Photo: Toby M
food

4 Christmas coffees for cold December nights

6 Comments
By Toby M, grape Japan

It’s officially winter and temperatures are plummeting by the day in Japan, which means coffee chains are busy launching new winter beverages to warm our hands and mouths. It’s customary for coffee shops in Japan to bring out new drinks each season, like Starbucks’ famous frappuccinos, and this year there’s a flurry of winter warmers competing for our yens. But which store’s milky, caffeine infused hand warmer is right for you? We’ve put together this article to help you decide which hot Christmas coffee to drink in 2019.

Segafredo: Christmas Tree Latte

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Photo: Social Wire Co Ltd

Perfect for: When you want to be reminded of that childhood Christmas excitement that comes from playing with gifts beneath the tree

Price (tall): 580 yen (including tax)

Period: Until stocks last

Italian Coffee chain Segafredo serves up traditional Italian espresso across Japan and this year they’re adding an extra shot of festive coffee joy. The Christmas Tree Latte is covered in colorful, fruity balls atop a mound of cream, with sweet cream flavored coffee underneath.

This drink is light on the coffee, heavy of the festive fun! The colorful balls burst in your mouth, filling it with a cornucopia of fruity flavors. The sweet cream base contains a little coffee and is sweet like eggnog. If elves drink coffee, then a colorful mug of this stuff is there cup o’ jo-yeux noel.

Tully’s: Irish Coffee

XmasDrink_4.jpg
Photo: Toby M | © Tully's Coffee Japan Co Ltd

Perfect for: anyone needing a placebo boost to get them through work or Christmas shopping

Price (tall): 500 yen (plus tax)

Period: Unconfirmed

Start your day with a little extra kick at Tully’s. The popular rival to Starbucks in Japan is bringing a boozy flavor to patrons in 2019 with an Irish Coffee Latte. This non-alcoholic take on the traditional whisky laced coffee is ideal for you office workers who find yourselves needing a little (legal) buzz to get through the busy December period.

This creamy “Western alcohol” flavored coffee is topped with whipped cream and burnt caramel sauce. It tastes very much like an Irish coffee: rich espresso, sweet cream, smoky notes, but no bite, from the whisky syrup. Everything you need to keep you warm and very merry this Christmas.

Sarutahiko Coffee: Christmas Tiramisu Latte

XmasDrink_1.jpg
Photo: Toby M | © PR Times Inc

Perfect for: the ideal end to a romantic dinner, only the beginning of an evening of Chirstmassy excitement

Price (tall): 550 yen (plus tax)

Period: Until Dec 25

Sarutahiko Coffee, rapidly expanding newcomer on the Tokyo coffee scene, is decorating this year’s winter menu with a special Christmas offering: the Christmas Tiramisu Latte. Sarutahiko say the drink is inspired by the theme of “adult Christmas”, a beverage to enjoy with new friends, family and lovers.

The coffee contains a mascarpone cream-cheese sauce which tastes decadent. Topped with lashings of thick cream, dried raspberry, pistachio and Italian biscuit; the drink balances sweet and bitter in the perfect encapsulation of “adulthood”. The kind of drink to indulge in with your Mr or Mrs Claus.

Starbucks: Nutty White Mocha

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Photo: Starbucks Coffee Company

Perfect for: Strolling around (or going nuts) with friends beneath Christmas lights on a cold winter evening

Price (tall): 490 yen (plus tax)

Period: While stocks last

This year Starbucks has released Nutty White Chocolate themed mocha and frappuccinos. The winter line up is designed to evoke moments synonymous with Christmas, the Nutty White Chocolate Mocha being inspired by the moment you light your Christmas tree.

True to form, the beverage looks like a lit-up Christmas tree, its creamy peaks adorned with nutty white chocolate sauce, three flavors of chocolate and silver balls. The fragrant Christmas espresso below is blended with creamy steamed milk and rich hazelnut syrup, making every sweet sip a reminder of being huddled together with friends beneath the Christmas tree.

So whether you’re drinking four cups a day, week or month, Japan’s coffee stores have a Christmas coffee to suit all your festive moods.

Read more stories from grape Japan.

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-- Never Eat Alone Again: Japanese Cafe’s Viral Giant ‘Anti-Loneliness’ Moomin Can Be Yours Forever

-- Traveling to Kyoto? Go to Studio Kokoro for a Traditional Japanese Transformation

© grape Japan

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

6 Comments
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I love you Japan and do your thing, but your hatred for cinnamon lowers all 'Winter' flavors to 'meh' level. Christmas is cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves even... So miss me with tiramisu lattes. Unless you start putting real whiskey in that second one one.

Also don't put cheese in your latte what are you doing

2 ( +3 / -1 )

All so expensive, but I love the Starbucks White Mocha so I suppose I will have to try the nut version.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Also don't put cheese in your latte what are you doing.

What? Cheese?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Any one of these coffee's would be prefect on a cold Winter day or night.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

All look like sugar hell.

Also, when you are referencing the Irish version of the drink it is whiskey, not whisky.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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