Since 2003, Starbucks has been releasing its fall drinks annually from late August through early November. These drinks include the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, the Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato, and the Apple Crisp Chai. But of all these drinks are any really worth the high price of over $5-$6 for a grande?
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks’ most famous fall drink with a price of $6.50. It’s known for its pumpkin taste with creamy foam and cinnamon seasoning that tops it off. However, is nearly $7 worth it for something you can only savor for a day? The simple answer is, probably not. I ran a study that allowed people to rate the drink and the average came out to only 6.25 out of 10. Sure, if you are truly a fall drink lover this could be your go-to drink, but its high price makes it hard to drink every day.
The second study I ran was on the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai. This drink is similar to the Pumpkin Spice Latte, but because of the chai, this drink is more suitable for non-coffee drinkers. Its creamy pumpkin flavor topped with cold foam really makes this drink amazing. And the results reflect this with the average being 8.5 out of 10. The price of this drink comes out to $5.45 which is over a dollar cheaper than the Pumpkin Spice Latte. So, with the cheaper price and higher overall rating, I’d say this drink is worth it.
Third, I tested out the Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato. Of all the drinks I didn’t expect this one to succeed, something about apple and oak milk didn’t sit right with me, and as I predicted, this one got the lowest overall rating. 5.25 out of 10 is not a score worth buying. The price is $5.95 for a grande which is definitely not worth it. Unless you do love this drink with its overly sweet flavor, I would say this is the drink I’m least likely to repurchase.
Last but not least is the Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai. When I heard the name of this drink I did not expect an 8 out of 10 average rating. When I got around to trying this drink I understood why people loved it. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness and apple flavoring. Unlike the Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato, this one isn’t overly sweet. The cream balances it out and in my opinion, this is my favorite of Starbucks’ fall drinks. The price is the highest however at $6.75 for a grande which is just too much to make this my go-to drink. As much as I would recommend it, I think this drink would be better for certain occasions or once a week just because of how expensive it is.
All in all, the drinks come down to your personal taste. If you enjoy fall drinks with sweet pumpkin or crisp apple flavoring you would love any of these drinks. My recommendation, however, would have to be the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai or the Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai but it really just depends on your preference.