Starbucks has officially begun the holiday season before Thanksgiving has even arrived. Starbucks’ new Christmas menu, released on November 6, includes a variety of drinks, such as seasonal favorites like the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte, and the Iced Gingerbread Chai, alongside new and returning treats, including the fan-favorite Snowman Cookie and the new Cinnamon Pull-Apart.

As a regular chai tea latte drinker, I walked into Starbucks planning to order my usual. However, I looked at the menu to browse the other drinks, and the Sugar Cookie Latte caught my eye. I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and try it. I ordered it warm, but it’s also available to get it iced or as a frappuccino.

On my first sip, I could somewhat taste the sugar cookie syrup that had been added to the drink. I also noticed the generous amount of green and red sprinkles that they excessively topped my drink with. As much as these sprinkles added a fun holiday aspect to my latte, I did end up crunching down multiple sprinkles at a time when attempting to sip my drink simply. You do not taste them when drinking whatsoever, so it was a let-down to be greeted with a whole layer of sprinkles and not enjoy any flavour they could’ve offered. The drink itself has an almost chemical-like taste after the sugar cookie syrup, and was not exactly pleasant after my first few sips.

Overall, the drink is okay. It’s nothing special, and I would recommend ordering something different if you don’t want to buy an overpriced latte that lacks a strong, distinct flavor and tastes artificial or watery. Starbucks stops selling its Christmas drinks in the second week of January, as they are replaced by the new winter menu.

You can find a store and order the holiday drinks on Starbucks’ website to experience them for yourself.