Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

Fall is just around the corner. It’s the best season of the year, mostly because of the food that correlates with fall: candy corn, apples, cinnamon, potatoes and pumpkins, just to name a few.

However, not all seasonal treats are created equally. Pumpkin spice lattes are the worst fall drink.

Now, do not misinterpret this. I love pumpkin-flavored things. I have so many recipes saved for pumpkin baked goods. My favorite pie is pumpkin. I find the aesthetic that comes with these drinks very cute, and it always marks the start of fall for me. But pumpkin spice lattes are never what I want them to be.

“When there are so many better drinks out there, why would I waste my money on a pumpkin spice latte?”

Each time I get one, it never has the fall vibes I want it to have; it just tastes like plain coffee. Every time I vocalize this, somebody says, “Audrey, of course it tastes like coffee — it is coffee!”

To this, I say: No. If I get a flavored latte, I want it to taste like the flavor and coffee. Caramel lattes taste like caramel and coffee. Pumpkin spice lattes do not — they are just bitter. It is totally possible that I have just gotten unlucky and never had a well-prepared pumpkin spice, but because I’ve gotten them multiple times from different places, I think that is very unlikely.

Besides, there are many better drinks to have in the fall that have a far cozier vibe. Apple cider is one of the best drinks to have in fall weather; I love an apple and cinnamon combination. Cider is sweet, a little tangy and very cozy. It’s perfect no matter the weather because it is tasty no matter the temperature. Whether you’re wrapped in blankets and watching the leaves fall or wearing shorts and flip flops, apple cider is great for fall weather.

Pumpkin spice lattes are none of these things. They do not give the warm feeling that cider does because the only warmth in them comes from the temperature. They have no sweetness to them.

Chai tea is also a fabulous fall drink for many of the same reasons as apple cider. The spices in the base of the drink already give you that warm, fuzzy feeling you crave in chilly weather. By making it into a latte, it is ready-to-drink for any weather. It becomes richer with the milk and better when iced. Chai makes a delicious year-round drink.

But when you add something like pumpkin cold foam to a chai, like what they do at Starbucks, it becomes a top-tier fall drink. That layer of cold foam is made with pumpkin pie spice, so it has that same warm feeling that a pumpkin pie gives you. The added spices elevate the base flavor of the chai, giving it a truly cozy feeling.

Hot chocolate, I would even argue, is a better fall drink than a pumpkin spice latte. While it is more of a later fall drink than apple cider, it still keeps you nice and cozy. If you want more of a fall feeling from your hot chocolate, make a Mexican hot chocolate. The cinnamon and chili give it the same warm sensation that cider gives. The sweetness of the chocolate is cut by the chili, which, when combined with the cinnamon, creates more depth of flavor. 

Pumpkin spice lattes fail in every department. When I get a fall drink, I want it to be sweet, a little spicy and very flavorful. Pumpkin spice lattes are none of these things. They are bitter, bland and always disappointing. For all the hype they receive, they always underperform. When there are so many better drinks out there, why would I waste my money on a pumpkin spice latte?

Reach Audrey Weishaar at letters@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.