The Autumn season is rolling in, and the famous “Pumpkin Spice Latte” has once again taken the spotlight in coffee shops across the nation. There is one problem, however. Everyone makes their pumpkin spice latte differently. And that, poses the question, where can you get the best pumpkin spice latte?

To solve this problem, I traveled to numerous coffee shops in the local area, ordering one hot pumpkin spice latte from each. But what makes a good pumpkin spice latte? I have found that the best pumpkin spice latte can be determined based on two categories. These categories are flavor and options, both measured on a simple 5-star scale.

For the flavor category, I rated the coffee shops on their latte’s flavor profile.

For the options category, I rated the coffee shops based on how many substitutions and toppings were available for their pumpkin spice latte.

And now, it’s time for the reviews.

First, Candy Cloud. Candy Cloud is a local drink cafe that specializes in highly customizable hot and cold drinks. Candy cloud scored a 3 on flavor and a 5 on options.

The taste was nothing special, but the customizability in this one drink is incredible.

Second, 7 Brew. 7 Brew is a coffee & drink drivethrough, with lots of different drinks and personality. 7 Brew does not actually have a pumpkin spice latte on the menu, but you can easily get one by ordering a latte with pumpkin and cinnamon. 7 Brew scored a 4 on flavor and a 5 on options. It was a great tasting latte with a wide variety of customization available.

Third, Starbucks. Everyone knows Starbucks. It’s the first coffee shop that comes to mind, and plausibly the one that made the pumpkin spice latte so popular. Starbucks scored a 3 on flavor and a 4 on options. They serve a pretty good latte with a decent list of substitutions available.

Fourth, Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin Donuts specializes in serving coffee and a doughnut as a pair. Dunkin Donuts scored a 2 on flavor and a 2 on options.

Their latte had a weak pumpkin spice flavor and had poor customization available.

Finally, Oak & Bean. Oak & Bean is a popular coffee shop in downtown Oswego, with a strong following. Oak & Bean scored a 4 on flavor and a 3 on options. It was a great tasting latte but there wasn’t much in terms of options.

Out of all the lattes, 7 brew and Oak & Bean had the richest flavor. Candy cloud and 7 brew had by far the most options, letting you customize to your heart’s content.

And now, the final verdict. The winner is 7 Brew! Despite not actually serving a pumpkin spice latte, adding pumpkin and cinnamon to their custom latte produced a wonderful pumpkin spice experience. I have no choice but to give the win to 7 Brew.

Written by senior Josiah Slezak. Edited by staff writers for the Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.