September 25, 2023
Fall is upon us. The dependably green tree-lined streets of Oakville are taking on a more complex palate of colors. Summer’s heavy heat is easing and giving way to a cool and fresh new clime. Dust off your sweater collection and keep cozy with this season’s most symbolic beverage: the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL).
New to the PSL? No problem. In a nut(meg) shell: a PSL is an espresso-based beverage that contains a medley of spices, including: cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Pour over steamed milk, add a dash of sugar, and you have one delicious fall treat.
Like school supplies, nothing rings in the fall season more reliably than the PSL, but how did this phenomenon come to be? Starbucks first created the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003 in response to the popularity of its other seasonal beverages. The PSL eventually went on to become the company’s top grossing seasonal beverage prompting iterations from the broader coffee community.
With every fall season, the PSL wave has gained more momentum. The Oakville food and beverage community is no exception. From pumpkin spiced baked goods to Pumpkin NICE Lattes, Oakville is the place to usher in the fall with all things PSL.
Our Top Picks:
● Vereda Central Coffee Roasters: In addition to their traditional Pumpkin Spice Latte, Vereda Central offers a pumpkin spice scone and a variety of other fall-themed goodies.
● Wet Coffee: Let’s face it, fall is a mixed bag of temperatures. Wet delivers their Pumpkin NICE Latte piping hot for those cozy, crisp days and iced to cool off on the balmy ones.
● The Sweetest Thing: This Kerr Village hot-spot has baked up a range of pumpkin-themed desserts to ring in the fall season, including: pumpkin pies, a pumpkin cheesecake, and sugar cookies decorated like pumpkins. In keeping with our theme, the standout option is their pumpkin spice cupcake.
● Sweet! Bakery: As fall purists, Sweet! Bakery is waiting until October to launch their pumpkin cupcake and cookie treats. We’ll be waiting with bated breath!
Other Locations:
● Tribeca: Tribeca offers a traditional Pumpkin Spice Latte and two varieties of Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts (regular and gluten-free) by their in-house doughnut shop, Wallflower.
● Second Cup: According to their website, Second Cup’s PSL has “notes of spice and sweetness” and makes the perfect companion to a “good book on a cool autumn day”.
● Whole Foods Market Coffee Bar: WFM Coffee Bar makes a pumpkin spice latte flavored with a shot of pumpkin syrup and topped with cinnamon.
● Starbucks: As mentioned, Starbucks is the birthplace of the PSL. Need we say more?
● Peach Coffee Co. Bronte: In keeping with the fall trend of sugar, spice and all things nice, Peach Coffee Co. offers three different fall latte options: Pumpkin Spice, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon.
● Black Forest Pastry Shop: Celebrating their 20th anniversary, this Oakville staple offers a range of pumpkin-themed desserts for the fall, including their Pumpkin Spiced Latte cake.
● COBS Bread Bakery Lakeshore: COBS delightful pumpkin scone is the perfect companion to your PSL clad side-walk meandering this fall.
● Nadege Patisserie: New to the downtown Oakville scene, Nadege Patisserie adds their pumpkin spiced latte cake and macaroon to the mouthwatering mix.
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