Got pumpkin fever? Try these housemade PSLs at Tacoma area coffee shops
It seemed like a fad, until it wasn’t.
While many coffee shops give into this now ubiquitous fall flavor, a few go that extra mile, making their own pumpkin spice syrup. Some opt for more of a chai situation rife with fragrant roots and spices: ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns and cinnamon, of course.
The mass-produced stuff, such as that from those Torani or Monin bottles stacked on plenty of shops’ shelves, involves something the food industry likes to call “natural flavors.” Instead, let’s start with 100 percent pumpkin.
Head to these coffee shops around Pierce County for that autumnal air in a cup.
CAFE AZURE - TACOMA
750 Market St., Tacoma, 253-226-7928, facebook.com/cafeazuretacoma
Real pumpkin purée meets a whiff of molasses and brown sugar in this downtown cafe’s PSL, but the result is pleasantly unsweet, almost veering on savory. Try it hot or iced, paired with a slice of homemade pumpkin bread with a swirl of cream cheese.
CRAFT 19 - SUMNER
1201 Main St., Sumner, 253-447-7957, craft19coffee.com
Now roasting at Roasterworks, this airy cafe on Sumner’s main drag offers housemade syrups year-round: vanilla, chocolate, dulce de leche, plus seasonal iterations. Give it a spin with oat milk alongside a simple butter and powdered-sugar crêpe, the batter made fresh daily.
BLUE ROOSTER - BUCKLEY
331 state Route 410 S., Buckley, 360-284-4845, bluerooster.coffee
This family-run, all-day cafe opened last spring with wine, beer, flatbreads and charcuterie. Enjoy a white mocha PSL hot, iced or blended frappucino style — topped with whipped cream, of course, and sprinkled with allspice — indoors or outside cozied up to the double-sided fireplace. The fall menu also features an iced chai and a candy-corn Italian soda, plus pastries like caramel pecan cinnamon rolls from Mama D’s Bakery.
WOLFE CLUB COFFEE ROASTERS - PARKLAND
12901 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-328-7117, wolfeclub.com
Perhaps the coolest drive-thru coffee shop of all time, this petite shop in Parkland rebranded a few years ago to embrace ‘70s vibes. Regardless of your preferred past decade, you’ll love the personal service here and the housemade syrups. The Flying Dutchman with chai-dominant flavors is available all the time, but only this time of year can you get a lil’ pumpkin, too.
WIDE AWAKE CAFE - TACOMA
1011 Center St., Tacoma, 253-503-0863, instagram.com/wideawakecafetacoma
This drive-thru in Central Tacoma puts a little extra something into everything it does, with a fun selection of pastries and a ciabatta breakfast sandwich. Rather than house syrup, here you’ll discover house-infused whipped creams in flavors like pumpkin pie, apple crisp, real maple syrup and classic vanilla bean. Order your latte hot, iced or blended from the walk-up window and sip on the porch, weather permitting.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.