Cue the Mariah Carey voice because it’s tiiiiiiime! The Starbucks holiday drinks release day might as well be a national holiday at this point. It’s always extremely big news on The Everygirl team, and we all share our thoughts on any new drinks they’ve added, the iconic cup designs, secret menu concoctions, and what everyone’s getting for their first of many Starbucks holiday drinks this year. And to continue the tradition that started with our ranking of the Starbucks fall drinks, we have taken it upon ourselves to share our comprehensive ranking of every holiday drink on the menu this year. You all have loved our rankings from years past, and we love doing them, so of course, we had to continue the series.
Our Starbucks holiday drinks taste-test and ranking process
For this ranking, we ordered every drink exactly as it appears on the menu so we could get the true experience of how the drinks were intended. Thankfully, our Chicago winter weather has held off for now, making the walk down the street with two full trays of festive drinks much smoother than in past years. This round, we had four official taste testers who scored each drink on a scale of 1-5 in the categories of “overall taste” and “likelihood to get again,” adding up to a total of 10 possible points per drink from each taste-tester. We then averaged all of our taste testers’ scores to get the drink’s final score out of 10.
Starbucks holiday drinks, ranked from worst to best
Without further ado, here is—drumroll please—The Everygirl’s official ranking of all the Starbucks holiday drinks, from worst to best:
7. Gingerbread Latte
Score: 1/10
To our surprise, the Gingerbread Latte was our lowest-ranking drink this year. In previous years, it typically has fallen in the middle-tier category—but this year, it didn’t even come close. Did it have a gingerbread flavor? Sure. But it tasted more like gingerbread that had been burnt to an absolute crisp in the oven. The flavor was very off-putting, and one taster even thought it tasted like a cigarette. So, unfortunately, it’s a no from us on this one.
6. Sugar Cookie Latte (Hot)
Score: 2/10
I’ve gotta say: Here at The Everygirl, we are some seriously harsh critics when it comes to our coffee. This is another drink that the group totally agreed on (in a negative way, unfortunately). The sugar cookie flavor tasted super artificial, and it just wasn’t an enjoyable drink. The cookie and coffee flavors didn’t pair well together, and it’s overall just not something we’d add to our usual order rotation.
5. Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
Score: 4/10
The Iced Sugar Cookie Latte ranked fairly low in last year’s test, and the result was similar this year. The flavor is great in theory, and we liked the iced version more than the hot, but this one just doesn’t do it for us. It does smell and taste like a sugar cookie—but in a burnt, artificial way. We might be inclined to give this one another chance someday… but don’t hold your breath.
4. Iced Gingerbread Chai
Score: 5.5/10
Like most specialty chai drinks that Starbucks revives each season, the flavor unfortunately falls flat on this one. We’re getting the classic chai flavor, but as one of our tasters put it: “Is the gingerbread in the room with us?” There was a hint of gingerbread but not enough for the drink to revolve around that flavor. It is definitely drinkable and wasn’t bad by any means, but it just wasn’t anything special.
3. Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino
Score: 6/10
To put it simply, a holiday Frappuccino is going to do it for us every time. These drinks always score high in overall flavor for just being so yummy and basically the ultimate little sweet treat. On the flip side, that is exactly why our “likelihood to get again” scores are often lower—because we all can agree that despite the delicious peppermint flavor, it’s a bit too much for an everyday drink. If you are looking for something that tastes nothing like coffee and more like a mint chocolate milkshake, this one will be perfect for you.
2. Peppermint Mocha
Score: 7/10
Pure nostalgia is the reason this drink earned a spot so high. There’s just something about taking a sip of a Peppermint Mocha in a Starbucks holiday cup that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s a true classic, and we all agreed that we like to have at least one per year. Starbucks hack: One of our taste testers suggests getting your favorite regular latte with peppermint syrup if you like the peppermint flavor but not mocha.
1. Caramel Brulée Latte
Score: 9.5/10
And the winner is… the Caramel Brulée Latte! A tried-and-true holiday drink, this latte is another must-have each holiday season, and it just screams hot coffee on a cold winter day. Everyone agreed that they nailed the balance of sweet and strong this year, and it overall had a great flavor that we all enjoyed. One tester noted, “It tastes like the butterscotch candies your grandma has,” and most of us agreed with that. If you’re looking for a festive beverage to keep in your lineup throughout the holiday season, this is it.
Jenna Piotrowicz, Editorial Assistant
Jenna began working as an Editorial Assistant for The Everygirl in 2024. With her eye for detail, she assists the team with content creation, sourcing products and images, and works behind the scenes to support The Everygirl in uploading and updating content.
