The arrival of cold weather heralds with it the arrival of caramel, honey, the sound of crunching leaves, pumpkins on front porches, and the ideal weather for the tastiest, hot drinks at Starbucks. Though the taste has evolved since we first began drinking Starbucks 14 years ago, some of our favourite Starbucks drinks have remained constant. However, the palate has matured over the years, and it can be said now to appreciate the intricacies of a well-crafted coffee and milk combination, such as those found in the Flat White or Cappuccino.
We have attempted to be as broad as possible in this article about hot drinks at Starbucks— including drinks for those with a sweet tooth, drinks for those who like just coffee and milk, and even drinks for those who don’t drink coffee or milk. In addition, we’ve included suggestions on how to personalize your beverages to make them even more delicious! Are you ready to go? Now let’s get started!
Best Hot Drinks at Starbucks
Caramel Macchiato
Simple, with vanilla syrup and fresh milk heated and put into a cup, espresso, and a caramel drizzle for just the right amount of sweetness. And because it’s sweet but not excessively sweet, the Caramel Macchiato is still popular among coffee lovers. Whatever the weather, the Caramel Macchiato remains a consumer favourite! If you enjoy coffee flavours in your drinks, we recommend a grande Caramel Macchiato with an extra shot of espresso. Starbucks’ large size usually comes with two shots, but adding the third enhances the coffee flavour. If you don’t care for the flavour of coffee, order the venti, which has the same number of shots but four more ounces with the hot drinks at Starbucks.
White Chocolate Mocha
When the cold weather arrives, Starbucks’ White Chocolate Mocha is a favourite. A mocha is steamed milk with chocolate syrup poured over a shot of espresso, similar to a latte. The first few swallows of the mocha are a fluffy, sweet treat thanks to a coating of whipped cream. The White Chocolate Mocha is distinguished from other mochas by Starbucks’ characteristic white chocolate syrup— which is especially refreshing on a cold day.
Request your White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk instead of the regular 2 per cent for a truly decadent beverage. If you’re feeling very daring, half-and-half can be substituted, but be aware that this drink is incredibly rich and calorie-dense! To cut down on the sugar, replace one or two pumps of the sweet white mocha with regular mocha. However, the drink will be somewhere between a white and a classic mocha. Instead of using conventional sugar, some people prefer to use sugar-free or healthier sweeteners like stevia and honey.
Cafe Americano
Starbucks’ espresso— oh! The plain brilliance of it! An Americano is named for the fact that it is the preferred choice coffee of Americans in Italy, as most Italian cafes lack the necessary equipment to prepare ordinary drip coffee. The Starbucks Americano is a terrific choice for a simple and dignified pick-me-up without the froufrou. The Americano is slightly smoother than Starbucks’ drip coffee, but aside from that, they taste fairly identical. You can order an Americano black from the barista and add half-and-half at the self-service station. Although, if you’re feeling extra naughty, you can have the barista steam some milk and pour it into your cup hot. Request this drink with an extra shot if you need an extra kick in the morning. To make the drink a little sweeter, you can add some additional flavouring (my personal favourite is caramel syrup).
Flat White
When hot drinks at Starbucks first introduced Flat White in 2015, it was a bit of an outlier in the United States. It’s a latte-like beverage made with something other than espresso (ristretto). Its normal version includes full milk instead of Starbucks’ usual 2 per cent. The smoothness of the drink, the creaminess of the froth, and the relative sweetness of the coffee flavour will astound you when you have your first Flat White (even though no sugar is added).
Flat White’s delectability is due to two factors— the first is ristretto, which is similar to espresso but has a sweeter flavour because the water is pushed through more quickly. The second difference lies in how the barista steams the milk, creating a thick microfoam that lifts the espresso to the top of the cup. The Flat White is great as is, in our opinion— no sugar, no flavouring, no other ingredients required.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Some of us are pumpkin connoisseurs who eagerly await the return of pumpkin beverages at Starbucks. Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is the epitome of autumn. This drink nearly doesn’t need an introduction because it has become a pop-culture classic! Yet, it is nonetheless an example of Starbucks’ unrivalled flavouring expertise. The latte serves as the foundation for the pumpkin spice flavours. Starbucks’ baristas produce latte art by free-pouring steamed milk over espresso shots, a technique that helps bring out the flavour in the entire drink while also allowing the baristas to create the always-loved latte art of social media renown.
The flavouring that hot drinks at Starbucks Starbucks uses distinguishes the Pumpkin Spice Latte from its rivals. The “pumpkin spice” is a blend of pumpkin, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon that is infused into the drink via a pumpkin spice syrup that is steamed with milk. Whipped cream and pumpkin spice dust the drink. Starbucks blends espresso, steamed milk, pumpkin spice sauce, and vanilla syrup to create this delectable beverage. The whipped cream is topped with pumpkin pie spices such as ginger, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon.
