The Fall season at Starbucks is a sacred time. Millions of people look forward to the PSL every year, and the warm, homey smell of pumpkin and nutmeg fills the air in every Starbucks. However, the Starbucks menu changes each year, and each year the PSL has to fight for its top spot on everyone’s list. I decided to try (almost) every Fall drink found at Starbucks and pit them against each other to see which Fall drink is the best.
6. Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte
Starting out the ranking is this monstrosity. Don’t freak out, though, it’s not the PSL. It’s some mutation of our beloved drink… and they added chai! I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t try this one. I wasn’t going to spend money on a drink that would make me physically ill (chai makes me nauseous for hours). Therefore, I don’t know what this tastes like, but to me, this is undoubtedly the worst Starbucks drink in existence.
5. Maple Pecan Latte
This was just nasty. It tasted like straight espresso with pecans, which, let me tell you, is not a good combination. There was no real sweetness to it, and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. If you like espresso, then you might enjoy this drink, but otherwise, don’t fall victim to the cool-sounding name.
4. Salted Caramel Mocha
This drink wasn’t actually that bad. It has one of those flavors that you grow to like the longer you drink it. The strange saltiness kind of overwhelmed the caramel part, but not in a bad way if you like salted caramel. Plus, there is still a hint of coffee flavor for those of you who enjoy coffee that tastes like coffee (I can’t relate).
3. Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino
This was a pretty good drink, which makes sense because most of the time the cold drinks at Starbucks are the better ones. It reminded me a little bit of Burger King’s salted caramel milkshake, but icier and not as salty. At first, it tasted a bit like a salted pretzel, which isn’t bad, I have to say. Still, this obviously couldn’t be better than the second and first place winners of this contest.
2. Pumpkin Spice Latte, Both Warm and Iced
It’s no surprise that the classic PSL, god-and-goddess of Starbucks drinks, is high up on the ranking. This is a great example of an almost perfect drink because it tastes more-or-less the same whether it’s iced or hot, which I was not expecting. It’s a great drink for Fall, with that really nice spicy pumpkin taste. You might be wondering, as human beings who praise the PSL gods, what could be better?
1. Caramel Apple Spice
THIS. IS. THE OG. OF FALL DRINKS. It’s literally hot apple cider with some caramel, and then some whipped cream on top. I could live off of these. It’s like a caramel apple and apple pie got together and squeezed out a beautiful baby… ok, that’s a really creepy analogy, but it’s true. Technically this isn’t on the Starbucks Fall Menu this year, but it was last year, and if you ask for it, usually someone who works there will know what you mean. Plus, it’s the cheapest option in this ranking, which counts for a lot when you’re on that good old college budget.