The leaves are turning, the air is cooling, and fall is in full swing. On a breezy October day, what could be better than an iced pumpkin spice latte?
A hallmark of autumn, the pumpkin spice latte (PSL) is a popular seasonal drink among students at Oyster River High School (ORHS). Many upperclassmen spend their flexes and lunches downtown at cafes.
But with coffee shops offering the PSL on every corner of Durham, it’s difficult to know which ones are worth your money. Luckily, we asked 40 students for their favorite fall menu locations and tried the top five. This is Oyster River’s comprehensive guide to the fall drinks of Durham, New Hampshire.
Dunkin’
Price: 4.99
Rating: 2/5
America runs on Dunkin’, or so they say. The closest location is right outside Main Street, and you can’t go far in New England without running into one.
Our small latte came with two pumps each of pumpkin and vanilla, whipped cream, and caramel drizzle. As far as coffee goes, it was overwhelmingly average. Although the presentation was decent, with whipped cream and a pumpkin spice topping, the drink itself tasted like a sweet cup of cleaning product.
The biggest problem with the drink was the flavoring. Upon the first sip, we were bombarded with artificial sweetness. It overpowered the rest of the drink, and even then, the syrup didn’t taste like pumpkin. This could have been an enjoyable latte if only the ingredients were higher quality.
To Dunkin’s credit, the espresso-to-milk ratio was spot on. But for a chain widely known for its coffee, we wanted to like this drink a lot more. Unfortunately, upon taking this drink home and trying to get my money’s worth, I began to feel very sick and had to surrender.
Starbucks
Price: 6.25
Rating: 2.5/5
By far, the most popular coffee shop on our form was Starbucks. Located at the Lee traffic circle ten minutes from ORHS, the drinks are apparently worth the gas. The tall pumpkin spice latte comes with three pumps of pumpkin, whipped cream, and pumpkin spice topping. The steep price for this small latte was the first thing that stood out, so we had high expectations.
To be honest, it was nothing special. On a scale from garbage water to liquid gold, this drink was comfortably nestled right in the center. It wasn’t a chore to drink, but I’m not sure I would order it again. For such a steep price, we were expecting a quality espresso, but the taste was a little acidic. The flavor made up for it, though. The pumpkin came through immediately, followed by an aftertaste of nutmeg and cinnamon.
This article is about pumpkin spice lattes, but we had to make an exception for the famous pumpkin cream chai latte. It won’t be included in the final rankings, but it deserves a special mention. This was the most popular drink in our form by a landslide, so we figured it was important to get it for journalistic purposes.
Anything Starbucks missed with the latte, they more than made up for with this drink. It perfectly balances the spice of the chai with the earthy flavors of the pumpkin. And the cold foam ties the drink together perfectly, adding a delightfully creamy element to every sip.
Freedom Café
Price: 4.20
Rating: 4.5/5
The Freedom Café is a local nonprofit café on Main Street, popular among many students at ORHS because of its mission to end human trafficking. The café is involved in the community, hosting events like their weekly Perform for Freedom open mic night.
If you’re looking for a latte with quality ingredients, this drink is for you. Although the drink was a bit too sweet for our preference, the handmade syrup was delicious, and it created a nice balance with the strong espresso. It had a similar look to the other drinks we had had so far, but this was by far the best tasting drink of the three. Freedom Café certainly lived up to its reputation of quality coffee, and this is a drink we would both order again.
Aroma Joe’s
Price: 5.37
Rating: 1/5
Aroma Joes is another chain coffee shop on Main Street, famous for their Rush energy drinks. (You’ll notice we didn’t say they were known for coffee.)
We ordered their Poppin’ Pumpkin Latte, which allegedly comes with marshmallow cold foam and a caramel drizzle. We got neither of these things in our drink; instead, it was a milky beige drink with no topping. Aside from the lackluster presentation, this might have been the worst coffee we’ve ever had. This drink had the unique paradox of being water and coffee at the same time and somehow tasting like neither. I’ve never had a coffee that tasted like sour air before, but there’s a first time for everything, obviously. If you’re looking to order from Aro ma Joe’s, our advice is to stick with the rushes.
The Grind
Price: 8.32
Rating: 4/5
After the Aroma Joe’s incident, we were desperate for a good coffee. The Grind is the newest café on our list, and the Durham location is just over a year old.
We got a pumpkin latte with cold foam (an add-on recommended by our survey respondents). Luckily this time we actually did get what we ordered. Although it took almost ten minutes to receive the drink on a slow morning, this was the polar opposite of the Aroma’s latte. In terms of flavor, the pumpkin cold foam did a lot of heavy lifting; one more pump of syrup would have taken this drink above and beyond, and if we had excluded the cold foam, I would have wanted some more sweetness. But the espresso-to-milk ratio was perfection. The biggest lowlight of The Grind is their steep pricing, which makes this shop a once-in-a-while treat for us.
After trying the most popular coffee spots near ORHS, we’ve learned a thing or two about what constitutes a good latte. If you take one thing away from this article, let it be that buying from local coffee shops not only supports small businesses and benefits the community, but also results in a better overall experience. Local cafés may be marginally more expensive, but in our opinion, high-quality coffee is worth a few extra dollars.
Final Rankings
1. Freedom Cafe
2. The Grind
3. Starbucks
4. Dunkin’
5. Aroma Joe’s
To watch the full video review, scan the QR code.
-Lucy Milutinovich and Emmy Higginbotham
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