Now by and large I’m pretty old school when it comes to my coffee. I make it at home most days, but if I’m at Starbucks, I usually order a grande Pike Place, and then I’ll doctor it myself with some Equal and some half and half. I like that ordering a plain cup of coffee means that I can get out of the Starbucks for only one American dollar and some change, but if I’m feeling wild and crazy I’ll order a Cafe’ Latte or a Cafe’ Americano – even though I cringe a little bit when my coffee costs more than three dollars and THEY DON’T EVEN GIVE ME A BISCUIT.
Well.
Earlier this afternoon I was checking the Twitter, and my friend Fran mentioned that she was craving a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. Since I was with my friend Leigh when she ordered a pumpkin spice latte this past weekend, Fran’s comment (I know that I’m supposed to say “tweet” – but I just. can’t.) made me Officially Curious. Because I’ve never had a pumpkin spice latte, you see. And I wondered if I was missing out on some sort of coffee phenomenon.
Well.
I replied (TWEETED. WHATEVER.) to Fran and confessed the absence of the pumpkin spice latte in my life (by the way, the name of that drink gets SUPER tiresome when you’ve typed it for the fourth time), and Shannon, who’s a friend of my friend Annie (feel free to re-read that last part – interweb connections can be very, well, webby), chimed in and told me that I have not lived until I’ve tried the pumpkin spice latte.
Now I don’t know about y’all, but reading that I haven’t lived until I’ve tried something makes me feel a certain sense of urgency. An urgency that’s coupled with an unmistakable pumpkin-y craving.
I didn’t go by Starbucks after Pumpkin Spice Latte Alert ’09 because I have finally started to figure out that when I drink coffee in the afternoons, I – get a load of this – HAVE TROUBLE SLEEPING AT NIGHT, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. But I still spent almost all of my supper-cooking time thinking about the PSL (I WILL NOT TYPE THOSE WORDS AGAIN) and how specific our coffee preferences have become. I mean, when I was growing up and we were in a restaurant and my mama wanted a cup of coffee, do you know what she ordered?
A CUP OF COFFEE.
There was no tall-nonfat-caramel-macchiato-extra-whip-double-shot-extra-hot business. And there was certainly no trace of, you know, PUMPKIN. It was just coffee. If you were lucky the waitress would throw some of those little cream containers at you when she walked past your table.
Anyway, while I was cooking supper I also started to think about how much coffee-related minutiae I have stored in my brain, and oh my word, it’s A LOT. For example, I know that my husband is a venti Pike Place, three Equals and nonfat milk. Sister is a venti Pike OR Cafe’ Americano with just a splash of half and half. Melanie is a grande non-fat mocha latte no whip. Janie is a grande skinny vanilla latte. Approximately fourteen of my friends pledged undying devotion to the salted caramel hot chocolate last winter. And I could go on with lo, even more examples, but I’ll stop right now since I know this information is ABSOLUTELY RIVETING.
So, internet, given the fact that I haven’t tried the pumpkin spice latte (okay. I caved. I typed it again.), and given the fact that it might very well be time for me to broaden my specialty coffee drink horizons, I’m going to ask you a question of critical international importance:
What is your very favorite drink to order in a coffee shop?
(And it doesn’t have to be at Starbucks. I know that some of you are incredibly fond of your Tim Hortons coffee. Some of you love the coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Some of you favor a local place. Some of you prefer hot tea. So please know that all coffee shop vendors and their respective beverage options are welcome here.)
(I just felt like I needed to clarify.)
(What with my annoying tendency to overexplain and all.)
Love,
Pumpkin Spice Latte-less in Alabama
aka
Me
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Wow Boo….I thought you were the faynciest blogger I knew! You haven’t tried the PSL? :)
This past weekend….was my first.
I’ve heard so many rants about how marvelous the PSL is….I just had to try it myself.
Thanks to the Tarshay coupon on my receipt…I only paid $2 for it.
It was super yummy!
My all-time favorite will remain the White Chocolate mocha latte with the whip!
Looooooove it!
Okay…normally, I am a creature of habit and I go Starbucks Cafe Mocha extra whip all the way. In my desk at work is General Mills Cafe Mocha.
However, with the Christmas season almost upon us…I have to go with the Eggnog Latte. And…I discovered that you can order it in the off season as well. It’s just not on the menu.
Coffee makes my tummy hurt. But sometimes I order it anyway. I enjoy a Wild Pumpkin from Caribou. Usually though I get a chai latte, because that doesn’t hurt my tummy at all. Starbucks’ chai is full of spicy deliciousness.
There are NO coffee shops in micro-town, MS, so when I go to the big city, I always forget what I ordered on the previous visit. Usually it involves white chocolate or caramel. Sometimes both. With lots of whipped cream and sprinkles, please. I like my coffee house coffee FLUFFY.
