Drink in the season

No one wants a holiday-themed meat puck (McReindeer, anyone?), so from Thanksgiving to Christmas the fast-food world shifts into beverage gear. Though Jamba Juice made a notable entry into the holiday drink derby -- a Pumpkin Smash smoothie made of nonfat frozen yogurt, soy milk and pumpkin pie filling -- the season leans toward the warm coffee beverages. Drive-by sipped a few to see which will power you through the New Year.

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Starbucks’ Gingerbread Latte

Drive-by passes up Charbucks about 335 days out of the year. But when the g-latte hits the street it’s a whole different cup of joe. The GBL is the gold standard of holiday drinks, a belly-warming blast of espresso and steamed milk with a gingerbread flourish that reveals a hint of cinnamon and a nuance of nutmeg.

Taste ****

You’ll seriously contemplate chewing on the empty cup when you’re finished.

Naughty or Nice? **

12 ounces of cheer stuffs your stocking with 330 calories, 17 grams of fat and 32 grams of carbohydrates. Dial down the sugar (and the flavor) by asking your barista to “hold a squirt” of gingerbread syrup.

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Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Peppermint Ice Blended

Few things approach the frothy ice-cold perfection of Herbert B. Hyman’s Ice Blended (a mysterious concoction of coffee extract, flavored powder, nonfat milk and ice). One of them is the Peppermint Ice Blended, a standard issue Iced-B with a few candy canes tossed in. The result is a cool dash of caffeine and a zing of mint that will have you wassailing out the door.

Taste ***

Coffee, chocolate and peppermint? Slap my backside and call me Blitzen -- it’s the entire Christmas food pyramid in one mouthful! And it’s hard not to feel holly jolly when your drink comes garnished with a baby candy cane atop a cloud of whipped cream.

Naughty or Nice? **

A 16-ounce PIB loads your sleigh with 350 calories, 8 grams of fat and 60 grams of carbs. (Asking for a “no sugar added” version can lighten that load substantially.)

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Peet’s Coffee & Tea’s Eggnog Latte

Peet’s may not have the omnipresence of ‘Bucks or the cachet of the Bean, but it does have, mugs down, the most straightforward drink of the holidays -- simply a shot of espresso in a cup of steamed eggnog. No syrup, no powder, no blender, just sheer eggnog ecstasy with a foamy top.

Taste ****

St. Nick meets St. Peet, and the result is a thing of rare beauty and joy -- egg-xactly what one would egg-spect from a blend of eggnog and egg-spresso.

Naughty or Nice? *

12 ounces of nog will leave 450 calories, 20 grams of fat and 54 grams of carbs under your tree. To cut down on fat, ask the barista to cut the nog with low-fat or fat-free milk.

* Ratings are on a scale of one (lowest) to four (best)