Fall always brings new and exciting choices within the realm of coffee drinkers, especially for Jones students looking for a fun change in their caffeine ritual. So many coffee shops exist within an off-campus distance for students to choose from, but not all seasonal drinks feel worthy of their hefty price tag. With that in mind, which will reign supreme as the best midday sweet treat?

Starbucks

Jones students always love Starbucks’ seasonal drinks, even before the Dearborn shop shifted into the eerie pick-up station in 2022. Last year presented their peak relevancy, with buy-one-get-one-free deals on fall drinks and the popularity of the pumpkin cold foam cold brew and pumpkin chai. 

Their cups no longer litter the halls of Jones, but after talking to some of the Starbucks regulars, the pumpkin cold brew won the popular vote. However, Starbucks cold brew infamously slacks. It tastes bitter and acidic, two things good cold brews should avoid. Still, I held an open mind. 

It costs $4.95 for a tall, or about $0.41 per ounce. Their presentation looked great, with the lovely gradient pumpkin layer and excessive pumpkin spice powder. But truly, Starbucks’ cold brew tastes awful. I know people love it, but we need to raise our expectations. The pumpkin added a great novelty… just not enough to cover the cold brew’s failure. 

Even without a desire to finish it, the drink cost me too much for me to justify wasting it. For the time it came out, it seemed like a creative autumn twist on a classic, but the hype definitely exceeds the quality.

Peet’s

Peacefully tucked on 8th street, away from other off-campus locations, Peet’s offers a safe haven for anyone hoping to escape Jones for a 30-minute lunch. For a chain coffee shop, it ranks generally high. The prices, however, also rank quite high.

I knew about their new fiery mocha for quite a bit before I ordered it, but Peet’s often over sweetens their drink and I rarely trust them with adding flavoring to coffee. Following in the footsteps of the Starbucks order, I purchased the iced version for $5.75, or about $0.49 per ounce. 

Now, for the average consumer, the drink looks pretty ridiculous. Despite loving a fancy drink, walking around with a whipped cream-covered drink elicits some shame. Still, I held high expectations due to Peet’s strong track record and my love for spiced drinks. Now the spiced syrup they added to the mocha tasted delectable and I would love a latte with just the spices. That being said, in conjunction with the characteristic chocolate of a mocha, the flavor gets lost. This leads to a really good mocha, just not a particularly special or festive one. Although Peet’s easily beat Starbucks, it failed to stand out to me.

Necessary & Sufficient

Necessary & Sufficient sits on Dearborn street, with very few Jones kids in its customer base despite its Jones parent alumni owners. Their seasonal drink and food options definitely win for creativity, with drinks containing sweet corn and crabapple. 

Upon an employee’s recommendation, I chose their spiced pumpkin butternut latte. The iced beverages only come in one size (16 ounces), so it cost me $6.00, or roughly $0.38 an ounce. However, since they automatically charge 15% for tips, it came out to $6.90, or $0.43 an ounce. Although not a small price, they beat the other shops for price per ounce, which shocked me.

I feel split on the creativity of this option. Although pumpkin seems basic, adding a squash to coffee feels like a brave move. Now, do I know what butternut squash tastes like? Only vaguely. The latte tastes different than just pumpkin, but I cannot vouch for its authenticity. I will vouch for how lovely the drink tastes. Separate from the season drink lens, they source their beans from Olympia, a well-respected roastery in Illinois. 

Necessary & Sufficient feels like the highest quality coffee and their drink balances a strong seasonal drink without losing inventiveness, earning them my imaginary fall drink award. It surprises no one that I chose the cute, local, unique coffee shop as my favorite. Sitting in a soft chair while people-watching and vaguely doing homework takes the cake as my favorite hobby. But if you want that cozy iced coffee experience, I would recommend their inventive drink as the best near Jones!