Grande, non-fat, no whip, Cafe Mocha. To go.
And I do enjoy the occasional PSL when it’s in season.
And also, (did you know?) the Peppermint Mocha is available year round! They do not advertise that, but it’s true! Because they always have the peppermint stuff in stock.
Just fyi.
Coffee of the day with 2/3 coffee and 1/3 steamed soy milk and almond – delicious nutty flavor!! I worked at Caribou Coffee for over 7 years and we always knew our customers better by their drink choice….”Oh, here comes XL skim latte w/1/2 shot of hazelnut, 150 degrees”.
I love the white chocolate mocha from Starbucks. Or a white chocolate mocha from anywhere. The last couple of years i have said I was going to try the peppermint mocha and haven’t maybe this year.
Mmmmmmmmm….LOVE coffee!!
At home, it’s regular coffee with Mint Chocolate Truffle OR Chocolate Caramel creamer.
At Starbucks, it’s a Mocha.
At Biggby, it’s a Mint Chocolate Mocha.
yummo :)
I made the mistake of asking my hubby to swing thru Starbucks the other day to get me a PSL (easier than pumpkin spi….) The nearest SB is 40 miles so I don’t get them very often. First I had to explain to him that the tall was actually the small and then he had a fit when the the girl said, “That’ll be 3.79″
Needless to say, I won’t make that mistake again! :p
Like I said, I don’t get but like one a season but they are sooooo worth it!
I’m a Canadian who hearts SB but have become more of a fan of Tim Horton’s since working in non-profit and now being unemployed for two months-thank goodness for the end of that in sight (seriously, south-of-the-border friends… you don’t know what you’re missing) and their large coffee with one cream.
Normal sizing names (small, medium, large and extra large), $0.50 cheaper than SB and drive thrus that serve you quickly… and yummy-ola doughnuts that cost $0.80 instead of $1.80 at SB.
Seriously, you want almost a toonie ($2 coin) for a doughnut? SB Big Wigs, give your head a big ol’ shake! I could be almost on my way to cardiac arrest heaven with 2.5 of them at Tim Horton’s!!!!!!!
Don’t you all want to visit Canada now?
Tall Non-fat cafe mocha, no whip. I have tried the PSL, but they are a tad too sweet for my tastes. I’m with you on the sleepless nights though… My rule is no coffee after noon.
In a coffee shop, I order a tall decaf mocha. mmmmm….
At home, I make Starbuck’s Breakfast Blend coffee with french vanilla creamer.
I love me a white chocolate mocha. In the summer, my drink of choice is a caramel frappucino, which I know I misspelled. But after hearing all the people rave on and on about the PSL, this year I got brave and tried it. And it is a delight. Truly. I would marry it except I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t give backrubs nearly as well as my husband does. Tall skim PSL with an extra shot will be my drink until they take it away, and then I’ll be back to my WCM– also with an extra shot. I am a girl who loves her espresso.
By far and you must try this:
Venti Iced White Mocha with 3 pumps of Toffee Nut. I get it fat free and it’s DEEELISH.
Also, I’ve never tried a Pumpkin Spice Latte either. We have the Pumpkin Creamer at home and I’m already over it :)
By far the best drink I meant…
Right now it’s good ole’ hot, black coffee. But if there’s a Starbucks within 50 miles then it’s a tall non-fat Chai.
3 packs of Equal in a venti? That won’t even make a dent in the venti.
PSL – yum. Order it with soy milk instead of regular, and it will be even a little sweeter.
Seth (who is the king of all things coffee) showed me a trick. I order the Pike Place too. But now I order a tall PP in a grande cup. That way, there’s room for my mucho half and half and 8 packs of sugar in the raw. Now THAT will make a dent.
My love language is coffee, so obviously this a great time to de-lurk (I’m so sketchy) and comment. Dunkin’ Donuts is my favorite, but there’s no DD in my city. (Don’t worry, I’ve actually researched franchise opportunities.) So, we grind the DD beans at home and I take it with half & half and two teaspoons of plain sugar. We do, however, have a Starbucks. And I do heart a PSL in the Fall. My go-to drink for Winter, Spring, & Summer is a venti Americano with half & half and sugar.
Well, being a reformed coffee slave who now drinks primarily hot tea (I bow down to you, TAZO Refresh), I admit that when the temperature begins to dip and fall is in the air, the PSL beckons. And when it beckons, I run to its service! However, when it becomes downright COLD and Dean Martin is singing about sleigh bells, I RUN to indulge in the (it deserves its own line, and, apparently, caps):
EGG NOG LATTE
Refresh tea is, well, refreshing, but the ENL is rapture in a cup!
