The Best Starbucks Holiday Drinks of 2024, Taste-Tested (Including the New Cran-Merry Lineup)

Psst: It's also worth noting that Starbucks has dropped an early holiday gift this year. The brand announced that as of November 7, they will also stop charging extra for non-dairy milk at company-owned and operated stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Did the Pink Drink just get a holiday glow-up? Sort of. Starbucks is putting a seasonal spin on its Refreshers line with its first-ever holiday drink, offering three ways to enjoy it:

• Cran-Merry Orange Refresher — Imagine seasonal spa water, as this drink infuses h2O with orange and cranberry flavors, as well as warming spices (think cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg). Served over ice, it's a nice balance of sweet-tart flavors, without veering too far into either territory. The spices add a cozy touch, but they're very subtle overall. If cranberry sauce is the star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, it's a must-order, ASAP.
• Cran-Merry Orange Lemonade Refresher — My favorite of the trio, a dose of lemonade punches up the flavor, resulting in a tart-yet-crisp drink that's ideal for those unexpectedly warm November days (or for anyone spending the winter in the South).
• Cran-Merry Drink — You'll know this one for its more opaque, Pink Drink-esque hue, as it combines the Cran-Merry Refresher base with a hearty pour of coconutmilk. This results in a smooth, creamy drink that reminded me of a lightened-up milkshake. It had that sweet, frothy flavor, but it didn't bog me down, like a shake would.

As an unsweetened cold brew drinker 24/7 (yes, even mid-blizzard), my idea of a "seasonal" sip is the occasional, mild deviation from my drink of choice—and Starbucks delivers. Its Peppermint Chocolate Cream, Sugar Cookie Cream, Chestnut Praline and Caramel Brulée Cream Cold Foams are all returning to the menu, but the newcomer is perhaps the most exciting: Gingerbread Cream Cold Foam. It features the signature, lighter-than-whipped-cream, heartier-than-a-root-beer-froth topping, made with vanilla sweet cream and infused with the flavors of the classic cinnamon-and-ginger cookie.

Hot coffee drinkers, you haven't been forgotten. The Starbucks Christmas Blend celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and it's available in its traditional roast and as a lighter blonde roast. After sampling the two, I preferred the full-bodied spice and smooth finish of the traditional Christmas Blend. The Blonde has a slightly woodsy scent and more citrus notes overall, making it taste a bit brighter and zestier. It's pleasant on its own, but I liked the strong taste of the coffee, especially when paired with its sweeter desserts, like the Snowman Cake Pop (a vanilla cake coated in vanilla icing to look like one of Olaf's pals) or Dark Toffee Bundt cake (which is every bit as rich, gooey and decadent as it sounds).

Back in 2000, the gingerbread latte launched and became an annual cornerstone of Starbucks's holiday menu. After a years-long hiatus, this cozy flavor is back in the form of a non-dairy sipper everyone can get behind. It's made with a blend of oatmilk and cinnamony, warm-spiced black tea. A non-dairy gingerbread-flavored cold foam helps amplify the spices in the chai concentrate for maximum warm-and-fuzzy feels.

Did I mention I *love* a cold coffee in the dead of winter? At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to give props to Starbucks for bringing this iced bev back. This was also the first-ever non-dairy holiday drink to make it on the roster. It's made with sugar cookie-flavored syrup, blonde espresso and creamy almond milk, then topped with red and green cookie sprinkles for good measure. It's like dipping a sugar cookie in cold brew—without having to sip up gritty crumbs as you get to the bottom of your drink.

You forgot about this one, huh? You’re not alone—it’s easy to neglect this flavor among so many heavyweights, especially if you never stray from your usual order. But I'm here to make a case for this underappreciated sipper. Steamed milk and espresso meet silky notes of caramelized chestnuts and warm spices for a cozy, sweet bev that won’t knock you over the head with holly-jolly flourishes. While it doesn’t have bright red sugar sprinkles or in-your-face seasonal flavor, it’s a nutty, balanced pick that deserves more credit. Come on, it’s topped with spiced praline crumbs. Need I say more?

Even if you’ve never tried a Starbucks holiday drink—and bah humbug at the hype surrounding it all—I'm pretty sure you’d enjoy this one. It stars rich, buttery Caramel Brulée sauce, inspired by crème brûlée’s layer of torched sugar. The pretty topping mimics the crunch of burnt sugar even further. While it has all the sweet, comforting traits of a standard caramel latte, this pick has a spiced, almost smoky nuance to it that makes me look forward to its return every year.

Consider this a cup of liquid holiday bark. Decadent mocha sauce meets cool peppermint syrup, roasty espresso and steamed milk for a festive mashup that stands the test of time. Admittedly, it's a bit of a sugar bomb, because it’s made with more than one flavor syrup. At first, I'd excitedly sip one per season, before deeming it too intense to order on the regular—the cocoa is hot chocolate-level rich, and the mint finish almost overpowering by the end of a grande, if you typically sip black coffee or cold brew.

Then, food editor Taryn Pire, a former barista, suggested I try it as a Frappuccino. "The blended ice and milk help dilute the sweetness," she explained—and she changed my world. So yes, while I fully acknowledge that it makes zero sense that in the coldest season of the year I revert to my Frappuccino-toting high school days, I do. And I savor every sip.