerdoodle Latte. And all that I can say is that it was the definition of Christmas in a cup. Still having the very defined “coffee” flavor, but was able to give a sweet taste much resembling a cookie. I also happened to order their peanut butter cookie off of the holiday menu. The only word to describe that cookie is gone. It broke my cookie standards…packed with peanut butter and a soft chewy caramelized texture, the consistency melted in my mouth. My favorite thing about Coffee Ranch was the temperature of their coffee. Normally I’m cautious when taking the first sip of what I’m drinking, fearing for it to be too hot and burn my tongue. That however did not happen, instead I was welcomed with the sweet flavor of whipped cream, instantly protecting me from a potential tongue burn. Even when the cream had melted away I was still left with a 5/5 coffee.
Abigail Harrell: Starbucks: Iced peppermint Mocha
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I have always been an avid fan of Starbucks’ seasonal drinks, especially their Christmas ones. So when they were released, I enthusiastically got my usual holiday order, an Iced Peppermint Mocha. You get the option to get the drink iced or hot, so I choose iced. (Even in cold weather I will still get a cold drink). I got the drink with whipped cream for an extra treat and it went really well with the drink. It was really good flavor wise. It has a nice peppermint taste mixed with chocolate which blended really well. Surprisingly, I think the peppermint taste was not as strong as last year. I usually like stronger flavors in my coffee so I was a little sad (even though it tasted lovely still.) I will say I do think other coffee shops have some perfect Christmas drinks compared to Starbucks. Overall though, I give Starbucks a ⅘ for their peppermint mocha!
-Lyla Kinney: Human Bean’s Blended peppermint mocha granita
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After asking the employee what seasonal drink she recommended, she said that the blended granita with mocha was her favorite! Since I like peppermint and chocolate, I had high hopes for this drink! My first impressions were that the drink had a great amount of whipped cream, yummy peppermint chips, and it was very chocolatey. It was a little syrupy but surprisingly not overly sweet! It was more minty than peppermint-y but I didn’t mind at all, in my opinion it tasted like a mint chocolate milkshake or maybe an Andes mint! Since this was a great festive drink with few flaws, I give it a 4.5/5!
