Arts & Entertainment
It’s Pumpkin Spice Season. These Chicago-Area Coffee Shops Are Serving Up Fall Favorites
Coffee lovers may have experienced caffeine withdrawal this week after Starbucks closed hundreds of its stores across the country, including several locations in Chicago.
If that withdrawal included fall beverages, like the fan-favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte, no need to fret. Here are some Chicago-area coffee shops offering their own take on the PSL (and so much more):
October Cafe
It’s always pumpkin season inside this cafe. The Norwood Park shop opened in 2023 and offers autumnal drinks year-round. Their Pumpkin Spice Latte uses a housemade pumpkin spice syrup with real pumpkin, sugar, cardamon, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, whisked with espresso from Chicago-based Dark Matter Coffee. You can order it on its own or in the “We Fell in Love in October” flight, a nod to owners (and married couple) Michelle Gonzalez and Audrey Borden. The flight features 4-ounce samples of the cafe’s other year-round fall drinks: the Maple Forest (maple syrup, cinnamon and cardamom), the Cuddle Weather (hot chocolate with hazelnut) and the Cozy VP (pumpkin chai tea with milk, cinnamon and vanilla).
If not for the drinks, come for the atmosphere; every nook and cranny of the cafe is outfitted with fall decor, and expect to be greeted with a “Hello, pumpkin!” when you walk through the door. 6046 N. Avondale Ave.
Tala Coffee Roasters
This North Shore-based coffee roaster offers a fall-inspired drink menu of some classic headliners with a twist: a Pumpkin Spice Latte featuring a housemade syrup made with fresh pumpkin, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg; the Baklava Latte, which includes notes of honey, pistachio, hazelnut and walnut, topped with a sprinkle of brown sugar; and the Hayride, an elevated, caffeine-free drink that combines steamed apple cider and heavy cream poured atop a layer of caramel syrup at the bottom of a mug. Each of Tala’s three locations also offer their own signature drink: the Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Latte (Libertyville), the Brown Butter Sage Latte (Highwood) and the Bourbon Maple Molasses Latte (Winnetka).
Tala’s lattes are made with its Amoret espresso blend. Love latte art? Then make sure to visit the roaster’s Libertyville location for its Latte Art Throwdown event Oct. 4, featuring professional and home baristas competing to make the best art out of milk foam. Multiple locations.
Two Mile Coffee Bar
This family-owned Beverly coffee shop offers a Pumpkin Spice Latte featuring a housemade syrup of organic pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and coconut sweetened condensed milk for a touch of unique sweetness, mixed with with Black Cat Analog Espresso from Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee. The coffee shop also whips up the South Cider, a longstanding fall favorite that blends apple cider, masala chai and a pump of caramel syrup, topped with dehydrated orange and cinnamon.
New this year are some of barista and recipe developer Rosie Ainley’s creations: the Spiced Banana Bread latte (banana, dates, cinnamon and maple syrup), the Match Blanca (matcha latte inspired by the Filipino dessert maja blanca, topped with bruleed coconut sugar) and the Barrio Latte (rainbow peppercorn, bay leaves and tamarind). 9907 S. Walden Parkway
Drip Collective
When Tyrone Banks opened Drip Collective in 2024, he said he wanted to create an interactive community gathering space. More than a year later, Banks said his West Loop coffee shop meets “different people where they’re at,” whether they’re inside to listen to a DJ, partake in a pop-up event or satisfy caffeine cravings with unique concoctions, like the USL (Ube Spiced Latte). The latte uses a housemade syrup featuring nutmeg, clove and the purple yam ube. The final product is a beautiful purple-white swirl worthy of social media posts and those on the fence about PSLs.
Some of Drip Collective’s other seasonal drinks include: the Hochija, which blends a roasted matcha variety, macadamia milk and a housemade pandan vanilla syrup, topped with a coconut creme; the Milo, mixing together espresso, cocoa, chocolate malt, vanilla and sea salt; and the Black Cardamom, featuring a syrup made with Turkish bay leaves, orange zest and toasted spices. Drip Collective hosts coffee roasters from around the world, including Chicago. 172 N. Racine Ave.
