With the weeks leading up to the holidays passing by with Santa Barbara’s consistently sunny 75 degree weather, nothing helps us get into the fall spirit better than a little pumpkin spice in any shape or form. And so my quest begins—here are the top 3 places in IV to treat yourself with a little pumpkin spice and everything nice.
Starbucks: PSA on PSL
Before we begin, I have a confession to make: despite Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte being the hallmark of all things pumpkin spice, I've never tried one before out of fear of being labeled as #basic. But let me tell you, if being basic means I get to drink all the PSLs I can get my hands on, I’m willing to embrace it.
As a non-coffee drinker, I found that this drink had the perfect level of sweetness with just a hint of spice, tickling my taste buds and filling my heart with warm and fuzzy feelings. To make things even better, it smelled like fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven, which is never a bad thing in my book—or any book, for that matter.
Spudnuts Donuts: Go Nuts over Pumpkin Spice
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first found out about Spudnuts’ pumpkin spice donuts, but thankfully, I was in for a treat! Spudnuts offers two types of donuts to get you into the fall spirit: Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Cheesecake Delight.
The pumpkin spice donut smelled like pumpkin bread, and was rather cakey. It had faint hints of pumpkin spice that were visible in the flecks within the donut itself, and had a pretty sweet mapley glaze to round it out. Although this donut could have packed a larger punch in terms of pumpkin spice flavor, it was still a pretty good, reliable donut, like a cuddly hug from one of your best friends.
On the other hand, the Pumpkin Cheesecake-Filled Delight donut was the hero I didn’t know I needed. It tasted like a custard roll, with ooey gooey pumpkin cheesecake filling seeping out from every bite. And just when you thought things couldn’t get better, the top crumb layer had the perfect crunchy texture and cinnamon-y flavor, just like the top crunch of a beautiful slice of coffee cake. These Spudnuts donuts sure are a delight, to say the least!
Blenders in the Grass: Getting into the Fall Spirit is as Easy as Pie
Last but not least, I decided to try something more well-suited for the sunny Santa Barbara weather: a cold smoothie from Blenders! I ordered the Pumpkin Pie smoothie, and it was love at first sip. The drink had a creamy, milkshake-like consistency, with vanilla as its main flavor profile along with hints of pumpkin spice.
Close your eyes and imagine putting a scoop of scrumptious vanilla ice cream on a warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven slice of pumpkin pie. Now take that flavor and put it in smoothie form. Bam! That’s the deliciousness that is the Pumpkin Pie smoothie. I was honestly amazed at how I was able to taste comforting, homey flavors and be refreshed at the same time.
When you want to embrace the spirit of fall and are craving something blessed with pumpkin spice, IV’s got you covered, no matter what you’re in the mood for—a warm latte, a cold, refreshing smoothie, a delectable donut, or all three (I don’t judge).
P.S. I love you.