21% Agree This Is The Worst Holiday Drink At Starbucks

Christmas morning may be the most anticipated event of the holiday season, but we'll argue that the day Starbucks brings back their seasonal drinks is a close second. For 35 years, the Seattle-based coffee giant has been serving up cheer in the form of "handcrafted holiday beverages," starting with the Eggnog Latte that debuted in 1986 (via Starbucks Stories & News). Their offerings have since expanded, and this year, Starbucks is featuring a total of six drinks on their limited-edition holiday menu — most of which, of course, are served up in those iconic red cups.

The downside of Starbucks' holiday menu is that it does, unfortunately, have an expiration date, which Bustle reports is typically around the second week of January. As that's only a few short weeks away, you won't want to waste the precious time we have left sipping on a beverage that isn't up to par. With that in mind, Mashed conducted a survey asking participants to name which festive drink is the worst of the bunch in Starbucks' 2021 holiday lineup. A total of 608 U.S.-based coffee lovers chimed in with their thoughts, and people appear to be generally in favor of the Caramel Brulee Latte when wanting an afternoon pick-me-up that's merry and bright. The beverage was only named the "worst" by 7.07% of participants, making it the most preferred beverage in the poll.

Fans of Starbucks' Toasted White Mocha, Irish Cream Cold Brew, and Chestnut Praline Latte will be happy to know that those are good choices when ordering a festive drink from the chain. These options fared well in our survey, being labeled the "worst" holiday drink by only 11.84%, 18.09%, and 18.42% of respondents, respectively. Meanwhile, the newest addition to the chain's Christmastime offerings, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte, didn't have as much support. Made with sugar cookie-flavored syrup, almond milk, and Starbucks' Blonde Roast espresso (via the official website), the new non-dairy option doesn't quite seem like it's standing up to the test. More than one in five participants named the festive iced latte as Starbucks' worst holiday drink this year, giving it a grand total of 21.22% of the votes, and we might know why. 

In a Reddit thread about the drink, several users shared that the beverage errs a bit on the sweet side, while another declared it was "definitely not worth the price." Yet, the latest edition to Starbucks' holiday menu was still found to be more favorable than the proverbial leader of the pack in the Mashed survey, the Peppermint Mocha, which received 23.36% of votes and nabbed the unofficial title of the "worst holiday drink at Starbucks." Peppermint does, however, seem to be one of those seasonal flavors that you either hate or love. If you're on the latter side of the argument, go ahead and order your Peppermint Mocha with pride.