With the fall season approaching, fall drinks are coming too. Whether you are a pumpkin spice latte ride-or-die or have never tried a fall-inspired drink, there are endless options. Athens, Ohio, has some great coffee shops to stop into and try a new drink. Here are the best fall drinks at Athens coffee shops, ranked:
4. Brenens: Salted Caramel Cheesecake Latte ($4.50)
Even though Brenen's doesn't exclusively have a fall drink menu, they do have weekly drinks that fall in line with the current season. This week's drinks are a Bobcat mocha (white chocolate and creme de menthe) and a salted caramel cheesecake latte.
Although the salted caramel cheesecake latte sounds intimidating, it is the better of the two. Surprisingly, this drink was a perfect mix of sweet and savory. The cheesecake's sweetness and the caramel's saltiness blended perfectly, with a nutty coffee flavor peeking through. It's great iced but even better hot on a chilly day.
Rating: 4/5
3. Court Street Coffee: Vanilla Nut Spice Latte ($5.75)
Court Street Coffee offers a variety of fall drinks, from pumpkin spice lattes to an apple pie latte. The vanilla nut spice latte was physically eye-catching. It is a blend of vanilla and hazelnut syrups with a dash of cinnamon.
At the first sip, this drink was overwhelmingly nutty. However, after stirring it around more, the cinnamon flavor became more apparent. This fall-inspired drink is a fun twist on a vanilla latte and is perfect for those that are timid to get out of their comfort zone.
Rating: 4/5
2. Starbucks: Iced Chai Latte with Pumpkin/Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam ($5.75)
Although the signature pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin cream cold brews are now back, they are unavailable most of the time – at least in Athens. If this is your case (or if you don't like pumpkin), try out a chai latte. It's the perfect balance between sweet and spice and topped with pumpkin or vanilla cold foam, it's even better.
Similar to Donkey, it has the classic fall flavors, but Starbucks chai is definitely a lot more tame and sweet. This is perfect for those that want to try something other than their basic vanilla latte or white mocha without going too crazy.
Rating: 5/5
1. Donkey Coffee: Pumpkin Power Chai ($5.60)
While Donkey's seasonal fall drinks won't be available until next week (Sept. 23), mark your calendars now so you don't miss it. One of their most popular fall drinks, the pumpkin power chai, is like an explosion on your taste buds. It has the punch and spice of a normal chai, the sweetness from your milk of choice and the familiar taste of pumpkin to give you a warm hug of fall flavors.
You may be wondering where the 'power' comes in. While chai tea does have some caffeine in it, sometimes it simply isn't enough. Fortunately, the power chai at Donkey includes a generous shot of espresso to get you through the day. It's a fall classic that will keep you energized.
Rating: 5/5
