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McDonald's Has A New Holiday Peppermint Mocha, And We Drank It Up
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 7, 2011
Modified Nov 7, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 7, 2011
Modified Nov 7, 2011
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McDonald's is now selling what a publicist claims to be their "first seasonal beverage" (but what about the Shamrock Shake?): the McCafé Peppermint Mocha. It's made with espresso, chocolate syrup, "a hint of peppermint" and freshly steamed milk. And for those who don't like mocha, Ronald is also peddling a Peppermint Hot Chocolate at locations nationwide. Today the clown dispatched his assistants to Gothamist HQ with some free samples.
The medium size Peppermint Hot Chocolate, which packs 340 calories and 14 grams of fat, drew a wide range of reactions from the typically tough Greek chorus of critics around the office. While some found it "deliciously pepperminty," publisher Jake Dobkin (who bought extra Lactaid specifically for the occasion) observed that it "tastes like milk with Vicks Vapo rub... I should probably not have had Chinese before this."
Reactions to the mint mocha (310 calories and 12 grams of fat) were also mcmixed. One taster deemed the concoction "almost as good as the hot chocolate from the ski lodge," while another opined, "I thought it was going to be disgusting but it's really good!" On the other end of the spectrum, one staffer complained that he couldn't taste the coffee, while another observed that it "tastes like a thin mint... but then it gets worse."
Indeed, the "it gets worse" sensation seems to be the mocha's biggest flaw; several of those who consumed it reported feeling "weird," "sad," and/or "sickly" in the hours after the tasting, with one critic over in sales bringing the hammer down hardest: "I revoke my positive feedback after the initial sip. I could only get 1/3 through my mocha beverage and my stomach still hurts from 2 hours ago!" But isn't that feeling of slightly nauseating regret a quintessential part of the American fast food experience? We're not sipping post-yoga wheatgrass smoothies here—sack up and finish your mochas, sales team! They'll be available at McDonald's through January 1st.
Tagged
mccafe peppermint mocha
mcdonald's
peppermint hot chocolate
taste test
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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