Fall is a lucrative time for coffee shops and businesses in general, as sweater weather approaches and the thing on people’s minds is pumpkin spiced everything — from salmon to deodorant to tamales.
Madison’s coffee shop scene creates drinks that will complement the most dynamic time of the school year, where weekends are filled with football games, farmers markets and fall vibes. I visited different Madison coffee shops to test which fall drink is the best.
Drinks will be rated two ways: overall taste and “fall vibes.” My point of reference for “fall vibes” is the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks. Starbucks truly has perfected the essence of the PSL, as they made it a cultural phenomenon. Both these drinks receive a 10/10 in both categories, so the goal is finding other spots that yield the same effect.
First, I went to Ancora Cafe + Bakery located right on Capitol Square. Ancora Coffee is a local chain with two additional locations in Shorewood Hills and Maple Bluff. With roots in downtown Madison, the original location opened at 112 King in 1994, just down the street from their current downtown location. Ancora has a seasonal menu but not the traditional pumpkin spice flavored fall drinks. The Iced Honey Vanilla Jasmine Matcha was a fall drink from Ancora. Matcha is something you can never go wrong with, but it overpowered the rest of the flavors. Though notes of honey and vanilla peaked through the taste of matcha, the jasmine was missing. The drink itself gets an 8/10 for overall flavor but only a 5/10 for “fall vibes.” The drink was good, but it wasn’t cozy. To make the drink cozier I would probably opt for hot instead of iced, but when life gives you an 80-degree day in October, you have to work with what you have.
With a prime location on the top of State Street, Michaelangelo’s Coffee House is a perfect location for a quick drink fix on the way to the farmers market. Michelangelo’s has been serving the Madison area for 26 years, remaining independent in a world where chain shops are taking over. Their seasonal menu included three drinks: a Honey Lavender Latte, a Pumpkin Pie Latte, a Maple Latte and a Candy Cane Latte — the choice was easy with the promise of a pumpkin pie in latte form. It did not disappoint but the taste of coffee was certainly more overpowering than that of a pumpkin pie. For overall flavor, it gets a 7/10 — I wish there was more of a pumpkin pie flavor. For “fall vibes” it gets an 8/10 — definitely a cozy drink to cuddle up with.
While not a coffee shop, Taiwan Little Eats announced a Pumpkin Pie Milk Tea and a Sugar Maple Milk Tea. Taiwan Little Eats is a State Street staple, providing a taste of Taiwan to anyone who chooses to stop by. I ordered an Iced Pumpkin Pie Milk Tea. It wasn’t a cozy drink and it had a very subtle pumpkin flavor. The drink itself gets an 8/10 for overall flavor. The drink was not super sweet but also not super pumpkin-y. In terms of “fall vibes,” the drink gets a 6/10. Again, more pumpkin flavor would’ve made it better.
Indie Coffee was my next stop and I was excited. The coffee house has been around since 2004 and supports indie music and film. The spot is well known by students for their waffles and all-day breakfast and lunch. Their summer seasonal menu was still featured — including a S’more Mocha, a Mayan Spiced Mocha, a “Monet Sunrise” with lavender and honey, “The Twist,” a hot chocolate with caramel, vanilla and espresso and a Salted Caramel Latte, which I ordered. For overall flavor, it gets a 7/10 — too much caramel, not enough “salted.” The Salted Caramel Latte does get a 9/10 for “fall vibes,” as it totally embodies a drink most people would want to get cozy with.
My final stop was Fair Trade Coffee house on State Street — a classic study spot for many students. The baked pies and cakes make Fair Trade a great spot. The cafe had a variety of fall drinks including a classic Pumpkin Spice Latte. I ordered a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte. This did not disappoint and was my favorite of all. It was the perfect balance between a sweet pumpkin drink and a spiced chai. One did not overpower the other, but rather they worked together to create a go-to fall drink. For overall flavor, it gets a 9/10 and for “fall vibes” it gets a 10/10.
Each cafe offers a unique version of different fall drinks and there are still several that deserve to be tested. I would recommend any of these spots, but for the purpose of the ranking, Fair Trade wins. As for fall, there’s still a good month and a half left — which means there’s plenty of time to test other drinks to truly see which spot has the best “fall vibes.”
