Best (And Worst) Christmas Hot Drinks To Grab On-The-Go From Costa Coffee, Starbucks And More

We Reviewed Popular Christmassy Hot Drinks (So You Don't Have To)
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It's that time of year when coffee shops unleash their festive-inspired concoctions for unsuspecting customers to buy.

And this year, they seem to be sticking to the rule: the sicklier, the better.

For those who haven't got the money, time or inclination to try all of the Christmas-inspired coffee and hot chocolate drinks out there this month - we've done the hard part for you.

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Three HuffPost UK Lifestyle journalists - Amy Packham, Rachel Moss and Natasha Hinde - have taken on the high street coffee shops and eateries (we're talking Starbucks, Costa, Caffè Nero, Eat and Pret) in a bid to find out who has mastered Christmas in a cup this year.

We also managed to discover who has completely and utterly failed (believe us, there were some shockers).

Here are the results...

Spiced Orange Latte

Rachel Moss: "It smells like nail varnish remover. Actually, it tastes like it too."

Score: 1/10

Amy Packham: "Horrible. It's just wrong."

Score: 1/10

Natasha Hinde: "Oh dear lord. There are some very strong flavours here (mainly cinnamon) but I can't really taste any orange. Plus the texture is really watery. I'm not a fan at all. In fact, you'd have to pay me to drink it."

Score: 0/10

Winter Berry Latte

RM: "It's sweet but not overly so and the berry flavours really come through. I'd say this is a good Christmassy drink for people who dabble with coffee. It's not so much for the hardcore coffee drinkers out there. You know who you are..."

Score: 9/10

AP: "It's a bit too sweet for me, I'm afraid. Especially if there's a whole cup of the stuff." *Screws up face*

Score: 6/10

NH: "It's basically the love child of raspberry ripple ice cream and a cup of coffee. There are some seriously nice flavours going on here."

Score: 8/10

Toffee Nut Latte

RM: "Flipping heck, it smells strong doesn't it? It's like being kicked in the throat by a giant toffee."

Score: 4/10

AP: "I like the fact the nutty flavour is quite prominent. And you get the coffee flavour coming through too."

Score: 7/10

NH: "It tastes sickly (So. Much. Toffee) and then leaves a massively bitter aftermath in your mouth. My tongue is not happy."

Score: 4/10

Gingerbread Latte

RM: "I'd say this tastes more like cinnamon than it does ginger. You can't really taste any coffee and it seems quite sweet - even for me."

Score: 5/10

AP: "This is SO sickly. But I feel like cinnamon fans would love it."

Score: 6/10

NH: "One word - meh. There was so much cinnamon in this drink and not much else. Plus mine had bits in it! WTF?!"

Score: 3/10

Orange Spiced Hot Chocolate

RM: "Umm, it's pretty awful. Almost floral in taste because the orange is so synthetic. Like chewing potpourri."

Score: 3/10

AP: "This actually tastes like it's got orange cordial in it. It's very artificial in flavour. I could not drink that."

Score: 4/10

NH: "Eek this tastes like some kid has come along and dropped orange-flavoured smarties in your vending machine hot chocolate. Naaaaht good."

Score: 3/10

Chocolate Brownie Hot Chocolate

RM: "I'd say this doesn't really taste like brownie, it tastes more like cinnamon. I wouldn't say it tastes bad, it's just not what it's advertised as."

Score: 6/10

AP: "I like it, it's not overly sweet for a hot chocolate and it's nice and creamy. The only downfall is that there's a bit too much cinnamon and not enough brownie."

Score: 6/10

NH: "It tastes like those lebkuchen German Christmas biscuits. It's quite nice, not overbearing for a hot chocolate, however I'd agree that there's a bit too much cinnamon in there. I'd definitely buy it again though. Thumbs up!"

