Pumpkin spice is a huge symbol for the most popular season of the year – fall. Many wait in anticipation for the sweet drink to finally make its debut, which is usually late August to early September.
To find which company truly has the best pumpkin spice drinks, I tested six popular coffee shops in Kearney. I went off popularity, my energy levels throughout the day, price and most importantly – taste.
Every morning during the week, I went to one of the six coffee shops before class. On Monday, I started with the company that started the pumpkin spice latte chain back in 2003, and that’s Starbucks.
One positive about Starbucks is that it is located on campus, so I didn’t have to drive to get my order. I ordered a tall, which was priced at $5.95, with 270 calories, 34 grams of sugar and 75 milligrams of caffeine.
The presentation of the drink was the best part, with whipped cream and pumpkin spice seasoning on top. I didn’t really get much pumpkin spice flavor out of the drink, and it also wasn’t the healthiest option. Having a fun drink to take to class can be used as a motivator and energy booster, but unfortunately, the caffeine didn’t help, and I took a mid-afternoon nap.
On Tuesday, I had a later morning class, so I took a trip to Dunkin’ Donuts. I ordered a small, which was priced at $5.39, with a calorie count of 300, including 38 grams of sugar and 118 milligrams of caffeine.
Dunkin’ Donuts changed the standard pumpkin spice recipe by adding unsweetened vanilla and caramel drizzle to their drink. This iced latte had a sweeter taste than Starbucks, but that’s because of the extra sugar and flavor contents. I felt productive all day and didn’t get the mid-day slump that I got with Starbucks.
On Wednesday, I went somewhere I had never gone before: Caribou Coffee. Their pumpkin latte includes basic ingredients such as espresso, milk and pumpkin syrup. Their price for a small was $6, and I didn’t like how the drink contained only 70 milligrams of caffeine. The drink also has 47 grams of sugar and 250 calories.
At this point, Caribou Coffee was my least favorite. The sugar content had me dragging all day. On a positive note, it had the best pumpkin taste out of the three I had tried.
Up next on my list was Scooters. The price was overall normal at $5.75, with 240 calories, 34 grams of sugar and 120 milligrams of caffeine. With two shots of espresso in a small, the drink was a little bitter and didn’t have very good pumpkin spice flavor.
I went to one of my favorite places on Friday – 7 Brew. A small pumpkin latte from 7 Brew was one of the cheapest at $5.25. It also had the least amount of calories at 150 grams, a sugar count of 14 grams and 64 milligrams of caffeine.
For my final coffee shop, I went to Barista’s Daily Grind. I got a 16-ounce iced pumpkin spice latte, which had an intense flavor at a price of $5.20. The drink contained 180 calories and 24 grams of sugar. The drink got points for being cheap, tasty and an easy walk from campus. I was also energized the whole day.
7 Brew had the best macros, but Baristas won me over because of their price and flavor. All the coffee shops had unique and individual flavors within their pumpkin spice lattes, but I found myself gravitating toward one specific shop.
My rankings from the week of trying pumpkin spice lattes are:
- First – Barista’s Daily Grind
- Second – 7 Brew
- Third – Dunkin’ Donuts
- Fourth – Starbucks
- Fifth – Scooters
- Sixth – Caribou Coffee
Pumpkin spice lattes are famous for the aesthetic, but individuals are also beginning to look deeper at the prices, taste, sugar count and popularity of the company. I hope my ranking has helped when it comes to getting the best pumpkin spice latte around Kearney.
