Some look forward to the colorful lights, while others anticipate the joy of gift giving. For some, though, December is all about the new Starbucks holiday drinks.

At the end of every year, the corporate coffee powerhouse releases new drinks and treats. In the fall, everything pumpkin and during the winter holiday season, peppermint and cranberry flavors are offered along with new, stylish cups. The former appear in September and the latter are introduced in November and last until January. Starbucks has a total of eight holiday drinks and nine holiday treats for 2020. 

The first drink has been featured by Starbucks for 18 years. Popularly known as the  Peppermint Mocha, it can either be purchased as a Frappuccino or a hot drink. The drink consists of espresso and chocolate with the addition of Peppermint syrup. This drink is available for purchase in all sizes. 

Starbucks offers a total of six drinks as part of their holiday collection. Aside from the  aforementioned Peppermint Mocha, the Carmel Brulée and the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha are other popular options. You can try these beverages in Frappuccino style too.

Another holiday drink is the Chestnut Praline Latte. Unlike the holiday drinks and flavors, this drink does not have a cold counterpart. The Chestnut Praline Latte contains 2% milk, two shots of espresso and four pumps of Chestnut Praline Syrup. It is more of a savory flavor than other holiday options. It has spice to it unlike some sweeter holiday drink options. The Chestnut Praline Latte is one of two holiday drinks with no correlative drink. The other drink is the Irish Cream Cold Brew. 

The Irish Cream Cold Brew is the most economical choice. It is making its second appearance in the annual holiday drink line up. The Irish Cream Cold Brew is very different from the other drinks as it just comes in a cold brew option and not your typical warm holiday beverage. First of all, it is a stronger coffee than other holiday coffees. In contrast to the regular cold brew by Starbucks, the Irish Cream Cold brew is sweeter with added vanilla cream and cacao sprinkled on top.

“I like to drink Starbucks holiday drinks because they only come around once a year,” says Bella Skaja (10). “They also offer a different set of drinks as opposed to the coffees and such that Starbucks offers the other 11 months of the year. These holiday drinks also help me really get into the Christmas spirit!”

When you buy a holiday drink, you may also be tempted to buy a holiday treat too, right? Starbucks has a wide variety of treats, including three cranberry treats. First, there is a Cranberry Orange Scone. It is a buttermilk scone with cranberries and orange zest drizzled with icing. You can also try the Cranberry Bliss Bar, which is a blondie cake containing dried cranberries and topped with cream-cheese icing, orange zest and some more dried cranberries. The last cranberry good is like the last, but instead of an individual bar or slice, it has six bars of Cranberry Blondies. The Cranberry Bliss Tray is made up of six pieces of the previously mentioned delicacy—plenty to share (with those in your own household, of course)! 

These are not the only holiday goodies available at Starbucks. Snowman Cookies and Cake Pops are also sure to satisfy your little sibling or cousin’s sweet tooth, or maybe even your own! The last sweet new holiday food is the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish. If you are in the mood for a savory food, though, you can also look into the Bacon, Sausage and Egg Wrap, the Roasted Ham or the Swiss and Egg Sandwich on a Croissant. The last holiday food you can check out is the Egg White and Roasted Red Pepper Sous Vide Egg Bites for a healthier and more sophisticated take on the holidays.

Even during a winter break pandemic, you can still go to Starbucks and experience some much-needed holiday cheer.