Christmas in a cup

Sip the season to be jolly!

BY THE PASYAL TEAM
ART BY VISUAL HABIT DESIGN

We’ll give anything, anything to feel the joy of Christmas this year. In one way, perhaps the year brings an unexpected intimacy to the season, what with families being cooped up at home since March or loved ones visibly longing for a few socially distanced moments with the dearest people in their lives.

But no matter how we look at it, we’d prefer a Yuletide season where gatherings don’t require people to be six feet apart or where our holiday-drunk smiles are unencumbered by masks we’re required to wear.

So excuse us as we drink our feelings and gulp down cozy concoctions that remind us of Christmas, hopefully bringing some happiness to our lips and hearts—we can already tell the calories will be worth it.

Cinnamon Mont Blanc by FRNK Milk Bar

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire," the classic Christmas song says, and FRNK Milk Bar took it to heart by releasing Mont Blanc drink and dessert derivates as their holiday offering this year. A Mont Blanc is a European dessert made from puréed and sweetened chestnuts, which is the main ingredient in FRNK's four holiday drinks.

We're particularly drawn to the Cinnamon Mont Blanc, a drink made out of cinnamon tea, cookie crumble cheese and homemade chestnut jam, probably because the combination of cinnamon and chestnuts is practically Christmas in beverage form.

Visit FRNK Milk Bar in Glorietta 3, Bonifacio High Street, and Trinoma.

Hot Chocolate by Auro

One of the best treats of the Designer's Holiday Bazaar in Greenbelt is located at the back of the installation, near the payment counters: there's an Auro Chocolate cart where they sell dessert and drink iterations of their award winning, locally-made chocolate bars.

One such variant is their gold award-winning Auro Hot Chocolate, a delicious serving of Auro's bean-to-bar (-to cup!) single origin chocolate in beverage form! Each hot chocolate cup is served with a gourmet marshmallow, truly reminding us of cozy Noche Buena midnights, overflowing with hot chocolate and pandesal made with Christmas ham.

Visit the Auro stall at the Designer's Holiday Bazaar in Greenbelt 5.

Iced Green Tea Latte with Peppermint Syrup by Starbucks

All anti-minty drink sentiments seem to fly out the door when Christmas comes along and Starbucks releases their signature holiday drinks. There's nothing that spells holiday indulgence more than candy cane in a cup!

The classic Peppermint Mocha is already a given, so might we convince you to try the matcha version instead? Order an iced green tea latte, and ask the barista to add two pumps of their seasonal peppermint syrup. Finally, request for the drink to be topped off with crushed candy cane they use on their other holiday drinks.

Visit Starbucks in the Ayala Mall nearest you.

Now tell us—which of these Christmas drinks bring you joy?