by Katie Aubin

Reporter

Autumn arrived this year as it always does in Bakersfield: too hot and with pumpkin spice lattes. The drink is now as much an icon of the fall season as the changing leaves and presents a powerful fusion of fall flavors, making it one of the most anticipated seasonal foods of all time.

Not all lattes are created equal so I compared products from Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee to find out who had the top brew.

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is considered the classic, and it definitely delivered the pumpkin flavor, as well as strong tastes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

However, drinking it was more like drinking a liquified slice of pumpkin pie – it was incredibly sweet and even tinted bright orange. As a veteran of processed sugar, I was impressively unphased by the bold colors and flavors of the drink, but it was admittedly difficult to finish. The espresso was just strong enough to balance the sweet assault of pumpkin spice, despite my barista’s best efforts to sugar-poison me.

Peet’s latte, on the other hand, was much milder all around. It had stronger notes of vanilla, and its seasonings were lighter. The espresso in Peet’s latte also took more of a lead role – you know, like in a latte. All around, the drink was an incredibly tasty, perhaps more grown-up coffee drink than what Starbucks offered.

While both beverages are autumnal and delicious, Starbucks charged me about two dollars more for a 16oz drink than Peet’s did – possibly to pay for the extra 80 calories. Honestly though, who keeps counting after 300?

Every fall the pumpkin spice trend gets bigger and better, despite the best efforts of jaded coffee snobs and people who generally don’t like to have a good time. Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee both delivered fabulous fall treats that are sure to please anyone with an appetite for the sweet and spicy blend.