This drink is delicious on its own, but we’ve recently discovered that almond milk makes it even better. Though we prefer a latte with milk, the combination of almond and pumpkin flavours is great. Starbucks first debuted the drink as a Thanksgiving treat, and it’s become so popular that it’s brought back every year at the end of August. Perhaps since pumpkin pie is a fixture of Thanksgiving celebrations, the PSL’s appeal has lasted nearly two decades.
Chai Tea Latte
The Chai Tea Latte is one of the few caffeinated but non-coffee Starbucks drinks that almost everyone enjoys, and it’s the drink of choice for teen girls all over the world. The chai tea latte is a delectable non-coffee treat. Do not be fooled by the lack of coffee; the grande cup of Starbucks chai tea latte has 95 mg of caffeine, which is comparable to an 8oz cup of regular coffee. Starbucks makes its coffee with a unique sweetened black tea concentrate blended with flavours like cinnamon and clove. For a creamy finish, foamed milk is used.
Black tea with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon is known as chai. Even cold chai drinks have a warming flavour that brings to mind cosy winter nights spent by the fire. Starbucks’ Chai Tea Latte is a flavoured latte without the espresso. The chai tea is shot into the milk via a pump, similar to how syrup is injected into Starbucks drinks. Steamed chai and milk are then put into the cup. With a variety of milk alternatives, Chai Tea Lattes are a terrific drink to have. Chai Tea Lattes are best served with soy milk, although almond and coconut milk also works well. Add espresso shots to a standard chai latte to produce a dirty chai latte for a stronger caffeine boost. Creamy, sweet, and spicy, chai tea latte
Cappuccino
Starbucks’ Cappuccino is a great way to see how well-trained its baristas are. The cappuccino is well-known as a foundational drink— the drink on which baristas-in-training learn how to blend milk and espresso to create Starbucks’ different coffee drinks. Cappuccinos and lattes vary depending on the coffee establishment, with cappuccinos having a significantly higher espresso to milk ratio than lattes. The distinction is less noticeable at Starbucks.
A Starbucks Cappuccino should ideally have substantially foamier milk than a latte. All this results in a drink that is significantly lighter than a latte. You can request the cappuccino “dry” if you want more foam and less milk. You can also have the cappuccino “wet,” which means the froth will be reduced and more milk will be added.
Honey Almond Milk Flat White
As previously said, the Flat White is fine as is and requires no further adjustments. But of course, there are exceptions to every rule. The Honey Almond Milk Flat White is a delightfully sweet and decadently scrumptious twist on Starbucks’ classic Flat White— perfect for individuals who can’t or won’t drink milk.
The Honey Almond Milk Flat White from hot drinks at Starbucks is an explosion of sweet and nutty flavours in your mouth. This is made with a blend of blonde espresso, sweetened almond milk, and a touch of honey. The coffee flavour is present but not overpowering. The hot drink is ideal for those who do not enjoy the taste of coffee. You can usually get this with a shot of espresso added on top.
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Cinnamon Dolce Latte
Drinks on the “very sweet” end of the spectrum are something Starbucks excels at. A fantastic example of this is the Cinnamon Dolce Latte. The highly sweet cinnamon dolce syrup combines nicely with the milk and espresso. This creates a drink that provides a healthy sugar high as well as a caffeine buzz.
It’s no surprise that this drink is one of the sweet to others’ favourite Starbucks drinks, with whipped cream and cinnamon dolce topping. If you want the cinnamon dolce flavour but don’t want the calories, get the Cinnamon Dolce Latte without the whipped cream and cinnamon dolce topping. You can also make a lower-calorie drink by reducing the amount of cinnamon dolce syrup pumps (4 is normal for a Grande).
Espresso Macchiato
The Espresso Macchiato is Starbucks’ interpretation of the classic drink, produced in the style of old Italy. It is not to be confused with the Latte Macchiato. Which is the basic drink from which the Caramel Macchiato arises. The Espresso Macchiato is a small coffee drink that resembles a shot of espresso rather than a latte. The word macchiato means “stained” in Italian, referring to the drink’s ingredients.
A barista “stains” the espresso with a dash of hot foamy milk when making a macchiato. The final drink, presented in a little espresso cup, is designed to be drunk slowly in a cafe while reading Il Giornale or gesticulating wildly during conversations with friends. All kidding aside, we enjoy how the espresso in the Starbucks Espresso Macchiato can speak for itself, and this is a drink we usually recommend to coffee aficionados.
Wrapping Up
We’ve gone through some of my favourite hot drinks at Starbucks in this article. We’ve addressed the sweetness of the cinnamon dolce latte and the always-classic Pumpkin Spice Latte, as well as the flavour of espresso best portrayed in the Macchiato and Americano. When the chilly weather arrives, you’ll be completely prepared to take advantage of Starbucks’ extensive selection. We wish you a joyful winter season and a world full of well-made drinks. All this, regardless of how you like your hot beverages.