In the fall, it’s a Pumpkin Spice Latte. As soon as it hits the menu, I’m all about the Peppermint Mocha (you can order that any time, but I only let myself drink it during the holidays- one of my cues that it’s Christmastime). The rest of the year, I’m a double-tall, non-fat, extra-foam, caramel macchiato (and sometimes I get it over ice)!
I don’t drink coffee, but I have to tell you a funny story I thought you’d enjoy: I was visiting my sister who lives near New Orleans with a friend of hers and we went to the famed Cafe DuMonde for some beignets. My sister’s friend proceeds to order a tall, mocha frappa somethin’ or other and the worker there says “Ma’am, we don’t have that. We have coffee – plain coffee. So you can have Coffee and Beignets or Beignets and Coffee. That’s it. So, what’ll you have?” I ’bout fell off my chair laughing. Sometimes we have too many choices…Have a great day!
Amy in Austin (who looks forward to your blog post most everyday!)
I gotta say….I think that our tastebuds are probably 1st cousins. After the whole Bojangles post, and then the comments about Corky’s. I’m just sayin’ that I think we were quite possibly separated by tastebuds at birth.
And, my hypothesis is further proven given that I primarily comment your posts relating to food.
Anyway, GO GET A PSL. Today. Do not pass go. Do not collect $4.00 in change. Just go. You won’t regret it.
Trust me.
Yes the PSL brings joy when it comes out every year but not nearly as much JOY as when the Gingerbread Latte comes out. Mine is a venti, decaf (or 1/2 and 1/2), no fat, no whip — some purists might call it a ‘why bother’…it is the best.
But I would also say that as much as a I love a GB Latte from SB, I hate the price.
I also love Tully’s coffee from the west coast. It is the best plain o’le cuppa coffee you can get.
I LOVE the skinny Chai Latte. I also love coffee from a company called Bad Ass. They are out of Hawaii and the only local ones I have seen have been in Tuscaloosa (which is now closed) and Destin (on Alt 90). However, you can order their coffee online and it is absolutely wonderful!!!
Pumpkin spice lattes are my fave. I had one this morning actually!! If it’s not fall, I just love some good home brewed coffee with some sort of flavored beans. I drink it black so the flavored beans give it a little somethin somethin. I DON’T like Starbucks regular coffee. Eck.
I usually order a grande mocha unless I’m feeling all diet-y and then I’ll go with a grande non-fat mocha because I like to live on the edge like that. In the summer, I’ll switch it up to a grande iced mocha. Do you see how versatile I am? Clearly I have no room telling you this but you should at least try the PSL, it’s my husband’s favorite. But, I should tell you that this is the man who will just blindly order something off of any menu. He once ordered “famous ham” at a restaurant just because the menu said it was famous. Wait, what were we talking about again??
Like the first commenter, I love the idea of the PSL, but don’t really enjoy the taste all that much.
My favorite is the white mocha with peppermint! So yummy!!
Well, since the nearest Starbucks and Gloria Jean’s (my personal favorite place) are close to an hour away (I know!!) I have been forced to concoct my own specialty caffeinated beverages. My friends swear I make an iced coffee as good as any they’ve ever paid for — I use Gevalia whole bean and make it double strong, flavored with International House White Chocolate Macadamia Nut creamer, plenty o’ crushed ice and topped off with a few twists from my cinnamon/sugar grinder. And if I’m feeling really sassy, I swap the cinnamon for nutmeg ;) Voila!
I am not a coffee drinker (though I LOVE the smell of it!).
When forced to go to a coffee shop – I either get hot tea (if herbal thenI drink it plain, if I get black or green -I need a little sugar)or hot chocolate.
Works for me!
I don’t like coffee. In the summer, I love the double chocolate chip frap at Starbucks. And right now, they have a Caramel Apple Spice which is just divine. But really, those other drinks are all just substitutes for my true love…the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. I mentioned it so much last winter that all my facebook friends knew what I was talking about when I said SCHC. I can’t wait to have one again! I talked about it so much, my mom went to get one and told the guy at the drive thru that she was excited because it was her first one. His response…”Girl, you better pull your car over!”
Well, I have been ordering the tall skinny hazelnut latte from Starbucks for the last year, and although it tastes divine, I have to tell you that I am STILL not tall and skinny. Dang.
Ok, so I absolutely adore the White Chocolate Mocha (nonfat, 1/2 caf, iced) in the summer but I’ve recently become enamored with the previously mentioned PSL. It’s sort of like liquid pumpkin pie (if you splurge on the whip and all) in a cup. If it wasn’t more than $4 per grande serving, I’d have one each and every day. For real.
However, if you are ever in good ol’ Waco, Texas, for a visit to Baylor University, might I suggest a trip to Common Grounds for either a Snickers or Milky Way coffee. Yes, I did just say there is a coffee shop here that combines the love of both coffee and candy. Sweet mercy is right, friends…
I usually try something new every time I go. I do have a certain weakness for the white chocolate raspberry mocha at our local Java Detour (drive through coffee shop!)
