A Sprinkle of Starbucks Holiday Lameness

I will admit, I get a little excited when I notice that Starbucks launches their holiday-time drinks menu. Candy canes and Christmastime go hand in hand for me, and at this time of year I'm a total sucker for anything that's got some peppermint in it, from Trader Joe's' Candy Cane flavored "Jo-Jo" cookies to--you guessed it--the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha. There's something wholly satisfying and just a tad indulgent about a mocha jazzed up with some wintery peppermint flavor, topped with a generous heaping of their tasty whipped cream and decorated with a cheery and festive shaking of red sprinkles.

But something has happened this holiday season, and I'm getting ticked off. Every Starbucks I go to forgets to put the sprinkles on! What gives, guys?

It's happened at my neighborhood Starbies, and at the drive-through one too (I know, seriously, hello, how fun--a drive-through Starbucks!) and last night in Sherman Oaks was the absolute straw that broke the camel's back. Why? Because, just to be safe, at the register, when the nice young man asked "With whipped cream?" I said "Yes, and red sprinkles, too!" He replied, "Of course!" But when I saw the barista lidding my bev--sans sprinkles!--I was bummed. And then I dared to do the unthinkable: I took off the lid and asked him for sprinkles. And yes--I said "please."

I know, shocking. You'd think I was asking him to sprinkle my drink with twenty dollar bills, or to make me a new one because I didn't like the slant of his whipped cream peak. I totally got a dirty look with my sprinkling. Uncalled for, I say! (Once a couple of years ago I asked the barista to put on the left-off sprinkles and he opened the lid of the canister and put about four tablespoons full in my drink. Nice!)

Christmas, as they say, comes but one time a year (thank gawd) and when all the promos promise pepperminty mochas crowned with red sprinkles, for crying out loud, people, shake them on there! It's as much a lame thing to not shake them on there for me to complain about it, admittedly. Hey--I know it's not a big deal, but what's the big deal? Starbucks, why hast thou forsaken me?

Thus concludes my rant. I will now revert to ordering drip coffees in order to avoid a likely sprinkle-related disappointment. A girl can only take so much.

Photo by The Shifted Librarian via Flickr