They’re back! Starbucks’ Christmas menu has made its annual presence and everyone’s enjoying the Yuletide cheer. In the blink of an eye, winter drinks, food, cups and merch have settled comfortably in Starbucks outlets – while autumnal favorites (i.e. the beloved PSL) have officially bid farewell after another wonderful season. The three headlining drinks this season are a nod to some of the world’s favorite holiday tastes –  peppermint mocha, holiday french vanilla and toffee nut crunch.

Kicking off winter at Starbucks this year, I chose a drink with classic flavors that elevate a year-round favorite with touches that are quintessentially Christmas – the peppermint mocha frappe (available in the US and Canada too).

Making that decision took a few minutes when I visited Starbucks for a quick coffee fix. I was looking forward to trying the toffee nut crunch frappe, but my heart yearned for peppermint mocha. In the end, the peppermint mocha won when it was my turn to place an order, simply because I wanted to hop into the peppermint/candy cane season sooner! It’s never too early to enter Candy Cane Lane (more so Peppermint Lane) in Christmas Wonderland.

As I was pondering about my delightful minty order whilst waiting to collect it, my ears picked up three magic words from behind the pick-up counter – “Where’s the peppermint?”. A few seconds later, the barista gave a bottle filled with red and white candy chips a shake, hence dusting the swirl of whipped cream with a festive garnish. I was then handed my first peppermint mocha frappe, which is also my first mint treat this winter (referred to as the monsoon season, the Lion City’s equivalent of winter).

Ingredients in the frappe itself include peppermint-flavored syrup and mocha sauce.

After giving my drink a mix, it was time for the taste test. I tasted crunchy bits of peppermint candy in each sip (from the whipped cream I reckon), and the peppermint syrup blends with mocha wonderfully. It’s the best of both worlds – the frappe is neither too minty nor coffee-ish, hence being balanced excellently in my opinion. The two standout flavors sound – and are – straightforward, but they’re paired well. My expectation was that it’ll be like an After Eight (dark chocolate thins with a soft mint filling), but it’s more like peppermint candy meets mocha. The union of mocha and peppermint results in a formidable Christmas force in the coffee realm, and it’s worth a try.