With chilling temperatures and falling leaves, baristas have begun serving their favorite fall drinks, all with one ingredient in common: pumpkin spice. This spice has gone beyond the famed pumpkin spice latte, and American University is no stranger to this tradition of the fall season.
Starbucks, The Davenport Coffee Lounge (Dav) and The Bridge are three of the most popular places on campus to receive a caffeine boost, and now they’re serving up their best pumpkin spice fix. No two pumpkin spice lattes are alike, however, and each of these familiar places offers their own unique touch to the familiar taste of autumn.
While Starbucks is a food establishment chain, the location is still a prominent place on campus for students to study, hang out, eat and grab their favorite drinks. Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes pop with their bright orange color, piled on whipped cream and the customer’s choice of caramel sauce or pumpkin spice topping. This latte is a classic, and its fame is no mystery with its trademark sweet taste drawing in the crowds.
The Dav offers a completely different pumpkin spice experience for its customers. With an earthy taste and spicy aftertaste, The Dav tops off its pumpkin spice latte drink with a frothy foam. Despite the popularity of the drink on social media, it is not as popular at The Dav. One Dav employee said they only make and sell about four of these beverages per day. This low number is even true during the height of pumpkin spice latte season.
As far as taste is concerned, The Bridge serves as a happy medium between Starbucks and The Dav. Using more milk than the Dav but a more bitter coffee, The Bridge’s latte has spice while also providing a bit more sweetness without the artificial feel of a Starbucks drink. And, of course, it is topped with foam.
The Bridge sells about five to seven pumpkin spice lattes during every in-between-class-rush most days, according to one employee. The Bridge’s greater success with their latte may be attributed to their enthusiasm surrounding the hype of these beloved fall drinks.
The Dav only has one small drawing taped to the glass display case saying “It’s That Time” with a picture of spice and a pumpkin. The Bridge, however, has large chalkboards promoting the drink to customers as well as an entire chalkboard column that says “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice!” with three large pumpkins drawn on it.
Midterms are much easier to face when armed with a pumpkin spice beverage, and AU has them available no matter where students are on campus. Campus coffee shops are ready and willing to celebrate with students who have been anxiously awaiting the autumn season and seeking to join the craze of pumpkin spice.
