Iced Capps from Tim Hortons are a quintessential part of summer in Canada, but sometimes getting to your local Timmies isn't always feasible and you just really need a delicious cold coffee drink.
I recently asked a Starbucks barista if they had a drink comparable to the Iced Capp and when she explained what she would make as an imitation, I immediately knew it was something I needed to try as the nearest Timmies to my apartment is quite a trek in comparison to Starbucks, which is right around the corner.
I decided to order both beverages from the two stores in order to give them an accurate side-by-side comparison, and I was pretty impressed at just for comparable the drinks were.
Here's how the whole thing went down.
Tim Hortons' Iced Capp
An Iced Capp from Tim Hortons.
Like many Canadians, I've been drinking Iced Capps in the summer for years, but since it's currently winter in Canada it's been a minute since I've had the treat so I looked it up on the Timmies website.
"Say hello to the ultimate Canadian drink of summer," they say of the drink. "Made with our signature base and cream, our Iced Capp blended frozen coffee beverage delivers that, deep down, creamy cool taste you crave."
I ordered a medium Iced Capp from my local Timmies with no modifications, although I was tempted by the mocha, caramel and vanilla options.
My first sip of the drink brought an instant sugar rush as I forgot how sweet this drink is, and it also brought me back to my teen years when we'd order these and some Timbits and hang out at our local store after class, so the nostalgia is real.
It's also delightfully smooth and creamy, which is almost definitely due to the fact that the drink is made with cream instead of milk (you can order it with 2% milk for a lighter option which is what I normally do, but for this situation, I went with the classic formulation.)
I wouldn't say the Iced Capp is cloyingly sweet, but it's definitely approaching that upper level of being so saccharine you can feel it in your teeth.
Overall, while this drink is refreshing and tasty, I'd say the sweetness overwhelms any other flavour present and is a little one note in its sweetness. Like, the flavour in my mouth after drinking it is just sugar, not Iced Capp.
Price: $3.77
Starbucks' "Iced Capp"
A version of an Iced Capp from Starbucks.
Before going to Starbucks, I had done some research online as to any hacks or modifications out there for ordering an "Iced Capp" and I found some helpful tips.
"Former Tim Ho's employee and Starbucks barista here... I would say a coffee frappuccino with classic syrup would be the closest, unless of course they wanted a specific flavour," a user wrote on the r/starbucks forum. "To get a more similar creamy profile, use cream instead of milk, since that's what we use at Timmy's. Voila! Starbucks Iced Capp, Canadian style!"
The overwhelming consensus on most of the Reddit threads is to order a coffee frappuccino, but there seemed to be some contention over which flavour shots to add — if any — and so I decided to forge my own path forward by asking the barista at the Starbucks I went to what she would personally do to create a drink similar to an Iced Capp.
She also suggested a coffee frap and recommended two shots of vanilla syrup and two shots of brown sugar syrup, so that's what I ended up ordering.
Y'all, this drink is delightful and very, very comparable to the Timmies version. It tastes like a grown-up and indulgent version of an Iced Capp and I'm lowkey obsessed with it.
The brown sugar gives the sweetness more of a well-rounded profile with the hint of molasses you get from it and the flavour of the coffee is much more discernable.
Unlike Tims, the flavour that's left in your mouth is more coffee-forward than sugary, and it tastes more like a coffee-flavoured sweet treat than a sweet treat with coffee in it, if that makes sense.
I will say that there is a noticeable difference in texture between the two drinks — whereas Tims' Iced Capp is very smooth, Starbucks' version is more granular, which is particularly apparent when you get to the bottom of the cup and there are little chunks of ice left. I'm not mad at it, but it is notable!
Overall, this feels like a really nicely balanced drink and I can't wait for the warmer days of summer when I can sip on one of these while strolling in the park.
Price: $7.51
The verdict
An Iced Capp from Tim Hortons and a version of an Iced Capp from Starbucks.
I definitely preferred Starbucks' version of an Iced Capp over the classic from Tim Hortons, but I think in certain instances I'd reach for Timmies.
First of all, the Starbucks drink is so expensive that it definitely falls into the "treat" category rather than something I'd pick up on a regular basis. This is something I could see myself grabbing with my boyfriend during a long Sunday walk, but definitely not as a daily indulgence.
For the hot days of summer when you need an icy and sugary beverage ASAP, I'll be grabbing Timmies and gulping it down so quickly that I'll probably get brain freeze.
One other tiny thing I noted is that while both restaurants give out paper straws, the Starbucks one lost structural stability much faster than Tim Hortons' version, so it was a bit annoying to swish my drink around when I got to the last few sips.
While the drinks are definitely comparable in flavour, they are two entirely different things with different standards and ingredients, so which one you pick falls squarely into what you prefer.
All of that being said, if you really want a Tim Hortons Iced Capp... just go to Tim Hortons, if that's possible for you!
While you're at Tims, you might want to pick up one of their Retro donuts that they brought back for a limited time as they might be leaving the menu soon. I recently gave them a try, and there's one donut I'm definitely going to miss!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Tim Hortons Caramel Toffee Cold Brew, Oreo Double Stuf Iced Capp and Oreo Strawberry Creamy Chill with returning menu items.