Food Dudes: A Review of Pumpkin flavored drinks in Springfield
Editorial November 8, 2021, Comments OffTraveller’s House: Reviewed by Gabriella Wuller
With the beginning of November finally here, The Mirror staff writers began a journey of well-known local places within the city of Springfield, Mo which has different variations of Pumpkin flavored drinks for this fall season.
Photo by Gabriella Wuller
I went to Traveller’s House Coffee and Tea which is off of National and less than ten minutes from Drury’s campus. The staff and environment inside were all very welcoming. With lots of open windows and lights, the ambiance was very pleasing.
Now I don’t drink coffee so I was interested to see what options of pumpkin-flavored drinks Traveller’s House would have to try. And I was certainly not disappointed with the option I chose.
I purchased a 12-ounce drink for approximately $4 that was a White Pumpkin Cocoa. And it was phenomenal.
Photo by Gabriella Wuller
This drink was a fantastic fall-flavored hot chocolate for an affordable price. The creaminess of the drink matched well with the combining flavors of pumpkin and a subtle hint of chocolate.
And similar to the environment, the nostalgia of drinking warm cocoa instantly made me love this drink. And I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves fall, pumpkin-flavored drinks, or hot chocolate.
I also went with a fellow Drury student, senior Lucy Shaver who tried another fall treat offered at Traveller’s House.
Photo by Gabriella Wuller
Shaver purchased a Pumpkin Chai Scone for approximately $4 as well. And she had thoughts of thoughts regarding this treat.
“The pumpkin chair scone had the perfect amount of pumpkin paired with a delicious chair frosting on top of it. It tasted like the perfect fall treat!”
Overall, both Shaver and I had wonderful experiences with our fall-flavored treats at Traveller’s House Coffee and Tea and would recommend it to anyone during the season.
Eurasia Coffee Co: Reviewed By Gisele Ortega
Photo by Gisele Ortega
I visited Eurasia Coffee Co., a delightfully rustic, sunlit café located a mere half mile from the north end of Drury’s campus, making it the perfect destination after a walk in the crisp Springfield fall air.
Once you’re there, you can try one of their seasonal drinks, among many other things. Out of their four autumnal drinks available, I chose to try the Masala Pumpkin Spice Latte. The “season’s favorite” was topped with an Indian-inspired Masala blend of spices, those being cloves, allspice, ginger and cinnamon, according to the friendly barista.
Photo by Gisele Ortega
Opening the lid on my to-go coffee cup, I discovered a feather-like design poured onto the top of the light foam layer, a detail that many people who order their drinks to-go in a hurry may miss. The latte’s design was complemented by the plant life inside the café, bringing life to the polished, wooden interior decor.
The coffee itself was delicious, reminiscent of a light, steaming, homemade pumpkin pie. It made me want to buy a pastry to go along with my drink, as pie crust goes with the filling of pumpkin pie, which I think I will do next time. It had the perfect amount of enough sweetness to still taste like coffee rather than overpowering your palate with added flavors, as some places might make the mistake to do. Still, the taste held hardly any bitterness. The body of the latte was very light, as expected, thanks to the layer of foam on top and the milk inside the drink.
Photo by Gisele Ortega
The atmosphere at Eurasia Coffee Co. was noticeably pleasant, it had a quiet yet lively ambience as the patrons chatted with one another, and the baristas quickly and cheerily prepared and served orders. The front entryway had two pumpkins, a simple yet classic fall decoration.
The single thing that would deter me from ordering again is what I think to be the high cost of the particular drink I ordered. My sixteen ounce limited-edition latte came out to $5.59, after tax, before tip. I am perhaps a once-a-week coffee drinker, and I can’t imagine anyone would be willing to pay this price sometimes multiple times per day. Perhaps this was due to its seasonal nature; their regular latte looked to be only $3.25 for a twelve-ounce serving. However, I will not hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend this business to anyone looking for a sweet fall treat or a simpler everyday drink.
It is also worth mentioning that the price of an item here may be worth it, to support the charitable cause that Eurasia Coffee Co. takes its name from. According to the “about” section of the coffee business’s website they are “dedicated to raising awareness and generating resources to fund holistic transformation in the 44 nations and territories of Eurasia.”
The seasonal drinks will be available until Thanksgiving, inventory permitting. You can try the same drink I did, or opt for the miso caramel latte, the horchata latte or the salted caramel apple cider. If fall drinks aren’t your spoonful of whipped cream, you can try the many different food and beverage options on their tried-and-true regular menu.
All in all, I recommend Eurasia Coffee Co., on 445 E Commercial Street, for its positive vibe, tasty treats, and overall feel. I would love to go back and try all four of their seasonal drinks, one-by-one, while the “warmth” of the air outside still matches the warm feel of the coffee I now adore.
La Boba Cafe: Reviewed by Julia Chamberlain
I visited La Boba Café on the corner of Sunshine Street and Kansas Expressway. I’m a regular here, as I love their wide selection of milk teas and toppings, but I was a bit skeptical before ordering one of their fall drinks. I’ve often found artificial pumpkin flavoring to be a bit strong, almost as if I were eating or drinking a candle, and was wondering how this would match the
subtle bitterness of the boba pearls.
Photo by Julia Chamberlain
For this article, I was specifically told to order a pumpkin spice drink, which I had every intention of doing, until I saw the “Pumpkin Cream Pie” milk tea on the menu. The woman behind the counter told me it was just their pumpkin spice flavor with added vanilla and cinnamon.
Their ‘regular’ size is $3.50, which I found to be quite affordable for the size and richness of the milk tea. The drink came with extra cinnamon on top and was a pale cream color. The flavors
were extremely well-balanced throughout the drink, and the chewiness of the boba made it feel like I was really eating a pumpkin cream pie. It was incredibly trippy.
The pumpkin flavor itself was very light, while still noticeable and sweet. I could also taste the vanilla, which was a great complement to the pumpkin. I often find cinnamon in drinks to be
overpowering, but I thought it was the perfect amount. My fears about these flavors enhancing the bitterness of the boba were assuaged as I felt the pearls actually absorbed some of the
flavors. Sometimes when I drink boba (and I am told I am part of a very small population that actually experiences this) I can taste a difference in flavor as the milk tea turns out and the drink is dominated by the boba. This drink didn’t fall into that category.
As it turns out, I would absolutely recommend this drink to anyone who likes the mild, yet noticeable flavor of fall spices. As cheesy as it may sound, my only downside to this drink is that it’s seasonal.
Coffee Ethic: Reviewed by Sammie Ellis
One of the most iconic coffee houses in Springfield is Coffee Ethic. They are well-loved year-round, but their seasonal drinks are an extra special treat.
Coffee Ethic’s pumpkin spice latte in particular is divine. I’m not someone who likes overly sweet things, so most pumpkin spice lattes are a little too much for me. However, Coffee Ethic does a
great job of balancing the bitterness of the espresso with the sweet flavors of the pumpkin spice.
I got the latte hot as it was a cold day and I wanted something to help me warm up, but I’m sure it would be just as good iced. Overall, I would highly recommend Coffee Ethic’s pumpkin spice
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