By Anastasia Benstead, Assistant Editor-In-Chief
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the holiday drinks are back at the Moose. This year the signature winter drinks are Creme Brulee Shake, Merry Mint Mocha, Holiday in Stars Hollow.
Three drinks are always selected and they must fit within the three categories: Caffeinated drink, Blended drink and a Wild Card. “The Wild Card can be anything,” said Hoff. “It can be anything, like a boba drink to a smoothie.”
This winter, the Wild Card, created by Bethany Wallfield, was a spin on a popular fall drink. Last season’s specials included a drink called the Stars Hollow (the fictional town and setting of the tv show Gilmore Girls), created by Jessica Baker. The original Stars Hollow was a cinnamon pumpkin chai drink, whereas the most recent edition is a gingerbread cinnamon hot chai called Holiday in Stars Hollow. At first, the scent of cinnamon feels overpowering as there is a dusting at the top of the drink, however there is a strong balance of flavors that chai fans will enjoy.
Students were excited to see the return of the popular Stars Hollow drink as the previous one was much beloved. “It brought in a ton of traffic,” said Hoff. “It was all we were making for a while.”
“How could I forget?” barista Laia Cunill said jokingly when asked about how popular the previous Stars Hollow drink was.Cunill went on to describe how groups of students would come in and they would each order a Stars Hollow.
The caffeinated drink is called the Merry Mint Mocha created by Noah Reilly, which is an iced peppermint mocha drink with cold foam and candy cane pieces. While it may be very traditional, it is a classic for a reason. “It’s the peppermint pieces on the top that really gives it that umph,” said Hoff. The students who protest cold drinks in the winter, would likely prefer the warm Holiday in Stars Hollow.
The crème brǔlée shake is the fan favorite though. “I’ve tried all of the seasonal drinks,” said Hoff, “and I’ve got to say, this one’s my favorite.”
“Woah,” said Savannah Rees after trying her first sip. “That’s good.”
Emily Gignac agreed wholeheartedly saying, “it is really good.”
The crème brǔlée shake was made by Lauren Choioni. It is a white chocolate cinnamon blended drink which “tastes like a decadent dessert” in a cup according to promotional material.
blended drink which “tastes like a decadent dessert” in a cup according to promotional material.
The seasonal drink menu on counter of the Moose – Photo by Anastasia Benstead
Laia Cunill making the seasonal drinks – Photo by Anastasia Benstead
The Saint 