The long-awaited Fall drinks are here! We’ve been having people ask about the Pumpkin Spice Latte since July, so we know that there are some excited folks out there. This year, we have your top-three favorite drinks returning, along with a unique drink for each cafe location!

The Pumpkin Spice Latte—or PSL as it is often affectionately called—has become a staple of every fall cafe menu whether large chains, mom-and-pop shops, or specialty cafes like ours. There’s nothing that quite says fall like sipping a delicious pumpkin drink in the crisp air of autumn. When we set out to make a PSL recipe we could stand by, we started with real pumpkin puree (none of that artificial flavor that ends up just tasting like chemicals!) then added brown sugar and spices from there to achieve a real and delicious flavor that compliments the espresso without needing to be overly sweet. If you haven’t tried our PSL, you definitely should.

Ever since the creation of the Kumbaya, we have had a deep fan base for this drink. It’s hard not to love a liquid s’more. This drink is a spin on our beloved mocha, taking our homemade chocolate sauce and adding marshmallow fluff mixed in with your espresso and milk so that every sip is like a freshly-made s’more over the fire.

Every season we try to offer a seasonal drink that doesn’t have coffee in it, but we rarely expect those to be the most popular drinks—I mean we are Tala Coffee, after all! This drink immediately broke that expectation and has continued to grow in popularity over the years. This hot apple cider has become one of the most popular drinks for our regulars. We have found that many substitute their daily latte for a Hayride in the fall because they love it so much. You know its good when people give up their coffee for it!

Fall Cafe Exclusives

This year we had the staff at each of our cafe design their own fall drink to feature at their cafe. The team at each cafe worked together to come up with flavors they thought their customer-base would enjoy the most as a fun fall addition to our returning classics. Read about each drink below, and make sure to stop by each cafe to judge for yourself which one is the best!

Highwood

Harvest Moon Latte

Cozy up with sweet potato syrup, espresso, and milk, topped with roasted marshmallows, just like your grandmother’s best sweet potato casserole.

“All of our initial ideas mostly centered around Thanksgiving. We thought about a pecan or apple pie but ultimately settled on sweet potato after discussing our favorite Thanksgiving foods. The brown sugar and cloves give the flavor of fall, while the sweet potato and marshmallows (hopefully!) will evoke feelings of togetherness, coziness, and family, but without your crazy uncle!”

-Grace, Manager at Highwood

Libertyville

Baklava Latte

Pistachio, hazelnut, and honey syrup come together with espresso and milk, finished with walnut bitters and a cinnamon crumble for the liquid version of your favorite Greek dessert.

“For our fall drink, we of course wanted to embody the essence of fall. We debated several drink ideas with different flavors such as fall fruits, nuts, chai, and spices. In the end, we did a poll to vote on our favorite option which ended up being the baklava latte!”

-Emily, Assistant Manager at Libertyville

Winnetka

Witches’ Brew

Miso-maple syrup meets espresso and milk for an enchanting mix of sweet and savory.

“When coming up with our drink, the name came first. Viscaria came up with the name ‘Witches Brew.’ Throughout the week, we all chatted about cozy flavors and miso came up. A miso soup is so cozy! However, not everyone wants to drink broth in the morning. Adding maple and a touch of caramel makes this drink taste creamy and adds some familiar fall flavor that we love.”

-Molly, Manager at Winnetka