REVIEW: Starbucks Spicy Cream Cold Foam

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The barista raised her eyebrow after I placed my order. “Have you….” she paused. “Have you tried the spicy stuff yet?”

I ordered my standard drink (three shots over ice) and added the new Spicy Cream Cold Foam from Starbucks. This order prompted the barista to ask me the question laced with unspoken caution. No doubt people have been trying the drinks and, I’m guessing, disliking them. “No, I’m just curious to try it,” I answered.

The “swicy” (spicy + sweet) trend started in late 2023, but the combination of sweet and spicy is not new. I’ve been enjoying swicy foods such as hot honey and Tajin-dusted fruits for a while. By having the sweet element, it cuts down on the burning aspects that come with most spicy flavors that aren’t an enjoyable sensation to everyone.

Getting the drink, I could see the chili blend (paprika, chili powder, ancho chili powder, and cayenne pepper) in the cold foam. Interestingly, I couldn’t smell it; it smelled like the standard cold foam. My curiosity got the best of me, and I tried the foam on its own. At first, the blend of sweet heat was enjoyable. The creamy sweetness of the cold foam and chili spices gave me that swicy flavor I enjoy. However, a few moments later, things took a bit of a turn.

After the initial taste, I felt an uncomfortable, dry burning in the back of my throat. Even without knowing the exact spice blend at the time, I immediately knew the culprit for my discomfort: cayenne pepper. It had to be cayenne, as the sensation was exactly the same as when I tried the Master Cleanse diet years ago, which involved mixing maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper into water.

Giving my drink a swirl, I took a sip to see if the espresso would help mellow the cayenne a bit. At the top of the sip, the addition of the espresso was wonderful. The normally somewhat bitter bean juice was smooth and had a bit of sweetness. The flavors were working so well, only to be ruined by the aftereffect of the cayenne’s dull burn in my throat.

I love seeing Starbucks taking swings with some of its newer drinks, but this wasn’t the home run I had hoped it would be. The flavor was outstanding, but the physical sensation from the cayenne was terribly uncomfortable. It wasn’t until I reached the last few sips that I tapped out. No amount of swirling could stop the settling of spice at the bottom of the drink. I imagine an iced latte might be better suited for the Spicy Cream Cold Foam, but I don’t think potentially being uncomfortable again is worth a second attempt.

Purchased Price: $4.90 (drink + cold foam)
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Cold foam nutrition facts are unavailable on Starbucks’ website.

REVIEW: Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut

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I find it very strange that the new Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut comes on the heels of the release of Nestle Coffee mate’s Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer, a product designed to be mixed with Dr Pepper. Why would Nestle Coffee mate agree to develop a product that transforms a regular Dr Pepper into a coconut-flavored one when an actual coconut-flavored Dr Pepper would be hitting shelves soon after?

Like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop and why Oreo puts out a cookies & cream variety, the world may never know.

As someone who has tried the creamer with a Dr Pepper, my taste buds had a good idea of what to expect when tasting the limited edition soda. Not surprisingly, they’re similar. Both have a bold coconut flavor with a mild taste of Dr Pepper. I imagine, for some, the coconut flavoring might be a bit too strong, bringing perhaps sunscreen to the forefront, but I didn’t mind the intensity. And that tropical flavor did have a creamy taste to it. I didn’t love it as much as I did last year’s Strawberries & Cream variety, but I still found it to be enjoyable.

While it had a creamy flavor, I didn’t notice a creamy texture. The only way this soda could have that is if something is added to it, like, I dunno, sweet cream or…Oh, Nestle Coffee mate’s Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer. Well, that answers my question at the beginning of this review, and the world will know. I believe this is what they call “synergy” in business. But would adding the creamer make the soda better? Fortunately, I still had a bottle of the creamer in my fridge, so I could find out.

Combining the two turned a pretty good soda into a great one, and if you plan on buying a 12-pack of this, I’d highly recommend picking up a bottle of the creamer if you can get your hands on one. Adding it made Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut earn the “creamy” in its name. While adding more coconut flavoring made everything more coconutty, I could still taste the underlying Dr Pepper. What I didn’t notice was the lime in the creamer, but I didn’t care because everything else was delicious.

Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut is a tasty summer soda that shouldn’t be missed if coconut calls to you.

NOTE: There’s also zero sugar version.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 39 grams of sugar (including 39 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 41 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Sonic Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake Sundae

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I recently ignited a small firestorm of controversy on a personal social media page by declaring, after my first visit to an In-N-Out, that the universally lauded burger was “fine” and “honestly, not quite as good as a cheeseburger from my closest Sonic.”

And while I do occasionally appreciate a good old-fashioned online riling, that’s not what this was. I meant it.

In-N-Out was perfectly fine. The burger was tasty, and the produce — though too plentiful — was fresh. It was very affordable, which was great. If I had an In-N-Out near me, I would probably get it occasionally. All this being said, it was not manna from heaven.

My nearest Sonic, though, is incredible. Everything always comes out flawlessly assembled and picturesque. The meat is always hot and well-seasoned. The produce is always fresh and applied in just the right amount. This Sonic is, I understand, likely an anomaly.

Even still, I think even the worst Sonic location is capable of pulling together a decent dessert, and I submit, for your consideration, the new Oreo Big Scoop Cheesecake Sundae or Blast.

