Better Buzz is arguably one of the best places to grab a coffee for a quick buzz of energy in the morning. Following their recent announcement of their holiday drinks at the end of October, I went on an extreme coffee rush trying all the flavors I could and deciding which of these drinks are the best. And trust me, I’m a really picky coffee-drinker.

1. Peppermint White Mocha — Overall Rating: 10/10

This drink is delicious iced or steamed. As a person who generally doesn’t love hot coffee, even I enjoyed it. The cream was rich and frothy like a layer of clouds at the top, followed by a smooth rush of peppermint and decadent white chocolate. The peppermint was not overpowering to the point where my breath turned cold, but it had enough of a kick to feel like I was getting a warm hug from Santa.

I wasn’t expecting to like this drink at all, since I’m not a fan of most white mochas. I’ve always found white chocolate to be too sweet and heavy, but I found this mocha to be surprisingly light and fresh, even when hot. The peppermint flavor was able to lift the chocolate ever so slightly, creating a heavenly mix of rich and fresh.

I first got the iced version of this drink in the morning before school, and after the first round of caffeine wore off, I loved it so much that I ran back to Better Buzz to try the hot version. The iced version was also phenomenal. The peppermint chunks didn’t melt as quickly in the latte and took their sweet time sinking to the bottom of the cup. Each time I had a sip of coffee, I was delighted to find the crunchy nuggets of peppermint enhanced in their mintiness by the cold temperature.

This drink also happened to be Better Buzz worker Torrey’s favorite drink that she recommended to me, and I totally get it. And if you’re a cold coffee drinker, consider trying this one hot. It might just change your mind!

2. Peppermint Best Drink Ever – Overall Rating: 9.5/10

The Best Drink Ever is one of Better Buzz’s all-time most popular drinks, and my personal go-to. It’s a blend of rich americano and vanilla, which makes a perfect base for customization. For example, I usually add cinnamon cold cream during the fall to make it feel more festive. So, naturally, adding peppermint chunks with a dash of cream is a guaranteed success.

The Peppermint Best Drink Ever provides a perfect mix between peppermint and vanilla, so this drink almost tastes like an upgraded candy cane. But when that fragrant kick of coffee splits between the flavors, it’s coffee heaven. It’s less sweet than the Peppermint White Mocha, which is great for anyone who doesn’t love sweet coffee. And I can’t forget about the candy cane crunch layer these peppermint drinks have on top!

This drink was definitely better when it was iced, though the ice in mine melted a bit fast, and the drink became slightly watery. But when iced, the peppermint seems to stand out more against the shot of americano and vanilla, whereas when it was hot, the coffee got a boost while the peppermint faded quicker than I had liked. 

This drink was recommended to me by Better Buzz worker Andre, who said, “I like it just because it’s not too sweet, but it also gets the candy cane sprinkles, which really puts me in the holiday spirit.” This drink was a wonderful spin on a classic drink at Better Buzz that didn’t override its original flavor. Definitely one to try this holiday season!

3. Peppermint Hot Chocolate – Overall Rating: 9/10

Peppermint hot chocolate is a holiday classic, and while it’s not on the official online menu, Better Buzz nailed it. Having made many of these myself at home, it’s hard to impress me when it comes to peppermint hot chocolates, but when I tried Better Buzz’s version, one word popped into my mind: divine.

This hot chocolate was a show-stopper that brought me back to my childhood. The peppermint chunks were, again, not overpowering, which I loved about many of the peppermint drinks at Better Buzz. And by some miracle, it was just warmed up enough so that I didn’t burn my tongue on it when I took my first sip.

It was so light that I practically inhaled it in the cold of the evening. And Better Buzz worker Mason woke me up by adding a hint of white mocha in, which just made the drink even creamier than before.

I did feel like the peppermint faded a little fast, and would’ve almost loved more peppermint chunks on top, but so far, it was enough to put me in a chipper spirit for the rest of the day. But that could have easily been the caffeine Mason added.

4. Caramel Cookie Butter Cold Brew – Overall Rating: 6.5/10

This was definitely a new flavor I did not expect to see on the Better Buzz menu. But I ordered it since it was Mason’s favorite drink. “I personally really like cookie butter and I think it’s really different,” he said. “I haven’t really seen it at other coffee shops, so it’s just a little something new.”

The Caramel Cookie Butter Cold Brew was also my first cold brew, so I was curious to try it. I will say, it’s a stronger coffee than what I’m used to, and would definitely appeal to stronger coffee-lovers. Once I got used to the taste of cold brew, I actually enjoyed it.

The cookie crunch nestled into soft peaks of cream with the faintest hint of caramel brewed into that cold brew was incredibly pleasant. However, I was missing the caramel a bit, and I felt like the drink could benefit from a light drizzle of caramel sauce, but it was still delicious either way. And if you order this drink, you should definitely drink it quickly — I took a study break and let it sit for a while and the cookie crumbs went soggy, making a batter-like goop at the bottom of my cup. Yummy, but not texturally pleasing.

5. Peppermint Matcha – Overall Rating: 4/10

This wasn’t a drink I would order again, but it wasn’t one of those drinks where I handed it off to a friend to finish for me. I love both matcha and peppermint, and when I first saw this drink on the menu, I was a bit skeptical if they would work well together or not. Better Buzz Matcha is one of the best matcha lattes out there — it’s the dash of vanilla they add in that makes it so amazing.

While I was waiting for my drink to be made, I spotted another customer, Sarah, drinking a Peppermint Matcha, and asked her for her opinion. “I typically don’t like matcha, but my roommate got it the other day and she said it was really good,” she said. “It’s nice and sweet from the peppermint. You don’t really get a lot of that earthy flavor from the matcha, which I know is what some people don’t like about it.” She added jokingly that the candy cane, paired with the green matcha, were very festive colors.

But maybe peppermint matcha just isn’t my thing. When I first got it, it tasted extremely good. The light mint fusion with the deep matcha was very uplifting and refreshing. However, as the peppermint chunks sank to the bottom, where a few chunks of unblended matcha were, I started tasting a bitter, grassy aftertaste — the bad side of matcha is that you can’t totally mix it all the time.

I let it sit for a little bit until the red and green were dissolved together and I had a brown matcha with no aftertaste. While I am a big matcha fan, peppermint matcha didn’t hit the spot, at least for me.

Better Buzz holiday drinks have definitely got some treasures scattered within. If you’re a hot coffee drinker, cold coffee drinker, sweet coffee drinker, no-coffee drinker, you name it, there’s a drink for you!