The Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai is a fan favorite for Butler students. Photo by Darcy Leber.
The semester is underway, and the weather is cooling off. Halloween decorations are up in stores all over, and soon the leaves will be changing. That means it’s the season for fall drinks, and our writers have opinions on which ones are the best.
TESSA HAMILTON | OPINION COLUMNIST | tehamilton@butler.edu
Venti iced chai with caramel syrup
Chai is the perfect drink for the season! It has less caffeine than coffee, with the perfect blend of spices to make every sip feel like fall. It also gets rid of the typical coffee stomachache and has a lighter, less bitter taste than the typical acidic coffee. Add a bit of caramel for that satisfying seasonal flair, and even top it with salted caramel cold foam if you’re feeling extra fancy. Not only is this a great drink at Starbucks, it’s also one you can order almost anywhere that serves chai. I’m partial to a small coffee shop in my hometown’s chai, as recommended by my sister, but the various coffee shops around Indy and Broad Ripple most likely each have a chai of their own to add that fall flavor into your life. No matter where you order it, this is the ideal fall drink.
REESE PARADOWSKI | OPINION CO-EDITOR | rparadowski@butler.edu
Venti cold brew with one pump pumpkin, cinnamon and a splash of cream
Yes, I am absolutely one of those annoying people who like the taste of black coffee; this is as flavorful as it gets. I’m a simple gal, and the subtle taste of pumpkin-cinnamon is sufficient. Sorry, I don’t want to start my day with 50-plus grams of sugar. Our ancestors are probably rolling in their graves with these complicated, oversaturated drink orders. What happened to enjoying a cup of black coffee on the front porch? We used to be a proper country. I know the campus Starbucks baristas hate us.
SILAS OWENS | OPINION CO-EDITOR | szowens@butler.edu
Tangerine LaCroix
Don’t listen to the Starbucks junkies in my section. Waiting in that line every day will have you broke, late for class and highly addicted to caffeine. A Starbucks drink will never come close to the satisfaction that cracking a cold, crisp LaCroix after a long day of classes can bring. A LaCroix is the opposite of a Starbucks drink — no caffeine, calories or line. You can grab a can from your LaCroix fridge at any time and feel the same, except more hydrated. People joke about the flavor of LaCroix; these are the same people who go to a fancy restaurant and order chicken tenders off the kids’ menu. Tangerine LaCroix, which has the perfect amount of refreshing citrus flavor, is a fantastic choice either on a sunny Saturday afternoon on the knoll or in your dorm at 1 a.m. on a Wednesday while you crank out the essay you should have started sooner.
AVA ROEMER | OPINION COLUMNIST | aaroemer@butler.edu
Grande iced white chocolate mocha with pumpkin cream cold foam
A white chocolate mocha, the crispest drink for the most fantastic time of year! This drink is the ultimate coffee order for fall. It’s so creamy, rich in flavor and the perfect amount of sweet. I’ve been ordering this for at least three years and never get tired of it. While I love a good old-fashioned cup of hot, black coffee, when it comes to fall, I just cannot wait to order this! If you prefer the taste of coffee by itself, then this probably isn’t the drink for you. Don’t get me wrong, I love black coffee for the most part. However, when that cool fall air comes in, I only want to drink this super sweet beverage. It’s an excellent order for any time of day: when you need a caffeine boost to crank out your essay, shopping with friends, or even if you’re just picking up a drink before you head to class! This is the drink of the season, and it will not disappoint.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
Tinker Coffee’s Stars Hollow Latte
When it comes to grabbing a cup of coffee in Indy, my go-to is always Tinker Coffee. I am a diehard pumpkin spice fan at heart, but an unexpected drink took the top spot for me last fall: Tinker’s Stars Hollow latte. As I await the release of Tinker’s fall menu, I find myself reminiscing on this fall-encapsulating drink. This hot or iced beverage is somewhat deceiving with its butternut squash and sage flavoring, but the mix of flavors provides the perfect seasonal sip.
OLLIE FITZGERALD | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | ofitzgerald@butler.edu
Iced Maple Sage Latte
I don’t care that it’s cold out; you will not catch me with a hot coffee. However, if a warm drink is more your speed, it’s still pretty good. Pumpkin spice isn’t quite for me, so when I tried a maple sage latte last year — which is a non-offensive, moderately sweet, delicious fall treat — at Bovaconti Coffee in Fountain Square, I knew I had found a fall drink that worked for me. While it’s not on Bovaconti’s main menu, the flavor isn’t a super unique combination and you have a good chance at finding the medley at some other local cafe. If you like floral and herb-y flavors, or if you’re from the northeast and understand the joy of real maple syrup, this one is for you.
DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
Apple Cider
When you think of fall, if you don’t also think of apple cider, then you are severely missing out. It can be served warm on cold nights by the campfire, or it can be served cold — and even in slushy form — on the oddly warm fall Indiana days. If you opt for the slushy form, do yourself a favor and make the 30-minute drive over to the Conner Prairie Apple Store, where you will experience everything apple-flavored.
ANNA GRITZENBACH | MANAGING EDITOR | agritzenbach@butler.edu
Iced vanilla chai latte with oat milk
As I get older, I appreciate the change of seasons more and more each year. The crisp bite to the air, the autumnal color palette and — above all — coffee shop season. I love nothing more than setting up home base in a nearby coffee shop, pouring myself over my copious amounts of classwork, with an iced vanilla chai latte with oatmilk — bonus points if it’s a dirty chai. Hot or iced, the warm spices never fail to put me in a fall mood, but the world has to be ending for me to order a hot drink.