For the sundae, which is what I had, vanilla soft serve is layered with Oreo cookie pieces, and topped off with a big ol’ scoop of Oreo Cheesecake. (According to the website, the Blast is described as “creamy cheesecake soft serve,” but under the “what’s included” heading, it suggests that it too uses vanilla soft serve but also “Cheesecake Syrup” in addition to the cookie pieces and cheesecake ball. I’m not sure which is correct.)

Sonic’s vanilla soft serve is pretty straightforward — creamy, sweet, and of typical soft serve consistency. The Oreo pieces were layered throughout in perfect execution, as promised, and with a clear purpose — each spoonful contained at least a few bits of chocolate cookie crumble. The real star of this show was the cheesecake orb at the top of the sundae. I don’t know if it comes from a giant bucket of Oreo cheesecake mixture or what, but this golfball-sized sphere of deliciousness was perfectly creamy and cheesecake-y, and I would eat fistfuls of the stuff if someone would let me. My only quibble with this sundae — and it is a nitpicky one — is that I wish the cheesecake could be interspersed throughout. (And if we’re indulging fantasies, perhaps some sort of fudge inclusion wouldn’t be the worst thing.)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see if I can find a bucket of Oreo cheesecake mix to nosh on while I read the hate-filled death threats I’m sure to get from the In-N-Outarians in the comments section.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 570 calories, 30 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 420 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 43 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Canned Cold Brew Premium Coffee Drinks

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Like a moth to a flame and a line of cars to a grand opening of a fast food chain opening in an area for the first time, whenever Starbucks offers its coffee in cans or bottles, I must flock to it to get my caffeine fix in a handy recyclable container. The newest additions are the Starbucks Canned Cold Brew Premium Coffee Drinks that come in three flavors: Vanilla Sweet Cream, Chocolate Cream, and Salted Caramel Cream. Unfortunately, I was only able to find the first two.

A Trenta-sized Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is my go to drink at Starbucks, and this canned version tastes nothing like it. Instead, it’s similar to other canned vanilla coffee drinks that have a light coffee flavor and are heavy on the cream, sugar, and flavoring. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because love those kinds of drinks and buy them regularly. But because this tastes similar to those, there’s nothing compelling for me to prefer it over them, especially because those drinks come in 12- or 16-ounce bottles or cans, while this one comes in an 11-ounce skinny can.

Chocolate Cream is my favorite between the two flavors I purchased, mainly because, when the drink is shaken or stirred lightly, it’s like I’m drinking chocolate milk. The Arabica coffee only comes through when the it’s been sitting for a while, giving it a pleasant mocha flavor, but give it a swirl, and it tastes like chocolate milk again. Very good.

But here’s the thing with both smooth java drinks, and some other bottled and canned Starbucks drinks: I have no idea how much caffeine these have. The amount is not printed anywhere on the can, unlike Starbucks Doubleshot and Tripleshot Energy Drinks. It feels like I’m getting some pumped into my bloodstream with every sip, but that could be a placebo effect, since my body equates coffee to caffeine. Not knowing that number is a deciding factor. If I’m getting 50 milligrams of caffeine, not even tasting like chocolate milk will convince me to buy the Chocolate Creme one over any mocha energy coffee with two or three times more.

Purchased Price: $3.99 each
Size: 11 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Vanilla Sweet Cream), 7 out of 10 (Chocolate Cream)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) Vanilla Sweet Cream 120 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar (including 13 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Chocolate Cream – 130 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar (including 15 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy

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If you want a fast food crispy chicken sandwich with Cajun flavors, you can, of course, get one at Popeyes. But you can now get one at McDonald’s for a limited time because it has rolled out a new Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy.

McDonald’s newest chicken sandwich features a crispy chicken fillet, crinkle cut pickles, three half strips of applewood-smoked bacon, and a Cajun ranch sauce on a potato roll. There’s also a deluxe version that includes lettuce and tomatoes. It’s a slight variation of last year’s limited time only McCrispy offering: the Bacon Ranch McCrispy.

The headlining ingredient, the creamy Cajun ranch sauce, is more spicy than flavorful, but that heat ain’t ragin’. I’d put it at a three on my personal 10-point spicy scale, which is below the Spicy McCrispy. Though the sauce is applied to both buns, I wish the spices used had a bit more punch because the Cajun flavors aren’t too noticeable when eating the sandwich as a whole, especially when I get a bite of the crinkle cut pickles. After trying the sauce on its own, I thought it might’ve been better as a fry or McNuggets dipping sauce instead of a sandwich condiment.

As for the other ingredients, if you’ve had a McCrispy, you know what to expect. The chicken fillet has a pleasant thickness, and most of the chicken’s crispiness is at the edges. The crinkle cut pickles have a tasty tang, and the potato roll adds some sweetness. I’m also glad this sandwich includes bacon, not only because of its salty and meaty flavor but also because its addition allows some rhyming in the menu item’s name. We need more rhyming in product names.

McDonald’s Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy is a somewhat satisfying twist on the original premium chicken sandwich, although now that I think about it, more specifically, the Spicy McCrispy. While it may not outshine Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, the addition of bacon and the new sauce does help elevate it to a tastier option than the original McCrispy.

Purchased Price: $7.59*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 630 calories, 33 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of cholesterol, 1650 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 33 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

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