Fall Drinks Around Campus

By: Katie Kilbride'28

Photo courtesy of iStock by Getty Images

It’s that time of year again, the leaves are changing, kids are back in class, and, if you’re anything like me, a pumpkin spice latte has become a staple in your diet. By far, my most favorite part of the fall season is all the fall flavors coffee shops roll out each year as the seasons change. Getting on campus this year, my first priority was trying all the coffee shops on campus and within walking distance. The season being what it is, I tried A LOT of fall drinks. And so, with great honor, I present to you, a complete list of fall drinks around campus 

Column 15

Location: First Floor Swem Library

First off, Column 15 is on campus AND accepts dining dollars, which is an immediate A+ in my opinion. Located on the first floor of Swem, it’s a great place to grab a drink and hit the books. In terms of fall coffee, Column 15 offers pumpkin twist and maple leaf lattes or cold brews. If coffee isn't your thing, fear not, because they also have two non-coffee seasonal drinks as well: a Candy Apple chai and a Harvest Moon hot chocolate.

I had an iced pumpkin twist latte which had a very natural spiced pumpkin flavor, the result was a subtle taste of fall. If you’re looking for a pumpkin spice latte, but want something a bit more natural tasting, this is the drink for you.

The Bake Shop

Location: 204 Armistead Ave. Williamsburg, VA

Bake shop is not on campus, BUT it does accept dining dollars, and is only a short walk across Richmond Road. For seasonal drinks, they offer a pumpkin pie syrup and maple oat cold foam that can be added to any of their coffee drinks, including chai.

I tried both! The first drink I had was an iced chai latte with maple oat cold foam. This drink was honestly not for me, their chai is heavily spiced and I prefer mine sweeter, but I did like the maple cold foam which added a hint of sweetness to the spiced flavor of the chai. The second fall drink I tried was an iced pumpkin pie latte. Similar to Column 15, this drink also had a bit more of a toned down pumpkin flavor, leaning more into the fall spice flavor of pumpkin pie. If fall spices are your favorite part of the season, Bake Shop is definitely the place for you.

Aromas

Location: 431 Prince George St. Williamsburg, VA

Aromas is off campus just outside of Merchant’s Square. Sadly, they do not take dining dollars, but they make up for it with their MASSIVE fall drink menu. Aromas has so many seasonal drink options I can’t even begin to list them all out in this article but, if you’re looking for anything pumpkin, maple, pecan, cinnamon, or autumn in general, Aromas probably has it in the form of a macchiato, cold brew, latte, cold foam, chai, and more. 

My favorite fall drink I have tried so far has been Aromas’ iced spiced chai with maple pumpkin cold foam. Their chai is truly the best I have ever had, fair warning though, it is SWEET. Their pumpkin cold foam is even better though, with the perfect amount of pumpkin and fall spice flavor. The second drink I tried at Aromas was an iced pumpkin spice latte. Their pumpkin spice is a bit more toned down, but their espresso is so good. If you're looking to add a hint of fall to a great cup of coffee, their pumpkin spice latte is a go-to!

ISC Starbucks

Location: First Floor ISC

The cafe in ISC is on campus, serves Starbucks, AND accepts dining dollars (triple whammy). The fall menu is limited but they serve the classic pumpkin spice latte and the newer iced apple crisp shaken espresso.

In my opinion, nothing beats the Starbucks fall menu. The PSL was the blueprint for pumpkin spice everything and to this day exemplifies fall to me in ways nothing else can. The PSL and the apple crisp shaken espresso are both very bold fall flavors. The PSL has a rich, sweet pumpkin flavor while the shaken espresso has a bit more of a fresh-picked apple taste. If you’re looking for a drink that will hit you with the fall season in your face, you’ll probably find your favorite in the ISC.

I hope this list can help point you in the right direction when you set out to find your favorite seasonal drink this fall season!

*Note: The article was republished due to site maintenance. The original publication date is September 23rd, 2024.