The News does not print during Reading Week, but Cross Campus will be running special holiday items for the rest of the term. XC wishes you a happy holiday-finals! In honor of the end of Reading Week…
Finals week is upon us, and that means students will be downing an excess of caffeine to propel them through the rest of the exams period. Here is a guide to the festive winter drinks popping around the campus, as well as a few tips for spiking them with a little seasonal kick for those so inclined.
Hot Chocolate from Atticus, $3.25 (small)
A good recovery drink from the mad dash of Reading Week, like the ultimate cure for your caffeine hangover. Atticus’s rich hot chocolate is made with cream and dark chocolate.
To spike it: Remind yourself that you are not a second grader but a college student at a prestigious university by adding a generous shot of chocolate liqueur.
Red Velvet Latte from Dunkin’ Donuts, $1.99 (medium)
As commercialized, mass-produced fast food creations go, this creation isn’t half bad. But “latte” might be a bit of stretch as the drink more closely resembles a ice-cream shake. Incredibly sweet and arrives decorated with red syrupy — not for the faint of heart, or for the many health nuts on campus.
To spike it: A dash of Kahlua cuts the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the drink’s trace amount of coffee.
Pumpkin Spice Latte from Jojo’s, $4 (small)
Subtle yet sophisticated as is Jojo’s style – this one comes topped not with a massive pile of whipped cream but with a pretty leaf pattern, created by cinnamon on top of a thick layer of foamed milk. Perfectly paired with your last comparative literature paper.
To spike it: The drink lives up to its name in terms of pumpkin flavor, so if you pour in a bit of gold-flecked Goldschlager cinnamon schnapps, you are guaranteed a brief escape from your troubles.
Gingerbread Latte from Starbucks, $3.99 (small)
The whipped cream covered in gingerbread syrup is a bit of tease, concealing the regular Starbucks latte. But no reason to knock a classic.
To spike it: This boring little latte is practically begging to be infused with a shot of ginger liqueur.
Peppermint Mocha from Book Trader, $4 (small)
Heads up — all the peppermint flavoring in this drink sinks down to the bottom, so stir well. The drink also comes topped with whipped cream infused with candy cane pieces. Tastes like coffee, with a hint of Girl Scout cookies.
To spike it: Peppermint schnapps, of course.
Hot Apple Cider from Claire’s, $3.60 (medium)
The weather is freezing, so you want a hot drink, but maybe you also want something summery, something that takes you back to a time before bluebooking had even begun.
To spike it: Pour in a shot of peach schnapps, and suddenly it’s the last week of July and you’re lounging on a hammock in San Diego instead of an armchair in the lower level of Bass .
Eggnog Latte from Thain Family Café, $3.25 (small)
The reality is probably that you have not left Bass in days. This one wins points for requiring least travel distance, buying you the time to read at least several more pages of everything you were assigned earlier this semester.
To spike it: Combine with Jack Daniels for a true study party vibe.
“Suisse Mocha” from the dining hall, already paid for
To spike it: Did the creators of this confection—chocolaty, creamy, sweet —intend to create the perfect base for a White Russian?