My Favorite Drinks From Starbucks

This may be an odd way to open up a post on my favorite drinks from Starbucks, but I need to say, first off,  I do not like coffee.  The smell is pleasant enough, but the bitterness of plain black coffee is not something that makes my taste buds come alive with enjoyment.  Bitterness aside, there are a few coffee-drinks that I love, and several from Starbucks top my list.  I know Starbucks takes a lot of flack for being so ubiquitously present, with stores sometimes every block in major cities, but there’s a reason there are so many franchises: people love the way Starbucks makes coffee.  My personal favorites from Starbucks are all on the sweet side of things, so if you prefer for your coffee to taste like salty dirt (zing!), then you may want to ask the barista to tone things down a bit. So with that caveat, here they are:

• Peppermint white chocolate mocha–I love this drink!  I almost always get this iced (hot is a bit hard to take in Florida most of the year), and there are times when it is too sweet even for me.  But I still recommend it for anyone who doesn’t like bitter coffee, and if it is too sweet, then try ordering just a peppermint mocha or maybe a white chocolate mocha.
• Pumpkin spice frappuccino–this is like a slushy with pumpkin flavored coffee; not too sweet and not too bitter, so it’s good for pretty much everyone.  The downside is it’s only available in the fall, usually starting in mid-September and leaving shortly after Thanksgiving.
• Peppermint mocha–this is the drink that got me turned on to the white chocolate mocha, since they’re almost the same thing.  Usually the seasonal version of this drink comes in right as the pumpkin spice is leaving, and officially stays until the end of the holiday season.  The seasonal sprinkles on top make this feel different than just any old regular mint mocha, but you can get the barista to make you one, sans sprinkles, year-round.
• Caramel macchiato–I used to get this drink pretty often, but too often it winds up tasting burnt and not nearly as sweet as you’d guess from the name.  A good drink to get hot, but make sure you test in time to ask for more syrup if you need it.
• Banana chocolate Vivanno with a shot of espresso–this sweet and savory smoothie-esque drink is supposed to be a healthy choice for those who like the caffeine of coffee but don’t necessarily like the high calories associated with some of the sweeter drinks.

So those are my favorite drinks from Starbucks.  What are yours?