Sunday marked the first official day of fall, and with the change of seasons comes the change of seasonal coffee shop offerings. Say goodbye to the fun, refreshing drinks of the summer and hello to pumpkin spice galore. Luckily, Athens has no shortage of coffee shops to fill everyone’s biggest pumpkin spice coffee dreams.
With so many coffee shops offering the same rotation of fall drinks, primarily pumpkin spice lattes, finding the best one can be a tall task. No one wants to waste hard earned money on a drink that inadequately represents the flavors of the season. Here is a ranking of the best pumpkin spice drinks in Athens.
6. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte
Although the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks is a classic and arguably the catalyst for the pumpkin spice craze, it places last in comparison to all of the other pumpkin drinks in Athens. The pumpkin spice syrup overpowers the rest of the beverage. It is super sweet and is the most expensive drink on the list.
A grande hot pumpkin spice latte is $6.25 and an iced one of the same size costs $6.45. The beverage costs an additional $0.70 for alternative milk. At that price and with other options available, the classic Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is not worth it.
5. Brenen’s pumpkin spice latte
The first sip of the Brenen’s pumpkin latte opens the door to the sweetest fall flavors. Although the pumpkin flavor certainly shines throughout the drink, one of the main taste components of a latte — espresso — is missing. Like the one at Starbucks, this latte is perfect for people who want coffee, but do not want to taste the coffee. The pumpkin flavoring is good, but it is missing the spice element.
Despite coming in low on the list overall, the Brenen’s pumpkin latte comes in first place for price. For the price, it is worth a taste, but prepare that sweet tooth to work overtime.
4. Court Street Coffee pumpkin spice latte
The Court Street Coffee pumpkin spice latte has great pumpkin flavor, but the latte as a whole is very milky. Even when stirred, the drink is in layers. Most of the pumpkin flavor settles at the bottom and the espresso taste comes through the drink at the last few sips.
While this pumpkin spice latte is a little light on the spice side, the pumpkin flavor is good, strong and exactly what pumpkin flavoring should be. This drink is $5.50 for a small and customers can budget an extra $1 for alternative milk.
3. Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew
In 2019 Starbucks decided to add something new to its seasonal offerings, a pumpkin cream cold brew. The drink, which costs $5.45 for a grande, is an alternative to a pumpkin spice latte. The drink contains cold brew coffee, vanilla syrup and pumpkin cream cold foam. It is the perfect blend of coffee and pumpkin and has a lot of appeal to those who want their coffee to taste like coffee.
The pumpkin cream cold brew is the perfect fall touch, cutting the strength of the cold brew and adding a little sweetness to the drink. The pumpkin spice flavor is the same as the latte’s, but in the form of cold foam as the flavor is irresistibly smooth and perfectly pumpkin.
2. Donkey Coffee pumpkin power chai
Donkey Coffee’s pumpkin power chai is an explosion of all of fall’s most comforting flavors. The pumpkin spice chai blend is the perfect marriage of pumpkin and spice, the flavor remnant of a slice of pumpkin pie. The punch of added espresso creates an unreal flavor experience, one that is hard to replicate.
The drink has a great balance of all of these flavors and is undoubtedly one of the best pumpkin offerings in town. The beverage is $5.45 for a small with whole milk and an additional $0.75 for alternative milk.
1. Rise & Grind pumpkin spice latte
The Rise & Grind pumpkin spice latte is the best pumpkin spice drink in Athens. The drink is the perfect blend of classic fall flavors, but the smooth and strong espresso is the highlight of the beverage. The milk, flavor and espresso ratio is spot on as each component manages to shine from the first sip to the very last. The pumpkin spice flavoring hits hard notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, but the sought after pumpkin is unmistakably there.
This latte from Rise & Grind creates the perfect harmony of ingredients. One element of this drink could not exist without the others, and the beverage is the epitome of fall bliss. The drink costs $5 for a small and an additional $1 for alternative milk, but the drink is well worth the price tag.
Athen’s coffee scene has no shortage of pumpkin drinks for everyone. Put on that fall sweater and hit Court Street for these great seasonal offerings.
