There are so many things that make fall the best season of the year; be it the color-changing leaves, sweater weather upping coziness to the max, and walking up Mont Royal and not getting drenched in sweat – oh, and also just before the hill gets icy and slippery (McGill struggles). So, just to make this amazing season just that little bit more perfect, here are 8 phenomenal fall drinks from Starbucks just to make everything better. Oh, and it does make everything better, take it from me, a former barista.
Pumpkin Spice Latte & Salted Caramel Mocha
Of course, I had to start off with the classics, the two limited time fall drinks that return every single year. Whenever we see the giant PSL sign in the Starbucks window, we know that fall has officially started. The salted caramel mocha, whilst a slightly underrated drink, is also phenomenal: it comes as a latte, hot or iced, or as a Frappuccino! They all come with whipped cream, topped with caramel drizzle and sea salt topping. The only tip I have for this drink is that, because it gets both mocha and toffee nut syrup, it might be a little sweet, but nothing a little “half sweet” modification can’t fix.
Caramel Apple Spice
This is a fall drink that is extremely, and I mean extremely underrated. As a barista, every time I would recommend this as a fall drink people would be doubtful at first, as they’ve likely never heard of it; but, for quite a while after that, they’d be getting it over and over again – until the end of fall. It tastes like apple cider, but better, with just the right amount of sweetness from the cinnamon dolce syrup being balanced out by the sourness of the steamed apple juice, finally topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. This is exactly the drink you would imagine sipping on cozied up in a rocking chair next to a warm fireplace while reading a book. Pro tip here: unlike the first two, the caramel apple spice is available all year round, so the craving never has to go unfulfilled!
Hazelnut Blonde Latte
This latte is a brand-new addition, as Starbucks only just came out with the blonde espresso a few months ago. The blonde espresso tastes stronger, and even though its name makes it sound “lighter” than the regular espresso, don’t be fooled, it actually has more caffeine and more of a punch. That is why in every beverage made with blonde espresso, there’s always one less pump of syrup added. So, if you’re looking for a drink that’s nutty and autumnal with slightly less sugar and an extra kick to wake you up, this one’s yours!
Pumpkin Spice Crème
This one is for all those out there that are looking for a non-espresso drink; maybe just something to be sipping on while meeting a friend in the late afternoon at Starbucks right next to C4, but when you’re planning on sleeping that night. This tastes like pumpkin spiced ice cream – if that were a thing, but hot, and in a cup, topped off, again, with whipped cream and pumpkin pie topping.
Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate (White Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon Dolce Syrup)
This hot chocolate is one that Starbucks, for some reason, did not decide to advertise much. It came out around spring this year and not many people have heard of it. It’s totally caffeine free, made with white mocha and cinnamon dolce syrup. It also comes with whipped cream and tastes absolutely magical. Sipping on it is remnant of if you were able to capture the flavour of a freshly baked snickerdoodle cookie in a cup full of warmth and happiness, which it did. Definitely an amazing sweet treat for a cheat day.
Marble Hot Chocolate (Regular Hot Chocolate with Half Mocha Syrup and Half White Mocha Syrup)
I’m pretty sure this is a secret menu drink, but it’s absolutely genius. If you find the normal Starbucks hot chocolate too bitter and the white hot chocolate too sweet, this is the perfect concoction for you. You taste the bitterness of the normal hot chocolate with hints of the sweeter white mocha peeping out. It’s delicious for sure, but the mixture of both the syrups are gorgeous and pleasing to the eye, hence the name marble hot chocolate. They mix together and create this marble top effect on the top of the latte. You can get whipped cream on top, but I would recommend not, just to see the artsy swirling syrups in the cup.
Iced Caramel Macchiato
Finishing off the 8 drinks with one of Starbucks’ staples, the caramel macchiato. It’s most definitely famous worldwide. But fall is your last chance to be able to enjoy an iced caramel macchiato and reminisce all the summer memories before it gets too cold and iced drinks start freezing your hands off. Every barista I have worked with has had an “iced caramel macchiato” phase, where we’d use our free drinks for none else, but iced caramel macchiatos exclusively. However, the good news is, that the hot version of this macchiato is one of the best drinks for the winter. (Well there’s got to be a reason why it’s a staple drink right?) It’s not only tasty and warm but also looks so aesthetically pleasing – just in case you were looking for an artsy latte picture.
Images Obtained from:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/488851734528509658/
https://mooeyandfriends.blogspot.ca/2015/09/starbucks-psl-sweater-coffee-cozy.html