Miles Heritsch

After a long day of school on Wednesday, Nov. 13, five Norse Starians took the short, four-minute trip to the nearby Starbucks in Stoughton, eager to try the long-awaited holiday menu. The group included seniors Simon Mehring, Lily O’Hearn, Mercury Evans, Mary Bubon, and Naomi Matthiesen.
The highly anticipated holiday menu was released on Nov. 7, featuring returning favorites as well as brand-new drinks and treats.
Upon entering the coffee shop, the group searched for a seat. Unfortunately, only one table was large enough for all five to fit, and it was already occupied. They made do by using two small round tables.
As they looked around at the holiday decorations spread across the shop, they expressed their thoughts.
“I think it’s somewhat festive, but they need more decorations,” Matthiesen said. “I would have preferred more commitment to the season.”
On the other hand, Mehring enjoyed the subtle touches the coffee shop added.
“I like the barista’s red aprons; it makes me feel like I’m at Santa’s workshop,” Mehring said.
Shortly after sitting down, the group decided to order. Mehring and Bubon used the Starbucks app to place their orders while Evans, O’Hearn, and Matthiesen went to the counter.
Matthiesen received her drink first. She had ordered a “Peppermint Mocha,” a returning holiday favorite.
“The ‘Peppermint Mocha’ was a very good, classic, festive drink. It was nice and warm, especially when you come in from the cold. I would definitely get it again,” Matthiesen said.
Mehring’s order came next. He ordered a “Cran-Merry Orange Refresher,” a new holiday menu item. He went up to the counter to grab it, only to realize the “Snowman Cake Pop” he ordered was not yet ready.
While waiting for his cake pop, he sipped his drink.
“The drink was very watered down, and I would prefer to get a ‘Pink Drink’ over this,” Mehring said. “The cranberries were a nice touch, though, and I enjoyed eating those out of the drink.”
Although it wasn’t his favorite, Mehring finished the entire thing. A few minutes later, his “Snowman Cake Pop” was ready. He pulled it out of the bag and took a bite.
“The cake tasted good, but the frosting had a strange taste,” Mehring said. “I enjoyed the snowman’s features. I would prefer the ‘Raccoon Cake Pop’ over the ‘Snowman Cake Pop’ any day.”
Evans and O’Hearn then went to the counter to pick up their drinks and food, while Bubon still decided what to order.
O’Hearn opted for an “Iced Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai.”
“The drink was good, but the oat milk didn’t hold up quite as well in cold foam,” O’Hearn said. “I prefer the ‘Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai.'”
Evans ordered the “Caramel Brulee Latte” and the “Dark Toffee Bundt.” She swapped the original 2% milk with oat milk in the latte.
“The latte was very good, not too sweet, the oat milk didn’t change the flavor, so it’s still good with different milks,” Evans said. “The bundt was really sweet; I liked that they had sprinkles, but it was a little dry and sticky.”
Bubon finally decided on her order and used the app to get an “Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte” and the “Cranberry Bliss Bar.”
“The latte smelled like a cookie, but the taste was overwhelming,” Bubon said.
O’Hearn, Mehring, and Matthiesen also tried the sugar cookie latte.
“The latte tastes like how a candle smells,” O’Hearn said.
After trying the drink, Bubon took a bite of the “Cranberry Bliss Bar.”
“The bar was very chilled, much more than I expected it to be,” Bubon said, “I did not enjoy the frosting, but the actual bar was good.”
After trying all the drinks, the group decided to grab what was left and head home. Mehring was disappointed with the holiday menu.
“I have high expectations for the Starbucks holiday menu each year, but this came in below average on all my assessment criteria,” Mehring said. “If I were to go to Starbucks anytime throughout the year, I would opt for just about any other drink. I don’t think the holiday menu lived up to its expectations and let us down this year.”
Overall, the group rated the Starbucks holiday menu 3 stars out of 5.