5 Hot Coffee Drinks to Get You Through the Holidays

Guest article by Angela Bowers

The holiday season is brimming with busyness in Austin. From hitting Trail of Lights, to shopping downtown, to decorating your home, the only way to make it through is by drinking LOTS of coffee.

I’ve set out to taste the best hot coffee drinks around town. Here are five of my favorites. Enjoy!

#1 Genuine Joe Gingerbread Latte

On a cool day, the Gingerbread Latte at Genuine Joe is the perfect pick-me-up treat. This drink swirls the soft warmth of gingerbread with the strong taste of coffee for a delicious balance. The gingerbread is subtle and sweet, perfectly complementing the latte, making this a classic bitter-sweet drink.

Genuine Joe Coffeehouse also offers an eclectic, Austinite environment, so you feel at home for the holidays.

2001 W. Anderson Lane – Website

#2 Mozart’s Buttered Pecan and Dirty Chai Latte

Sweet and spicy, this latte has it all. The Buttered Pecan and Dirty Chai Latte at Mozart’s essentially serves as a warm slice of pecan pie with cinnamon and whipped cream on top. The buttered pecan flavor perfectly melts with the cream and bitter nature of the latte, with a kick of chai at the end. I couldn’t ask for much more.

Enjoying this drink is extra sweet, as Mozart’s Annual Light Show dazzles viewers on their porch every night in December, bringing anyone in the surrounding area the warm and comforting feel of the season.

3825 Lake Austin Blvd. – Website

#3 Houndstooth Ginger in the Snow

Houndstooth Coffee’s Ginger in the Snow took me for a turn, with a level of sophistication I didn’t expect. The barista crafts this beverage as a macchiatto, tops it off with a brûlée torch and adds crystallized ginger on the side. Breaking the top brûléed layer and mixing it with the drink creates a delicious combo of bitter coffee and sweet, with ginger as a complementary flavor.

Ginger in the Snow ushers the drinker into the wintery spirit with warmth and comfort in both taste and design.

401 Congress Ave. and 4200 N. Lamar Blvd. – Website

#4 Quack’s Peppermint and Raspberry Mocha

A photo posted by Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery (@quacksbakery) on Oct 27, 2015 at 4:52am PDT

Starting deliciously strong, this drink transitions into sweet as it’s laced with raspberry and mocha. It’s the perfect combo of bitter and sweet, and sweet in a unique dual tone of chocolate sweetness paired with raspberry sweetness.

Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery cultivates the quintessential nature of Austin on 45th Street near UT’s campus, and offers some of the tastiest treats in town, such as Italian wedding cake, cherry pie, blueberry muffins and much more.

411 E. 43rd St. – Website

#5 Bennu White Christmas

During the holiday season, Bennu Coffee calls their white chocolate mocha with mint a White Christmas. This drink is minty chocolate with the perfect amount of whipped cream on top. The name and combination of such delicious ingredients sweeps you into the spirit on the first sip, and empowers you to stay strong through the holidays. Whether your struggle during this season is being extra busy or having wackadoo family in town, this drink can support you through it all!

2001 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. – Website

For more ideas, check out our favorite winter drinks from last year.

 

@theAustinot wants to know:

What are your favorite hot coffee drinks in Austin?

 

Angela Bowers is an event planner, native Texan and a lifelong Longhorn. She enjoys writing, listening to podcasts, playing with her dog and hiking in her spare time. Connect with Angela on Twitter.