Starbucks Coffee

91 Danada Square East, Wheaton, IL, 60189

1-(630)-260-9900

I visited the Starbucks in Wheaton Town Square last Saturday to take part in its “Happy Hour”: buy one holiday drink between the hours of two and five, get another holiday drink of equal or lesser value for free.

The signature holiday drinks are the Chestnut Praline Latte, a Peppermint Mocha, a Caramel Brulée Latte, a Gingerbread Latte, an Eggnog Latte and Peppermint Hot Chocolate. The price of a “Tall” (small) 12 oz. drink is $3.75, a “Grande” (medium) 16 oz. drink is $4.45 and a “Venti” (large) 20 oz. drink is $4.75. So I opted for the Gingerbread Latte because it sounded the most unique and because one can get peppermint and caramel flavored coffee drinks anywhere else.

The Gingerbread Latte at a grande size is 330 calories when made with two percent milk and served with whipped cream. This hot drink is made with Starbucks’ signature espresso, gingerbread flavored syrup and steamed milk. This coffee drink is also topped with delicious spice-infused whipped cream as well as a pure molasses drizzle.

The restaurant environment was quite casual with a wide variety of people of all ages ranging from teens in sweatpants, to middle-aged people in full business attire. Also, this Starbucks is bigger than the one located on Roosevelt Road.

Since the atmosphere is very calming and quiet, this Starbucks would be a perfect place to study for a big test.

When I received my drink from the smiling barista, it was in a festive red cup that had the design of a Christmas tree on the side, which Starbucks is known to use for the holiday season. The strong smell of gingerbread and the spices coming from the drink made my senses tingle with excitement. After I took one sip, I knew that this was going to be my favorite coffee drink for the holiday season.

However, the Peppermint Mocha is definitely another great choice if one is  in the mood for something just as festive. A grande size with two percent milk and whipped cream is priced at $4.35 and is 410 calories. It is a combination of steamed milk, espresso, peppermint flavored syrup, mocha sauce and dark chocolate curls sprinkled on top of the whipped cream.

Also, the Caramel Brulée Latte, my personal second favorite, is the same price as the other two at a grande size and with whipped cream and two percent milk is 440 calories. This latte is a combination of steamed milk, espresso, a rich caramel sauce and crunchy caramelized sugar pieces on top of the whipped cream.

When one is in the mood for a holiday drink and there is a Starbucks nearby, I recommend the Gingerbread Latte, the Peppermint Mocha and the Caramel Brulée Latte as some of the best drinks of the season.