Pumpkin spice lattes are back

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When pumpkin spice lattes are back on the menu, it’s a sure bet fall can’t be far behind.

The Tuesday launch of the perennial fall favorite by Starbucks is the flavor’s earliest official debut, but Highland County coffee aficionados don’t have to drive all the way to the Mt. Orab Starbucks to satisfy their pumpkin spice craving.

Deborah Sweazy, the manager of Speedway at the corner of West Main and Elm streets in Hillsboro, told The Times-Gazette that Wednesday will be the big day at her location.

“It’s already on hand in the back of the store,” she said, “and normally corporate doesn’t want us to put it out until after September 1st, but we’ll have pumpkin spice in the machine Wednesday.”

At Holtfield Coffee Station on South High Street, manager Robin Randle said her customers don’t have to wait until the leaves change to enjoy their favorite fall latte.

“We have pumpkin spice all year-round,” she said. “But I began noticing more people were ordering it again in our drive-thru last week sometime.”

The Lynchburg native has been Holtfield’s coffee shop manager for the past five years and said the pumpkin spice flavor puts people in the mood for fall.

“You start thinking of football, school starting, and sweaters and the pretty leaves, and with a fresh pumpkin spice latte in your hand, it’s just a nice feeling,” Randle said. “We’ll be real busy with it starting in September and through the fall months, then it’ll start to taper off around Thanksgiving when people’s minds are on Christmas.”

According to Randle, when snow flurries are in the air and holiday shows return to TV, local tastes gravitate toward peppermint mocha flavors.

“We’ll feature that through the Christmas season,” she said, “and then after the first of the year when the holidays are over, we’ll get back to our best seller, the coffee station mocha.”

For those that are avid coffee devotees, be it black or fancy, Holtfield coffee station has a sign that sums up the feeling: “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy coffee… and that’s pretty close.”

Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.

Barista Laura Baugh whips up the perfect pumpkin spice latte at Holtfield Coffee Station on Tuesday.
http://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2018/08/web1_Laura-Baugh-photo-1.jpgBarista Laura Baugh whips up the perfect pumpkin spice latte at Holtfield Coffee Station on Tuesday.
Seasonal favorite returns to local coffee shops

By Tim Colliver

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