For those who haven't already tried it, let me recommend to you a reason to return to the McDonald's drive-through after so many years separated from its warm and glowing ambience: iced coffee.

I've never been MUCH of a coffee drinker and now I know why. Because of its temperature. I always attributed to laziness my on-again/off-again relationship with coffee (filters and grounds and washing up pots and all) but I could have just as easily bought hot coffee as I now buy this iced coffee to which I have become (just shy of) addicted.

I like the large vanilla version. It comes in regular (unflavored), vanilla and hazelnut and they will sweeten it for you unless you tell them not to do so. Some people ask for artificial sweeteners instead, but since I avoid artificial ingredients whenever possible, I stick with either unsweetened or "as it comes" which is not as syrupy sweet as other versions I've tried. Of course, it all depends on who's tending the bar (as it were).

The caffeine boost is the best I've had (due as much to volume as intensity, I'm sure), and I've sampled Starbucks (way overpriced), Sonic (also too pricey) and Burger King's mocha Joe (way too sweet). Those versions seemed too ... frou-frou ... to be coffee and seemed more like desserts. This is simply coffee over ice.

It does taste like it's real brewed coffee, however, and they've always done pretty well with that.

It's certainly worth a try.

Love, Sophie