Venti non-fat mocha, add the whip
If you go with the PSL (love that) make sure you don’t go “skinny.” That sugar free syrup is just bad.
Plus, anything with “skinny” in the name just can’t be good.
Okay, I’m about to make a startling confession…I tried the PSL…and didn’t care for it. (GASP!). I’m a Starbucks girl, nothing compares that I’ve tried. Triple Grande Nonfat Nowhip Mocha! That’s me, and my “guy” at starbucks knows me quite well now, and just asks me if I want my usual. That just tickles me to pieces, and the fact that his name is Ross, which always makes me think of Friends, just makes it even more delightful! At home I like some Folgers Cinnamon Swirl with a little coffee mate and sweet n low. And can I just say that I think the whole coffee discussion would make a nice little podcast topic. Something to think about! :). Have a great day!
I do love a PSL from Starbuck’s in the fall. (Note: I just started singing “The Pirates who don’t do anything” from Veggie Tales because they’ve never been to Boston in the fall… not to be confused with Starbuck’s in the fall.) I got my first PSL of the season last week in Nashville and it was.an.utter.disaster. Tragic. Never have I wanted to taste BURNT pumpkin coffee in my life. Hoping I can get my courage up again.
I am on board with you when it comes to making coffee at home. But, I do LOVE McDonald’s coffee, especially when it is fresh! And I love the fact that it is NOT $3.00! My favorite make at home coffee is Community, New Orleans Blend with Chickory (with a splash of half & half and two sweetners per cup)! It is the perfect coffee for me, not too strong and not as-weak-as-water! BTW the combination of coffee and pumpkin does not sound appealing!! The only thing I have ever tried with pumkin is fudge: Pumpkin Fudge!! I did not like it.
I haven’t commented before, but I had to tell you that in our family, someone is truly loved if you know how they like their coffee fixed ;) And I love a mocha!! I usually order it “skinny,” but the other day the hubs ordered full fat and oh, my- yum!
I used to be a Mocha Frap girl all the way until pre-diabetes came along. So now it’s a grande sugar free vanilla coffee frap lite. Whew! That’s a mouthful.
Tall vanilla soy latte on ice. Now I gotta try the PSL…..wonder if it’s as good on ice? Did I mention I loathe hot coffee??
I am a regular cup o’ joe girl, and CANNOT STAND THE STARBUCKS. Seriously. I hate when a friend wants to go there ’cause I want to be all ‘friend-ly’ but I detest their coffee. Heaps and loads.
That being said, The Landmark (here in Mesa, AZ) has, hands down, the best cup of coffee on the planet. I had to ask what they use – Douwe Egbert. So now, it’s a little bit of caffeine heaven right in my own kitchen thanks to internet shopping – no way to top that!
My tastes change… I’ll get in a PSL rut for a while, then move on. Starbucks is a rare treat for me though, seeing as how its so dadgum expensive, so I save it for those moments when my homeschooled children have driven me to these two options 1) the psychiatric hospital, or 2) a latte from Starbucks, alone in my car.
Melissa @ http://www.fordsbigbluehouse.blogspot.com
PSL’s are awesome.
I like Americanos as well. Or Mochas.
I know the PSL (love that you made it an abbreviation, by the way) is supposed to be this really great thing. I can’t get into it. I’m not someone who LOVES spice in my drink, so I’m not a fan of the Chai or the PSL. My mom feels you haven’t lived until you have a PSL. To each their own.
I’m much like Melanie, but I add a little peppermint to mine. The nice thing with that is you can get a pretty good one anywhere you go.
My favorite coffee is Starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte. The only thing better is their gingerbread latte. So when they have both flavors at the same time, it becomes a real challenge for me.
Judy M. from Catonsville
Oh my word. You can NOT go wrong with a peppermint mocha from Starbucks. It used to be a holiday only drink, however five or six years ago they finally caved to the pressure and you can now get it year round. It is like a sweet little peppermint patty swimming around in a lovely pool of coffee. And I’m sure it is extremely healthy…not fattening at all.
I did enjoy the PSL last fall, but when Christmas rolls around you have to try the Peppermint latte at Starbucks. It is worth every $5.00 bill you will drop there.
I’m noticing that for a few of you the peppermint mocha is still only available during the holidays. Gasp! Now I’m wondering if it is truly available year round or if my Starbucks keeps a bottle of peppermint syrup under the counter just for me. You know, so they will never again have to witness the meltdown I had when I realized it was gone. It only happened once but it was a doozy.
Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks. LOVE IT! I get it year round, but like the sprinkles they put on top during the holidays.
um, don’t know how to say this….i don’t like coffee *GASP* i prefer a cold dr. pepper :)
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