Battle of the Seasonal Drinks: Who Will Win?

By: Jourdan Batson

As any typical highschool student I live off of caffeine and counting the days until the nearest break. We’re coming up on Winter Break, so what better way is there to survive finals than drinking holiday-themed caffeine? This month, I visited three of the most popular coffee shops in Jenks in order to sip and sort their seasonal beverages. 

Starbucks:

Address: 615 W 101st Pl S, Jenks, OK 74037

Overview: The classic spot! Since most of us have tried at least one mega-corporation-chain-holiday-coffee, this is the yardstick that we will measure all other drinks!

Peppermint mocha: 7/10. Always a classic, I felt like there was too high of a chocolate to peppermint ratio, but still delicious.  

Sugar cookie almond milk: 8/10. There were colored sprinkles in it which made it very fun to drink. I asked for half the amount of syrup as a personal preference for sweet coffee which I recommend to others who don’t like sweet coffee as much. 

Toasted white chocolate mocha frapp: 6/10. This is a fun drink if you want something blended and very sweet, but it wasn't something I’d want everyday. 

Chestnut praline latte: 4.5/10. Wasn’t super sure about the flavor that was supposed to be happening but I didn’t enjoy it. I asked for 3 pumps instead of 4 just to make the flavor slightly less strong, but with the 1 less pump I couldn’t taste any of the “chestnut praline” which I have no idea what it’s supposed to taste like. It just tasted like espresso and milk. 

Caramel brulee latte: 7.5/10. Tastes like dessert in a coffee. It was very fun, and very very sweet. For coffee drinkers similar to me it’s fun every once in a while but similar to the toasted white chocolate mocha frappe, it was too sweet for a daily occurrence. 

Irish cream cold brew: 9/10. It was so delicious. The cold brew at some Starbucks locations aren’t as good as others, but the Jenks location always has amazing cold brew. The flavor of the irish cream is very unique but in the best way. 

The irish cream cold brew had rough travels in the car, but is still mostly pretty to look at.

Mojos Mercantile and Coffee House: 

Address: 407 W A St, Jenks, OK 74037

Overview: This is one of the newest coffee shops in Jenks! They not only sell coffee, but also lots of items from Missionaries or local sellers. Perfect for last minute gifts or just a fun place to sit and drink coffee.

Peppermint mocha: 8/10. Again, always a fun classic, always delicious, but usually too much chocolate. 

Eggnog chai: 6.5/10. The eggnog is extremely diluted and barely there so if you like a lot of eggnog this probably wouldn’t be for you. If you like the lighter eggnog flavor this would be for you. 

Cookie butter coldbrew: 6/10. Wasn’t my favorite, but if you ask to add caramel it brings it to about a 7.5/10. The cookie butter is unique, and very similar to the eggnog a little bit diluted. So the flavor of it isn’t as strong as you’d expect. 

Gingerbread latte: 9/10. So good!!! Not many places offer gingerbread but it tastes exactly like you’d want it to.

Butterscotch apple cider: 8/10. This is a great non-caffeinated and non-coffee option for people who still love the holiday season. 

White hot chocolate: 8/10. This drink is so good, but had to take a point because it’s only available on Friday and Saturday. It’s sweet and light, and it’s another really great non-coffee and non-caffeine option. 

Shoutout to Bri at Mojo's for going out of her way to get the aesthetic picture. She is holding a vanilla americano with heavy whipping cream and whipped cream on top. Bri also took the cute picture of the menu.

Gypsy Jenks

Address: 109 S 7th St, Jenks, OK 74037

Overview: This is the newest coffee shop in Jenks, located by the bridge. This coffee shop is open much later than every other coffee shop in Jenks, making it perfect for late night coffee for those late projects. 

Pumpkin pie latte: 7.5/10. Added white mocha by the recommendation of the barista and it was really good. Tasted very similar to a pumpkin pie, had a slightly weird after taste. There was no size options and this drink was $7 before tax. 

Crème de menthe mocha: 7.5/10. This on was very good, very unique. If you’re like me and had no idea that crème de menthe was a minty type of special beverage, it’ll double as a tasty mocha and a fun lesson. This drink also had no size options and was $8 before tax. 

Those were the only drinks I was able to taste from their seasonal menu due to the fact I didn’t want to spend $50 on coffee. This menu is definitely not for you if you don’t want to pay for a more pricey coffee. 

Picture from Gypsy Jenks Instagram. Super cute menu with the sweater shaped board, too sweet.

Overall Takeaway

Overall my take is that Gypsy has the best study and most relaxed environment, but the drinks were the most expensive. Mojo’s had the best lattes and cutest specialty menu but some of the flavored drinks were too diluted. Also a good option to study in. Starbucks had the best cold brew options, but had a not so sit-able environment it felt.