- Starbucks released its brand new holiday drink, the Irish Cream Cold Brew, on Tuesday.
- The drink features Starbucks' new Irish cream syrup, along with vanilla sweet cream cold foam and a dusting of cocoa powder on top.
- I did a taste test of the limited-edition drink, Starbucks' first iced holiday drink in the US since 2016, and absolutely loved it.
- The Irish Cream Cold Brew tastes like caffeinated hot cocoa, and is just sweet enough that it can still be enjoyed daily (or with a shot of whiskey).
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Starbucks is ringing in the holiday season with a brand new drink — and a brand new syrup flavor.
Joining classics like the Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog Latte, the new Irish Cream Cold Brew is here to shake things up at the coffee giant.
The Irish cream syrup is a brand new addition at Starbucks and will be available for all other beverages as well.
I got a sneak peek of the Irish Cream Cold Brew before its official launch on Tuesday, and it's already become my favorite holiday drink at Starbucks.
I arrived at a Starbucks tucked inside of a Manhattan office building on a chilly November day for a special preview of the chain's new holiday drink.
I had no idea when I walked in what the drink would be, other than the promise that it would be festive.
Given the coffee chain's previous holiday flavors, like the Christmas Tree Frappuccino and the Gingerbread Latte, I was expecting something that was going to be very on the nose. A Yule Log Mocha, perhaps? Maybe a Sugar Plum Cappuccino?
I was happily surprised when Starbucks revealed that its new holiday drink was an Irish Cream Cold Brew.
I'm not a huge coffee drinker by any means, and when I do get coffee I need something pretty sweet.
But I had loved Starbucks' Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, which was released in August, so my hopes were high that the Irish Cream Cold Brew would deliver results as well.
Right off the bat, I was impressed that the finished product looked almost identical to its promotional picture.
The Irish Cream Cold Brew is made with Starbucks' cold brew coffee and its new Irish cream syrup, a Starbucks representative explained during the preview.
The drink is topped with vanilla sweet cream cold foam, as well as a dusting of cocoa powder.
The top of the drink was especially pretty, and the cocoa powder made it look extra festive.
A Starbucks representative told us that the vanilla sweet cream cold foam is the same that was used in the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, minus the pumpkin spice dusting.
The cocoa powder made the drink smell like hot chocolate, which immediately put me in the holiday spirit.
On my first sip, I was hit with the vanilla sweet cream cold foam, which was nice and thick.
The drink tasted sweet but wasn't overpowering the way a Frappuccino can be. The foam also paired well with the Irish cream syrup, which a Starbucks representative told me had "hints of cocoa and vanilla."
"Starbucks' cold brew has a subtle hint of cocoa in the cold brew, and the Irish cream has hints of cocoa and vanilla," the representative said. "So they complement each other well, and they bring those flavors out more."
I could definitely taste the cocoa notes in the coffee, and even though the drink was iced, it felt cozy due to the traditional holiday flavors. The taste brought me back to Christmas morning when my family always drinks hot cocoa while opening presents.
I realized the Irish Cream Cold Brew tasted like caffeinated hot cocoa, and I couldn't help but love it.
Starbucks decided to launch a new cold holiday drink after noticing the popularity of its iced beverages.
"Cold is booming," a representative told me during the drink preview. "It's more than 50% of our beverage sales, and we know that everybody loves them year-round."
And, after the popularity of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Starbucks knew cold brew was something its customers would still crave during the holidays.
As someone who only really enjoys drinking coffee when it's iced, the Irish Cream Cold Brew felt like the perfect drink for me.
I have to confess, I am that girl who still orders Caramel Frappuccinos from time to time, but even I agree that they're too sweet to enjoy very often.
However, the Irish Cream Cold Brew is the perfect in-between. You can still taste the coffee, but the flavor is subtle enough for those of us who don't love the taste of caffeine — but still want its kick.
Plus, the notes of cocoa and vanilla add a festive touch that feels right at home in the season of twinkling street lights and never-ending Christmas carols.
I loved the drink so much that I got another to go, and couldn't believe how good the foam looked even as I navigated the streets of Manhattan.
Unlike many of Starbucks' special iced drinks, the Irish Cream Cold Brew still looks presentable even as the foam disintegrates.
Fellow Insider reporters discovered that Starbucks' Tie-Dye Frappuccino and Phantom Frappuccino went from Instagram-ready creations to unappealing mush after they began to melt.
But my Irish Cream Cold Brew held up nicely even as the minutes passed. The sweet cream dropped down in pretty streaks across the coffee, eventually turning it from the color of espresso beans to a milky caramel.
The Irish Cream Cold Brew is Starbucks' first iced holiday drink in the US since the the Spiced Sweet Cream Cold Brew was released in 2016.
Starbucks' brand new holiday drink will be available starting on Tuesday for a limited time.
And if cold brew isn't your style, a representative told Insider that customers can add the new Irish cream syrup to any Starbucks beverage — like an Irish Cream Latte — for an additional charge.
They also noted that the cold foam can be made with almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.
I've been waiting for Starbucks to officially release the Irish Cream Cold Brew for weeks, and will definitely be drinking it all winter long.
And not just because it'd be a great holiday drink to add in some whiskey as well.
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