Ranking Peppermint Mochas: Christmas in a Cup
As Christmas climbs its way to the front of our brains, we begin to feel the spirit and ambiance of the holiday season. While there are many—and we mean many—ways to do this, coffee and holiday drinks are truly a highlight. So, we decided to go around town and be those drink critics: helping our readers spend less money while achieving beverage-related holiday cheer and spirit. Plus, we have an excuse to drink as many Peppermint Mochas as we want…
First up, we stopped at Dunkin’ for our first taste of Peppermint Mocha coffee this year. Deducing our opinions to one, we concluded that the drink didn't taste like Peppermint Mocha. Sure the coffee was decent, but the objective was that warm, holiday-spirit feel. Unfortunately, this drink didn't quite hit that spot. It had only subtle hints of peppermint, which were nearly impossible to taste and left us underwhelmed.
With Downtown St. Joseph in mind, our second location was The Chocolate Cafe. Unfortunately, they didn’t serve a Peppermint Mocha (at least not yet), and we ended up ordering the “LaSalle Hot Chocolate '' which, according to our cashier, was somewhat similar. Frankly, we didn’t know it was hot chocolate; but surprisingly enough, it did end up being our second favorite overall! It contained a warm chocolatey base with a perfect balance of mint and received bonus points for the unique presentation of a stirring spoon dipped in chocolate.
Cafe Tosi’s, next on our list, was ultimately a letdown; we were pretty heartbroken when we sipped straight black coffee with a few fun decorative aspects. Maybe our hopes were too high, but we agreed that there were better options. The ambiance of Cafe Tosi’s is quite nice, and the coffee had whipped cream with what looked like mini candy cane chunks sprinkled on the top. Presentation-wise, immaculate. Taste-wise, quite the opposite.
Across the street at Bigby Coffee, we were not disappointed. In Addie’s opinion, taste and presentation were both on point. But on the other hand, Avery claimed that “It tasted like Tortilla Soup,” and felt as though the resemblance was uncanny. It was a solid balance of peppermint and mocha, and the presentation was beautiful with whipped cream, peppermint chunks, and mocha drizzle. Overall, a solid Peppermint mocha with fantastic potential placed third in our ranks.
Last but certainly not least, we went to Starbucks. Even though Starbucks is overrated at times, their Peppermint Mocha blew us away. The flawless balance of flavors was extremely identifiable and expressed that holiday-spirit feel we crave. Immediately after one sip, our faces lit up like the Christmas tree soon to be decorating our living rooms. We downed this in less than five minutes, and with no questions asked, it stole the first-place spot.
Despite some bitter-tasting coffees, it was forgotten almost immediately when we discovered the outstanding ones. With little deliberation, we knew which coffees stood out to us afterward. Coming in fifth place, Cafe Tosi’s. It was beautiful and for someone who likes bitter coffee, this is for you. But for us, we gravitate towards coffees with some creamer. Following Cafe Tosi’s, in the fourth place spot, sits Dunkin’. Their coffee was good, but it lacked the Peppermint flavor (even though it’s in the name), which knocked it down a bit. Third place goes to Bigby, they had an outstanding presentation but lacked the “wow” factor. The Chocolate Cafe claims second with its unique factor and excellent taste! Finally, Starbucks earned the first place spot in our ranking, and deserved it. The taste stood out to us significantly, and it blew the others out of the water.