My Honest Review of the New Starbucks Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

I'm generally not a fan of winter, but nothing gets me ready to zip up my puffer jacket and embrace the cold quite like a Starbucks holiday drink. The coffee chain released its latest holiday menu on Nov. 2, including several returning fan favorites and one brand-new concoction: the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. Seeing as Starbucks discontinued its gingerbread beverages in 2019, I couldn't wait to enjoy the seasonal flavor again.

The Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai combines creamy oat milk and black tea infused with cinnamon and chai spices, and it's sprinkled with a pumpkin spice topping. You can order it hot or iced, so naturally, I tried both to see how they stacked up. At first sip of the iced version, I thought to myself, "Wait, is this just a regular ol' chai?" The "warm gingerbread notes" promised in the official description were nowhere to be found, and my drink was also lacking the pumpkin spice topping. The same went for the hot latte; although the warmth made the spices pop a bit more, it didn't taste like I was biting into a gingerbread cookie like I hoped it would. I hate to admit it, but both drinks left more to be desired.

If you're really craving that striking gingerbread flavor, I suggest ordering the Gingerbread Latte, which incorporates pumps of actual gingerbread syrup. The drink is back on the Starbucks menu this year, along with the Peppermint Mocha, Chestnut Praline Latte, Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte, and Caramel Brulée Latte. All hot beverages come in one of Starbucks's four holiday paper cups, which are decorated with festive pops of red, green, pink, and white this year. Shops are also offering a new seasonal drinkware collection filled with iridescent cold cups, mugs, and water bottles. If you're not in the holiday spirit yet, a trip to your local Starbucks will certainly do the trick.