Fall Drink Menu 2025
The fall drink launch is here! 🍂 While pumpkin spice might start showing up as early as August, we know that this time of year is about more than just one flavor. As the air turns crisp and cozy routines return, our fall menu is all about capturing the comfort and warmth of the season—whether that’s with a classic you look forward to every year or something new to discover. Check out our two returning fall faves, one (kind of) new fall drink, and the café-exclusive concoctions you’re sure to love!
Hayride
Whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart, who doesn’t enjoy a good, old-fashioned, autumn hayride? This comforting drink is sure to stir up fond memories with every sip. Made by steaming apple cider, heavy-whipping cream, fall spices, and caramel syrup into one heart-warming cup of awesome.
Each season, we like to offer at least one non-coffee option, though we never expect it to rival the coffee drinks (we are Tala Coffee, after all!). But this one quickly surprised us. Our hot apple cider—better known as the Hayride—has steadily grown into one of the most popular drinks on our fall menu. In fact, many of our regulars swap their daily latte for a Hayride once autumn rolls around. You know it’s something special when people are willing to set aside their coffee for it!
Baklava Latte
Inspired by the classic dessert, this drink layers rich flavors of honey, pistachio, walnut, and brown sugar with warm spices that pair beautifully with our espresso and steamed milk. The result is a drink that’s indulgent yet balanced—sweet, nutty, and aromatic, like a cozy fall treat in a cup.
This drink first debuted last year as the Libertyville café’s fall exclusive—and it was such a hit that we knew it had to make its way to all our locations this season. Perfecting it took more trial and error than most drinks. With so many types of nuts to balance, it took several rounds to find the combination that allowed each nut’s subtle flavor to shine against the backdrop of honey, capturing the essence of the classic dessert. In the end, a simple topping of honey and cinnamon sugar—added almost by chance—brought everything together perfectly.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
It's here! Some say it’s “basic” and cliche, but we say “OMG, it’s delicious, for realz.” Our syrup is made in-house with pumpkin puree, spiced rum, brown sugar, and our special blend of pumpkin pie spices and then combined with espresso and steamed milk. We literally can’t even.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte—or PSL, as it’s affectionately known—has become a hallmark of fall, found everywhere from big chains to small-town cafés to specialty shops like ours. There’s truly nothing that signals the season quite like enjoying a pumpkin drink in the crisp autumn air. When we set out to create a PSL we could be proud of, we started with real pumpkin purée (never the artificial flavoring that tastes more like chemicals than pumpkin). From there, we built a recipe with brown sugar and warm spices that highlight the espresso, creating a drink that’s cozy, balanced, and flavorful without being overly sweet. If you haven’t tried our PSL yet, this is your sign.
Fall Cafe Exclusives
The tradition of special, location-exclusive drinks continues this fall with three exciting new creations to taste! Be sure to visit each of our cafés this season to sample them all and find your favorite—you might just discover a new seasonal obsession.
Highwood
Brown Butter? I Hardly Know Her
This brown-butter sage latte is the perfect cozy fall drink. With fresh-grown sage, dairy-free butter, and the rich sweetness of brown sugar, this drink screams fall!
“Brown butter and brown sugar caramelize to create a lovely, nutty flavor. The sage adds a more complex, herby flavor that complements the sweetness of the butter and sugar. We hope we captured the essence of a cozy fall evening!
As for the name--we hardly knew what we were doing :)”
-Maya, Barista at Highwood
Libertyville
Pom Noir
The Pom Noir features Ritual sipping chocolate combined with pomegranate for a decadent and bold fall latte.
“Each season, it’s always interesting to incorporate whatever produce or foods are available and most popular. In exploring ideas for our fall drink, we came across pomegranate in a harvest guide. To make it special and delicious in a Tala latte, we decided that dark chocolate had to join the pomegranate. With tangy, sweet fruitiness and rich, bitter cocoa, we hope the community will fall in love with another Libertyville seasonal exclusive!”
-Mel, Co-Manager at Libertyville
Winnetka
Drunk Canadian
The Drunk Canadian—so-named for its bourbon reduction base—brings together hearty fall flavors like molasses and maple for a subtly sweet treat.
“The Winnetka Cafe wanted to bring you a twist on some iconic fall flavors to this year’s menu! Whether you’re looking to have an afternoon roaming the midwest apple orchards, watch the fall colors on the lake, or stay warm with loved ones around the classic autumnal campfire, we think you’ll love our Bourbon-Maple-Molasses latte with a dash of cinnamon that brings it all together. Enjoy it hot or iced, and ask your barista about any good milk-alternative pairings!”
- Maira, Co-Manager at Winnetka