5 Pumpkin Spice Lattes That Are Better Than Starbucks

Now that the weather has cooled a bit, we’re ready to go full-force into pumpkin spice latte season. These local shops up the ante with house-made syrups, real pumpkin and local ingredients. Just make sure you hurry before the Christmas specials take over.

Photo: Katrina Valcourt

The Curb

It’s not just the mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove that makes The Curb’s fall/winter special kabocha spice latte a warm hug in a mug. The coffee shop uses real kabocha, and our barista recommends it with oat milk, which gives the drink a deeper, more complex flavor.

$8.25 for 10 ounces, 3408 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī, thecurbkaimuki.com, @thecurbkaimuki

Photo: Katrina Valcourt

Honolulu Coffee Co.

Pumpkin purée makes this pumpkin spice latte taste legit, yet it’s still light and creamy, topped with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. There’s also a pumpkin spice cold brew on the menu.

$6.75 for 8 ounces, multiple locations, honolulucoffee.com, @honolulucoffee

Photo: Katrina Valcourt

Common Ground

AC Hotel’s fall flavor list—pumpkin spice, “toasted” pistachio, Thai tea and honey-ginger—can spice up any drink, but we stuck with a latte for comparison. Torani pumpkin pie syrup and sauce is blended into the latte with cinnamon, which gets rid of the grittiness of the powder you usually find when sprinkled on top.

$7 for 12 ounces, 1111 Bishop St., Downtown, commongroundhnl.com, @commongroundhnl

Photo: Katrina Valcourt

Pō‘ai by Pono Potions

Instead of pumpkin spice, Pono Potions makes a holiday ‘ulu spice syrup with local breadfruit, ginger and clove. Combined with oat milk and stone-milled organic hojicha, the ‘Ulucha comes iced and topped with an ‘ulu-pineapple cold foam and cinnamon. It tastes quite different from your average PSL, but the toasty flavor and light sweetness make this a great local option for a seasonal special.

$8 for 16 ounces, 1119 Smith St., Chinatown, ponopotions.com, @ponopotions

Photo: Katrina Valcourt

Bizia Surf & Coffee Bar

This fall, Bizia came out with a house-made pumpkin syrup. Though we were tempted by the pumpkin goat milk affogato, we went with the pumpkin chai latte, and that is the only autumn drink special we will be ordering from now on, thank you. Getting it hot makes all the cozy spices bloom in your mouth, especially zingy ginger and cardamom.

$6.75 for 12 ounces, 401 N. Cane St. Unit A2, Wahiawā, biziasurf.com, @biziasurf

SEE ALSO: Wandering Wahiawā: A Local’s Guide to Neighborhood Eats

Katrina Valcourt is the executive editor of HONOLULU Magazine.