Coffee shops around campus offer countless amounts of drinks, but what to pick? Sip on these warm and iced beverages to get a real feel for the Halloween season.
Fall is my favorite time of year, inspiring me to cover myself in blankets and curl up with a good book and a hot or iced drink in my hand. During the first few weeks of my freshmen quarter here at UCR, I struggled to find the perfect fall drink to match my favorite season. I decided to review seasonal drinks from Starbucks and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf shops on campus to guide you and me in finding the perfect autumnal drink.
Coffee Bean’s Hot Pumpkin Latte
If you are looking for a warm, cozy drink to enter the cold fall season, Coffee Bean’s Hot Pumpkin Latte is the one. The drink smells like a strong mix of coffee and pumpkin spice. At the first sip, I was pleasantly surprised. As someone who does not normally drink pumpkin-flavored beverages, this experience was very enjoyable. The latte was hot but not scalding, and the coffee tasted strong but not overpowering. With hints of cinnamon, the latte had a sweet but subtle pumpkin taste that harmonized perfectly with the coffee. The milky foam at the top of the drink offered a thick consistency and made it that much more enjoyable. If you have the chance to try it out, I recommend doing so.
Starbucks’ Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte
If you are a chai enthusiast, as I am, this drink is for you. The Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte from Starbucks is an extremely popular drink of choice. In fact, on my way to the bustling and very full Starbucks at the Market at Glen Mor, I spotted three students with this specific seasonal beverage. After having ordered, I asked the cashier if the drink was popular. He reported yes and stated it was because the chai is a perfect mix between Halloween, fall and the cold season coming up. Visually, the drink is very appealing. The pumpkin cream cold foam floats on top of the iced chai latte, introducing an orange color to the mix. The drink smells, as you would expect, like cinnamon, chai and seasonal spices. After the first sip, I was hooked. The rich and creamy consistency of the sweet pumpkin-tasting cold foam complemented the chai tea magnificently as it brought the satisfying feeling of a sweet, buttery-smooth texture that coated the tongue. Chai lattes have my heart so this sweet, buttery, pastel orange drink is at the top of my list.
Starbucks’ Hot Pumpkin Spice Latte
To compare with the Pumpkin Latte from Coffee Bean, I chose to try the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks as well, which was only ten cents cheaper. Despite the 99° weather, I ordered the hot version to get a better comparison to the Hot Pumpkin Latte from Coffee Bean. When I got my drink, the coffee and pumpkin smell was very strong. The pumpkin seemed more intense than in the Coffee Bean version. With this in mind, I worried it would be too overpowering for my taste. But to my surprise, it was subtle and delicious as the milk softened the strong spices and mixed perfectly with the coffee. This drink felt smooth and creamy, and the sweet pumpkin spices covered the espresso’s bitterness completely, leaving only the taste and smell of coffee. The option of adding whipped cream was also available. If it had been a cold day, this drink would have, without a doubt, warmed me up and given me the ultimate cozy feel of autumn that I enjoy so much.
Coffee Bean’s Pumpkin Ice Blended Drink
Last on the list, but certainly not least, is the Pumpkin Ice Blended drink from Coffee Bean. This drink also had the whipped cream option as did the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. When I tried the beverage, I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected butter cookie taste, and the more I drank it, the more it reminded me of Thanksgiving meals. I soon realized that this Pumpkin Ice Blended drink tasted exactly like a creamy pumpkin pie dessert. While this drink had a strong aftertaste of spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, which come in pumpkin-flavored food and drinks most of the time, it also had a slight vanilla flavor as well. The consistency, as I have also noticed in other ice-blended drinks from Coffee Bean, was extremely smooth. There were no chunks of ice at the bottom, and the drink seemed perfectly blended. This drink was very sweet, and the taste of coffee was completely covered, which is good news for people who dislike coffee but bad news for coffee lovers. This was one of my favorite beverages as it tasted identical to a dessert and refreshed me in this hot weather.
I hope this guide to Starbucks and Coffee Bean’s seasonal drinks was helpful and that you can find your go-to fall beverage!
