A sugar overload is no bad way to go out, and this Valentine’s Day season, the senior HyBreeze writers Alexis Soeder and Carmen Beeson have decided to test the theory. They taste tested some of your local coffee shop favorites this season, with special honorary guests seniors Silas Crites and Quinn Davies. If anyone has ever worried about what seasonal items are worth their taste buds, there is no need to look any further.
Dunkin Donuts
If you’ve ever visited Dunkin Donuts you know they are constantly coming out with new and exciting menu items, and their Brownie Batter donuts have been all the rave this season. While they were sold out before we stopped by at 1 pm on Valentine’s Day, we made our best effort to try more of their seasonal favorites.
Between the four of us we tried the heart versions of a Boston cream and a jelly filled donut, the special Cupid’s Choice Donut (which was also heart shaped), and washed these items down with their Blush Spritz Refresher and Heart Eyes Day Dream Refresher.
All of the donuts ranked highly earning 10/10s on our very subjective ranking system. These were simply old classics that were enhanced by their heart shape, it was really hard to go wrong here.
Although the donuts were highly regarded, we noticed a theme of Dunkin Donuts reusing a lot of their previous menu items and simply remarketing them as Valentine’s Day specials. When we were given both of our refreshers, we discovered by their order stickers that they were simply drinks you could order year-round with a fun new name or minor alterations. For example, the Blush Spritz Refresher could be ordered any time of year if you simply ask for a Strawberry Dragon Fruit Refresher with sparkling water.
We decided both drinks earned a 6/10, these rankings being notably lower than our ratings of the donuts.
Other Valentine’s Day menu items that we did not try, include the Brownie Batter Donut, the Perfect Matcha, Toxic Ex-presso Cloud Latte, Sweet on You Cloud Latte, Buff Chai, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Daydream Refresher, and Valentine’s Day Munchkins.
Starbucks
Our most local and beloved Starbucks was the next stop on our list. Being in central Brecksville, we knew it was a spot we couldn’t miss. The Starbucks Valentine’s Day menu had less drinks to advertise than Dunkin did, with only 4 seasonal drinks to Dunkin’s 8, but Starbucks came out with 8 fun snacks, many of them being completely new and never seen before.
Within this visit we tried both the Strawberry Shortcake Frappe and the White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Brew. The frappe was rich in its strawberry flavor and had added texture from shortcake crumbs on top. Starbucks did great with this drink, truly rounding off the strawberry shortcake experience with whipped cream topping. This drink was accurate to the experience of eating a strawberry shortcake and had a unique flavor that not many places offer. The Strawberry Shortcake Frappe earned an 8/10.
The next drink we tried was the White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Brew, a classic with delicious cold foam to top it off. This drink earned a 7.5/10 and was easily likable. Alongside the cold foam, the drink was topped with chocolate chips, which added to the complexity of the flavor.
Other Valentine’s Day menu items that we did not try included the Iced Double Berry Matcha, Iced Banana Bread Matcha, Dubai Chocolate Bites, Berry Blondie, Yuzu Citrus Blossom, Chocolate Pistachio Loaf, Cookie Croissant Swirl, and Strawberry Matcha Loaf.
7 Brew
While 7 Brew is a little out of the way for most BBH residents, that doesn’t stop anyone from enjoying their coffees, refreshers, or smoothies, and we knew we couldn’t pass it up either.
In addition to their special Valentine’s Day menu, 7 Brew also had a special deal going on, buy two medium or large drinks for $9 and you also get two free stickers! Taking advantage of this deal, we tried the Raspberry Truffle Macchiato and a very Valentine’s-Day-y looking refresher.
The Raspberry Truffle Macchiato was an 8/10. The raspberry was not the strongest, being used more as an accent to the truffle than being the main focus; the combination together gave it a very interesting woodsy taste. It was a drink that made us think, but was one of the highest ranked for the day.
The final drink that was taste tested was a refresher customized to create a beautiful Valentines-red with hints of pomegranate, strawberry, and raspberry. 7 Brew offers unique options for more adaptability than usual. Adding this personal touch ensured that the drink was something we like, and even something we thought personally represented Valentine’s Day. This one was rated a 9.75/10!
Other Valentine’s Day menu items that we did not try include the Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cold Brew, Love Potion 7 Energy, Pink Mermaid 7 Fizz Soda, and Cupid’s Special Coca. Stay tuned for St. Patrick’s Day treats coming soon!
Which Valentine's Day Drink Are You Most Like?
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