As college students, most of us are guilty of stopping for caffeine before class, especially before those brutal 8 a.m. classes. Considering that Starbucks is one of the most popular coffee shops in California, it’s usually a hit among college students.
As a former Starbucks barista, I’ve been both the employee behind the counter and the student ordering in front of it. With that being said, I’d like to give you all some insight on some of the best drinks to order this fall season!
1. least sweet: pumpkin cream nitro cold brew
While this isn’t the sweetest option at Starbucks, if you’re looking for a giant boost of caffeine to get your day started (or even keep your night going), the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is by far the best option. This is one of Starbucks’ most caffeinated beverages with over 200 mg of caffeine per grande (medium) cup! The pumpkin cream cold foam topping gives the drink a nice hint of fall (with the sweet pumpkin flavor) vibes without being overbearing. Overall, I’d recommend this drink if you’re looking for the most caffeine possible, but still want to feel the “fall aesthetic.”
Bonus points if you add a shot (especially if it’s blonde as they contain more caffeine than regular shots)!
Ingredients:
Coffee – Nitro Cold Brew
Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam: Pumpkin Spice Sauce & Sweet Cream Cold Foam (Pumpkin Spice Topping sprinkled on top)
2. mildly sweet: iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte
This drink is more of a hit or miss depending on your preference for tea versus coffee. If your preference is tea, I know you’ll love this drink! The Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea doesn’t contain coffee despite “latte” being in the name, but there’s still almost 100 mg of caffeine in a grande cup. Since this drink only contains pumpkin syrup in the cold foam topping, the only sweetness in the coffee comes from the chai tea itself, making it one of the more mildly sweet drinks at Starbucks. This drink is also perfect for those who are more into tea or even trying to transition from coffee. No need to worry though, because if you do want caffeine, you can always add a shot!
Ingredients:
Tea – Chai Tea base, Steamed Milk (of your choice; default is 2%)
Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam: Pumpkin Spice Sauce & Sweet Cream Cold Foam (Pumpkin Spice Topping sprinkled on top)
3. most sweet: apple crisp oatmilk macchiato
For those who aren’t into pumpkin flavored beverages, there is the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato. This fall drink is not only the sweetest on this list, but probably the sweetest that Starbucks has this season. Since the sweetener in this drink is mixed with the coffee, every sip from beginning to end is sugary. Not to mention, the drink is topped with even more apple crisp sauce, so it’s 2x the flavoring! For those of you interested in more of a flavored coffee taste, this is the perfect fall drink from Starbucks!
Ingredients:
Coffee: Apple Crisp Sauce, Espresso Shots, Steamed Oatmilk (you can change the milk to your preference)
Topping: Apple Crisp Sauce (Employee Secret: There’s a standard for the crosshatch sauce topping on all drinks: 5x5x2, meaning five lines vertically, five lines horizontally, and two circles around those lines.)