Now that America’s restaurants have given thanks for their turkey-based profits, many have moved on to cashing in on Christmas-themed offerings. Several fast food restaurants recently released new holiday shakes, and the Truth Train team decided to put 2 of them head-to-head in a battle for shake supremacy. Here is our first gift to you this holiday season, the Holiday Shakedown!
Arby’s Peppermint Stick Swirl Shake
The first contender is Arby’s new Peppermint Stick Swirl Shake. We have enjoyed several of these, and a couple have been eerily faithful reproductions of the advertisements inside the restaurant. This was a welcome surprise, since fast food items that slide across the counter rarely have the appeal of the pictures that are used to market them. In our experience, the visual appeal of the Arby’s shake definitely depends on the person preparing them however, and the appearance of the shakes we’ve purchased has ranged from one that looked like a half-hearted employee had randomly flung the red “swirl” substance on the cup, to one with a near perfect red spiral carefully cascading down the vessel. The flavor is definitely festive, and is minty without being overwhelming. We found the 20oz size to be quite satisfying. This shake has a nice consistency, and is not difficult to get through a straw.
Sonic Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake
The second contender in our Holiday Shakedown is Sonic’s Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake. A few years ago, Sonic had a pure peppermint shake that would’ve matched up closer in this comparison; however, this year’s offering is a chocolate-based mint shake variation. After managing to draw some of the thick shake through the trademark red straw, the predominant flavor is chocolate, with just a hint of peppermint. It seems that this may actually just be a standard chocolate shake with crushed peppermint candies mixed in. Due to the opaque styrofoam cup, there is no real “holiday” presentation, other than the multi-colored crushed peppermint candy shards that are visible through the cup’s clear plastic dome. The holiday vibe is further hindered by the awkward inclusion of a single cherry on top of the shake. The cherry may be a trademark stamp that Sonic places on all of it’s shakes, but omitting it from this item may have helped amp up the holiday factor. The high quality of the ingredients is readily apparent, and each taste confirms that you are consuming “real” ice cream.
Conclusion
The quality of Sonic’s Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake is probably higher, but for pure holiday exclusivity, presentation, and taste, we have to give the advantage to Arby’s Peppermint Stick Swirl Shake.
If you get a chance to try either of these seasonal shakes, we encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Truth Train 
