By Brenna Wemhoff and Carla Gardea

It seems today that even the smallest of occasions calls for a specialty coffee drink….and we at Anchor News are all about that. The holiday season has no shortage of new coffee drinks to try, and. Columbus’ very own Broken Mug allowed us to taste and review 8 different holiday drinks!

Any member of Anchor News who wanted to participate received roughly an ounce of each beverage.  New beverages were prefaced with a trip to the water fountain to ensure a clean palate.  Each beverage was then ranked, 1 being the best, 8 being the eighth best (because they were all fantastic). All the scores were tallied and below are our results!

1) Our favorite drink, Christmas Vacation, is a latte with eggnog and white chocolate. The whole newspaper staff could agree that the eggnog was prevalent and made for a phenomenal marriage to the drink’s white chocolate. More than one member described the drink as a “warm blanket,” with hearty flavor and sweet comfort packed into every drop. No wonder it was Anchor News’ favorite; the Christmas Vacation was very rich and creamy with oodles of flavor. A must try.

2) Second on our list is the Elf. The Elf is a latte with maple and cinnamon. This drink’s cinnomony flavor is the epitome of Christmas and the subtle hints of maple compliment the spices very nicely. For lovers of black coffee, this drink still has a strong essence dé cafe. Elf was a great contender to Christmas Vacation and is very deserving of second place.

3) Next came the Nutcracker in all its toffee goodness! The Nutcracker is a toffee and hazelnut white macchiato with caramel drizzle. It made for a very rich and creamy drink with lots of hazelnut flavor. The white macchiato had a pronounced, but well blended coffee flavor, perfect for those who aren’t particularly fond of stronger coffees. This drink would go especially well for those who enjoy a cup of joe while their wood-burning fireplaces tint their windows yellow against a snowy, outdoor backdrop.

4) The Harry Potter is a caramel, toffee and butterscotch latte with caramel drizzle. This drink definitely had the most caramel flavor. Much like the Nutcracker, the coffee flavor gave a beautifully mellow undertone to the drink. The lack of hazelnut was the biggest difference between these two beverages.  If you’re of the mind that less is more, the Harry Potter is just what you’re looking for.

5) The Christmas Carol may not be first overall, but it takes first place in the beauty pageant! This white mocha masterpiece has a deep, velvety look, with a red so rich, it reminds you of the red velvet cake itself. It has a minimal smell, but tastes like a pure, chocolatey coffee explosion. The chocolate taste seeps onto your tongue within the first sip as the coffee clings to the chocolate just enough in order to fulfill your every need.

6) The Wonderful Life is a splendid drink, with a sharp cinnamon smell and an Irish creme zing. Although it has these more than okay qualities, be careful of the overpowering taste. The Irish creme seems to come at you with a force that could knock your socks off! However, if you tend to enjoy Irish creme delights, you will most definitely love this drink!

7) The Polar Express was tried and tested and had a very wide array of opinions. We actually added a shot of espresso to this drink to keep it in line with the other caffeinated beverages on our slate.  For some people, this drink is a steamy, chocolatey, Nobel Prize-winning, delicacy. It is very sweet with an almost too bitter taste at the beginning that then turns into the perfect mixture between coffee and your favorite hot drink as a child! On the other end of the spectrum, others said that because of the overly sweet taste, it was too bitter and did not mix properly with each other. Most people agreed that our decision to add a shot of espresso probably caused the mixed opinions. 

8) Although the Home Alone came in last with little to no debate, it was still a valiant candidate. With it's not too sweet, not-too-bold coffee, it was a nice, minty beverage. The mint was quite powerful, though, so proceed accordingly. 

Overall, these drinks were the perfect Christmas delights needed to celebrate this holiday season properly. With a wide variety of sweet and rich drinks, there’s no way to go wrong! The coffees ranged from off-the-charts spectacular, to out-of-this-world incredible. After this taste testing ceremony, we encourage everyone to stop at The Broken Mug for all their hot holiday beverages!!