Even if we aren't quite ready for Christmas, Christmas is coming for us — from all angles and in full force: Tomorrow, Starbucks is dropping its newest seasonal drink called the Christmas Tree Frappuccino. This limited edition beverage starts with a Peppermint Mocha Crème Frappuccino blend. On top of the minty-mocha base sits a matcha whipped cream "tree" that's been sprinkled with candied cranberry "ornaments," dressed in a caramel drizzle "tinsel," and finally topped off with a freeze-dried strawberry "star." Feeling festive yet? After hearing the news, we dashed across the street to the nearest Starbucks location, which happened to have the new beverage a day early. (The drink officially launches 7th December.) We had to give this fleeting, whimsical holiday creation a try before its retirement on 11th December.
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As someone who wishes people "Happy holidays!" asking my barista for a grande "Christmas Tree Frappuccino" definitely felt uncharacteristic. But, I ordered it as named and got to tasting. The Frappuccino base, although not particularly Christmas-coloured, tasted like pure peppermint-chocolate bliss. It was creamy, sweet, and refreshing (like an icier mint chocolate chip shake). The pastel green, Matcha whipped topping is where things really started to get festive. Although I'm not a huge fan of matcha, the flavour was subtle when paired with the mocha-mint base underneath. The candied cranberry bits was a welcome crunch, and the freeze-dried strawberry was mostly for show, but added some extra red pizazz.
I happily sipped it while subconsciously humming a generic holiday tune. Did I finish the entire cup? And will I order the Santa-themed drink again? No and probably not. But for a sweet and festive treat, it did the trick. If you're in the market for this beverage, remember it's only available at Starbucks locations across the U.S. and Canada through 11th December. No word as to whether the Christmas Tree Frapp will be coming to the UK at this point sadly, but we can console ourselves by indulging in a Fudge Hot Chocolate.