The Short-Lived Starbucks Holiday Drink That Tasted Like A Christmas Tree

Starbucks' holiday menu is typically wildly anticipated, with customers checking in daily to see if their local stores have started selling fan-favorites like peppermint mochas and gingerbread oat milk lattes. But surprisingly, not all of the brand's holiday drinks have been instant hits, or lasting classics. And one unusually short-lived flavor was pretty universally disliked — the Juniper Latte.

The Juniper Latte is one limited-time Starbucks drink that we never want to see back on the menu, and we're not the only ones who think so. The drink, which was released in 2018, was described by Starbucks as like being in an "enchanted forest dusted with fresh snow." The flavor profile consisted of juniper, sage, evergreen, and citrus, and the recipe included espresso, steamed milk, green pine-citrus sugar, and juniper-flavored syrup. If you don't think that sounds great, you're not alone.

On Reddit, one Starbucks partner said their co-workers claimed the drink "taste[d] like trees." Another commenter said the drink tasted like "sweet [W]index," but the primary consensus at the time seemed to be that it was more like drinking a tree-shaped car air freshener than enjoying a freshly snowed-upon evergreen forest. Although not everyone hated the Juniper Latte, it's unlikely that Starbucks has any plans to bring it back. In fact, Starbucks' 2025 holiday menu doesn't feature a single new drink. Like the brand's short-lived Oleato coffee drinks, the company seems to (mostly) understand when it's time to cut and run.

The Juniper Latte did have some fans who wouldn't mind seeing it back on the menu. In a since-deleted tweet posted at the time of the drink's release in 2018, Rainbow Rowell declared it "delicious." (via TODAY). Yet, though not everyone hated the Juniper Latte, even many of the positive reviews seemed to come with caveats.

According to Vogue, the drink was "herbaceous and biting. Kind of like you went to a 16th century apothecary for your morning cup of joe. Or an evening cocktail. Because, yeah, it also [tastes] like you spiked your espresso with gin." And a customer posted on X, "Not bad! Seems to get better the more I drink."

In a Reddit post asking if the drink would make a return to Starbucks menus, a commenter said, "I would give my kidney for juniper syrup to come back. Not for the latte it was made for, that was gross, but juniper syrup in a green tea lemonade? Was incredible. Tasted like something from an expensive brunch." Though we wouldn't drink it if it made a comeback, we can say that unlike the Oleato, and Starbucks' new protein lattes that are sparking controversy for causing stomach issues, the Juniper Latte didn't actively harm anyone (that we know of, at least).