The best holiday drinks

Gingerbread, eggnog, pumpkin spice yum!


With the temperatures dropping and St Andrews headed for a brutal winter, many are looking to warm up (and cheer up) with many of the adventurous holiday themed drinks offered by local coffee shops.  From the classic pumpkin spice latte to the more adventurous eggnog latte, there is no shortage of hot drinks to help everyone through finals and get into the holiday spirit before heading home for the holidays. Here’s a breakdown of the best that St Andrews coffee shops have to offer.

Northpoint:  I would be willing to fight to the death to defend my opinion that my dad makes the best pumpkin pie in the world, and Northpoint has managed to put all of the flavours of his pie into latte form.  The pumpkin spice latte at Northpoint has just the right amount of pumpkin flavour—just enough to taste the pumpkin, but not enough to be too overpowering.  Because of this, Northpoint beats out Starbucks for the best pumpkin spice latte on my list of favourites.

Starbucks:  ‘Red cup season’ at Starbucks is a staple of the holiday season, and one of their best and most creative options is the eggnog latte.  I was a bit sceptical at first, expecting lukewarm eggnog with a shot of espresso.  However, my expectations were exceeded by far.  With just a splash of eggnog in a primarily coffee beverage, this is perfect for those who prefer the classic café au lait, but are looking for a bit of holiday adventure.  For extra holiday zest, order it with the Christmas blend espresso, which adds an extra dimension of spices and makes this drink truly unique.

 

Bibi’s Café: The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without gingerbread, and the gingerbread latte on the Bibi’s menu truly delivers.  Arguably my favourite on this list, the gingerbread latte is served with just the right amount of foam on top of the perfect balance of sweet and spice.  This latte is just rich enough without being overwhelming, and is the perfect indulgence for a bit of cheering up during the dark, cold winter.

Costa Coffee:  For those of you who might not be as keen on coffee as I am, the Black Forest Hot chocolate on Costa’s holiday menu is an excellent choice for the season.  A properly rich and chocolatey hot chocolate, this drink has the additional cherry flavour, which gives it the ‘black forest’ aspect.  The cherry infusion makes this already fantastic hot chocolate that much more exciting, and is what really makes this hot chocolate particularly unique and perfect for keeping warm this winter.

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