Fall technically doesnโ€™t begin for a few more weeks, but that hasnโ€™t stopped cafes across Philadelphia from starting to roll out autumn beverage specials.

The baseline is, of course, pumpkin spice latte. Merriam-Webster just added โ€œpumpkin spiceโ€ to the dictionary, confirming the PSL as a cultural fixture and not just some Starbucks-centric millennial obsession.


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Philadelphiaโ€™s seasonal drink selection is wide. Youโ€™ll find a spooky espresso lemonade in West Philly, cozy chai lattes in Fairmount, spiced cider in East Falls, and pumpkin matcha on college campuses โ€” plus seasonally appropriate snacks to go with.

Thatโ€™s right, itโ€™s drinkable gourd season, M-Fers. If people sipping pumpkin-flavored coffee when itโ€™s still above 80 degrees outside bothers you, feel free to close this tab. Everyoneโ€™s entitled to their opinion. Here, we embrace fall fun. (We might just pick up some early Halloween candy, too.)

What that disclaimer is out of the way, hereโ€™s a peek at what Philly coffee shops are offering to ring in the pending fall.

Batter & Crumbs: Pumpkin cold brew, pumpkin bread, and the classic PSL

1401 Reed St. (Point Breeze)

Stop by this South Philly bakery and coffeehouse for vegan pumpkin spice lattes, creamy pumpkin cold brew, and cinnamon-spiced pumpkin bread. If youโ€™re lucky, there might also be pumpkin spice oatmeal cream pies in stock. Not in the mood for pumpkin? Banana bread lattes โ€” hot or iced โ€” are on the menu, too.

Bold Coffee Bar: The Sweater Weather, Golden Harvest Lotus, and multiple variations on pumpkin

1623 Ridge Ave. (Francisville)

Bold Coffee Bar has fall-flavored coffee enthusiasts covered. You can order โ€œThe OGโ€ PSL, made with real pumpkin, or switch things up with the โ€œPumpkin Patchโ€ (a mix of white chocolate, hazelnut, and pumpkin spice), the โ€œSweater Weatherโ€ (which combines maple, cinnamon, vanilla), or โ€œThe OG Frotte’โ€ (a blended PSL).

For those days when espressoโ€™s not your vibe, opt for the โ€œGolden Harvest Lotus,โ€ an energy drink brewed from green coffee beans with added cranberry, cinnamon, and caramel apple flavors.

Ramona Susanโ€™s Bake Shop: A PSL you can pair with a cupcake

1255 Marlborough St. (Fishtown); 1424 South St. (Graduate Hospital)

Pumpkin spice lattes are on the menu at this pair of cafe-bakeries this season โ€” and in a somewhat rare move for a PSL purveyor, thereโ€™s no additional charge for non-dairy milks.

If a PSL alone still isnโ€™t enough pumpkin, the bakery will also be making pumpkin cupcakes with honey-whiskey cream cheese frosting. Heads up: The Fishtown location didnโ€™t have the cupcakes when Billy Penn visited in early September, but theyโ€™re expected soon.

Pumpkin spiced latte at Ramona Susan’s Credit: Asha Prihar / Billy Penn

ReAnimator Coffee: PSLs and chai spiced cider

Multiple locations

This local coffee chain just resumed selling classic pumpkin spice lattes for the season. This year, thereโ€™s also a non-pumpkin, non-coffee autumnal beverage on the menu in the form of a cozy chai spiced cider.

Looking to try both? You can hit up a ReAnimator location in Passyunk Square, Kensington, Fishtown, Port Richmond, or Garden Court.

Grindcore House West: The โ€˜Carrie Whiteโ€™

4134 Chester Ave. (Spruce Hill)

Yes, thereโ€™s an option at this vegan West Philly coffeehouse to add pumpkin flavor to your latte (or regular coffee, or tea, or whatever). But if youโ€™re looking for a drink with some seriously spooky vibes, check the โ€œCarrie Whiteโ€: a lemonade, espresso, and blood orange syrup concoction inspired by the Stephen King protagonist.

Also on this fallโ€™s menu are apple spice muffins and pumpkin maple sandwich cookies, both from Manayunkโ€™s Crust Vegan Bakery.

Bagels & Co.: Frozen PSL

1001 N. 2nd St (Northern Liberties)

GLU Hospitalityโ€™s NoLibs bagel spot has added the โ€œpumpkin spice latte freezeโ€ to its menu this month, and itโ€™s perfect for those late September summer days. You can further customize this drink with a range of fall flavors, like pumpkin french toast (pumpkin, hazelnut, and white mocha) or โ€œautumnโ€ (a pumpkin and salted caramel swirl).

Need an extra autumnal snack? The shop also has maple bacon, apple cinnamon, and pumpkin spice cream cheeses to smear on bagels.

Saxbys: Pumpkin matcha, pumpkin cold brew, and even pumpkin overnight oats

Multiple locations

Matcha plus pumpkin? Apparently so. The unlikely green-and-orange combo is back at the Philly-based campus coffee shop chain this year, along with a slew of other pumpkin things: milk and pumpkin cold brew, iced or hot pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin and spice overnight oats.

Find a location near various colleges, including Temple, St. Joeโ€™s, La Salle, Drexel, Penn, and the Community College of Philadelphia.

La Colombe: Canned PSLs and RIP at-home roast

Multiple locations, online, and in grocery stores

You wonโ€™t find baristas making you one to order, but the Philly-based coffee company has brought back its canned pumpkin spice draft latte. Theyโ€™re available with either oat or lactose-free dairy milk, per the companyโ€™s website.

To try this canned wonder, order it online, or head to the closest Trader Joeโ€™s, Giant, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. As for when you can expect to see it on draft in shops, the La Colombe Instagram account told commenters to โ€œstay tuned?.โ€

Coffee enthusiasts can also order some of the companyโ€™s newly resurrected R.I.P. (Roasted in Philadelphia) coffee beans to brew at home, which include a Halloween-themed medium roast with caramel cream, blackberry jam, and spice cake flavoring.

Lucky Goat Coffee House: The Gobbler and the Autumn Sweater

888 N. 26th St. (Brewerytown)

At this family-owned spot at 26th and Poplar, you can go for โ€œThe Gobblerโ€ (your choice of the typical PSL or a pumpkin spice cappuccino), or treat yourself to an apple-flavored chai latte. That said, Billy Pennโ€™s official recommendation is the โ€œAutumn Sweaterโ€: a vanilla chai latte with cinnamon that somehow tastes like putting on an oversized sweater, even when itโ€™s iced.

The ‘Autumn Sweater’ โ€” in iced form โ€” at Lucky Goat Credit: Asha Prihar / Billy Penn

Thunder Mug Cafe: Spiced caramel apple cider and pumpkin or maple spiced anything

4233 Ridge Ave. (East Falls)

Stop by this Northwest Philly cafe for a warm spiced caramel apple cider. Not feeling that one? You can add pumpkin spice, maple spice, or spiced brown sugar flavor shots to most drinks on the menu.

PSL? White chocolate spiced brown sugar mocha? The world is your oyster pumpkin.

Asha Prihar is a general assignment reporter at Billy Penn. She has previously written for several daily newspapers across the Midwest, and she covered Pennsylvania state government and politics for The...