Starbucks' Holiday Menu Is Back In Canada & The Newest Drink Is An Icy Delight (PHOTOS)

Iced Gingerbread Oat Chai

The first drink we tried turned out to be my favourite of the day.

Starbucks is launching a new drink for the 2023 holiday season and it's not necessarily what you'd expect.

Their new offering is an Iced Gingerbread Oat Chai Latte, and if you think iced drinks are just for summer, let me tell you why you should reconsider.

In Canada's winter, everything is so dry, and when you're stuck with your winter jacket on when you finally get in from the cold, you're likely starting to sweat into your long johns.

This drink is the perfect cool and refreshing hit you need after a day of fighting the crowds at the mall, and the pairing of warm spices like gingerbread and chai are a really fun complement to the iciness of the drink.

It's sweet, delightful and cozy, and I love that it uses oat milk since dairy and I aren't the best of friends in terms of digestion.

Overall, this drink is very pleasant and I'll definitely be picking it up throughout the winter (and if you really want, you can get it hot as well, but that's up to you!).

Starbucks' new holiday cups

The much anticipated Starbucks holiday cups feature a bit of an unexpected colour that might just have been influenced by the pop culture sensation Barbie.

There are four new offerings for hot drinks: Peppermint Swirl, Bauble Wrap, Party Plaid and Ribbon Spool, each with fun pink elements in their design.

As well, for those who prefer cold drinks (like me), the cold cup has pretty baubles and sparkles adorning the area around the Starbucks siren.

Holiday blend coffee

We also sampled their holiday blend coffee, and it's bold, dark, rich and pleasantly bitter.

According to Starbucks, this is meant as a savoury after-dinner coffee that cuts nicely against all of the heavy food you get around the holidays.

While I agree it would be nice to sip after a big meal, I really like this as a morning coffee as it tastes like it means business and seems like it'd get you going, particularly on the mornings when you don't feel like moving.

The other holiday drinks

Returning for this year are the Peppermint Mocha, Sugar Cookie Oat Latte, Caramel Brule Latte and Chestnut Praline Latte.

I'd never tried the Mocha and while the flavour is quite refreshing, I will say it is a lot to handle with the peppermint and espresso, but in a nice way. I think I'd only be able to drink this as a tall, but it'd be a wonderful little treat, and the whip cream and dark chocolate shavings make it feel quite indulgent.

The chestnut praline latte might be my favourite among the drinks that are returning as it's not quite as sweet and leans somewhat towards the savoury side. It kind of tastes like cereal milk, which is like a comforting warm hug, and this is what I'd crave if I had come in on a cold winter day and needed something to warm me up.

Sweet treats

Returning this year are the Cranberry Bliss Bar, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop, Snowman Cookie and Gingerbread Loaf, and I genuinely like all four of them, but one is a standout.

The Gingerbread Loaf tastes like Christmas in a mouthful — warm spices and sweet icing with a bit of citrus mixed in. If you're looking for something less sweet, the Cranberry Bliss Bar tastes a little lighter, while the other two options are just fun seasonal treats.

Merch

And if you're looking to gift a Starbucks lover with a present that's sure to please, the new Cold Cup Prism Dichroic is all kinds of aesthetically pleasing and comes in either icy white or festive red. 

Best of all, you can also pick them up a matching ornament for their tree or key chain, as there's a mini-sized option that's just begging to be shown off.