Score: 7/10

Salted Caramel Cappuccino

RM: "This is nice, but ideally I would like more salted caramel. It's one of the better hot drinks we've had and not overpowering. It doesn't feel that Christmassy, however that isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Score: 8/10

AP: "It's not too sickly either which is great - because a lot of the time Christmas drinks can be! I can't necessarily taste that it's salted caramel, though. But regardless, I'm a big fan."

Score: 9/10

NH: "You can really taste the coffee, which is quite a nice change from the other drinks. Ideally I would like to taste more salted caramel flavours in there."

Score: 7/10

Tiramisu Latte

RM: "Very bitter, not much more to say really."

Score: 4/10

AP: "It's bitter and not very sweet, which isn't what I'd expect. The tiramisu flavour is really strong, so you can't really get away with buying it if you don't like tiramisu flavours."

Score: 5/10

NH: "Meh. It tastes like it might have nail polish remover in it. Not a fan."

Score: 4/10

Caramel Fudge Hot Chocolate

RM: "This is sooooo good and the best hot chocolate we've had. It's creamy and it doesn't taste cheap either. It would be lovely with a dollop of cream."

Score: 9/10

AP: "It's quite rich but really tasty and not sickly at all. The fudge part is quite strong but works well with the chocolate flavours."

Score: 9/10

NH: "My all-time favourite. This hot chocolate tastes like an absolute dream. It's rich, creamy and I could drink them regularly. It's restored my faith in Christmas hot drinks."

Score: 10/10

Christmas 2015: Best Advent Calendars
(01 of12)
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Advent House, £25(02 of12)
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A cute advent house filled with delicious chocolates and truffles? Oh go on then...Price: £25Buy it here. (credit:Lily O'Brien's)
Truffles for Two, £26(03 of12)
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An advent calendar built for sharing. Behind each window there are two delicious truffles for you and your other half.

Price: £26
Buy it here.
(credit:Hotel Chocolat)
The Fireplace Advent Calendar, £30(04 of12)
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Two words: mega fancy.

Price: £30
Buy it here.
(credit:Prestat)
Continental Advent Calendar, £10(05 of12)
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This cheeky little number is crammed with an assortment of 24 individual mousses, truffles and pralines with a larger treat for Christmas Day.

Price: £10
Buy it here.
(credit:Thorntons)
The Snowman White Advent Calendar, £4.50(06 of12)
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This advent calendar merges two things we absolutely love - the Snowman + white chocolate.

Price: £4.50
Buy it here.
(credit:Thorntons)
Dairy Milk Advent Calendar, £4.99(07 of12)
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Because nothing quite beats a Dairy Milk advent calendar. Other than a LARGE Dairy Milk advent calendar. Happy days.

Price: £4.99
Buy it here.
(credit:Cadbury)
Adorable Bear Calendar, £12.99(08 of12)
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A traditional-looking teddy bear calendar filled with creamy Lindt chocolates. We'll take two, please.

Price: £12.99
Buy it here.
(credit:Lindt / Selfridges)
White Chocolate Advent Calendar, £12.50(09 of12)
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For those who don't like milk or dark chocolate, say hello to Hotel Chocolat's white choc number. Yes, those little chocolate characters are as delicious as they look.

Price: £12.50
Buy it here.
(credit:Hotel Chocolat)
Merryteaser Advent Calendar, £2.50(10 of12)
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Malteser-lovers will be delighted at this little number, which is packed with tiny Christmas-shaped chocolate with crunchy bits inside. Nom.

Price: £2.50
Buy it here.
(credit:Maltesers)
Advent Calendar With No Added Sugar, £3.99(11 of12)
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A Dairy, gluten and nut free fun and festive presentation with “milky” chocolate with no added sugar for all ages.

Price: £3.99
Buy it here.
(credit:Holland & Barrett)
Wooden Advent Calendar Filled With Confectionery, £125(12 of12)
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A wooden advent calendar with a townhouse front. Behind each window is an exciting selection of sweets and chocolates. Plus you can use it, every year.

Price: £125
Buy it here.
(credit:Fortnum & Mason)