We Tried Every Drink on Starbucks’s 2026 Fall Menu—Here’s How They Rank

• What It Is: matcha, pumpkin-flavored cold foam
• Price (grande): $6.25

With its green base and orange topper, this Frankenstein-y drink seems well-suited for spooky season. Thankfully, the flavor is legit, making this more than a seasonal gimmick. The pumpkin cold foam lends an almost pumpkin pie-like flavor to the matcha, stamping out its grassy notes in favor of more cinnamon-forward ones. That said, true matcha fans may be disappointed by the sweetness, and it's worth noting that you should mix in the cinnamon topping a bit, lest you accidentally compete in the Cinnamon Challenge.

• What It Is: cold brew, vanilla syrup, pumpkin cream cold foam, pumpkin spice
• Price (grande): $5.45

If you're a cold brew fan to the core (or loathe lattes and/or sweet coffee), you'll enjoy this Starbucks fall menu gem. "If you ask me, just go pumpkin or go home; there are way better syrups to pair with this no-frills essential," says PureWow contributor (and former barista) Taryn Pire.

That said, the vanilla does temper the roasty, bitter cold brew, and both are complemented by a lightly pumpkin-flavored, creamy cold foam topping. "There's a sprinkle of pumpkin spice on top, but honestly, I could do without it," she admits. "However, the pumpkin cream cold foam is so tasty that it deserves to be eaten by itself."

• What It Is: three shots blonde espresso, pecan flavoring, steamed milk, pecan crunch topping
• Price (short): $5

Buckets of iced coffee may be trending, but I'm all about quality over quantity (even if I do like to sip cold brew all day, every day). The cortado packs a satisfying jolt of flavor—and caffeine—into its 8-ounce serving. (Cortados are served in the Short size only, given their 50/50 ratio of milk to espresso.)

You'll immediately notice the brown sugar-y aroma from the pecan crunch topping, which gives way to a lightly sweetened, well-balanced drink. It's creamy, but the espresso flavor is still there.

• What It Is: chai concentrate, milk, pumpkin cream cold foam, pumpkin spice
• Price (grande): $6.25

Starbucks is arguably most famous for customizing drinks by request, and that's exactly how this decadent number was dreamed up. And it's been such a hit that it's returned to menus this year. "The black tea base infused with cinnamon and warm spices plays so well with the seasonings of the pumpkin syrup, and it had more of the cold foam that I adored so much," Pire says. "It's borderline saccharine, but I'd order it again if I was in the mood for a treat."

• What It Is: chai, Strawberry Acai flavors
• Price (grande): $5.25

While the name sounds like a misspelling Chandler Bing would've gotten on his mail (IYKYK), this drink is delightfully crisp and refreshing. Initially, I thought this was a chai-apple cider hybrid, but it's more of a chai Refresher, and you know what? It works. The strawberry-acai flavors add a fruity note to the chai's warming spices, making it a nice transitional drink for those false-fall days when you're craving sweater weather but Mother Nature decided a high of 85 was in order.

• What It Is: espresso, pumpkin syrup, milk
• Price (grande): $6.45

"When I was a Starbucks barista, I had my fair share of this sippable icon—it’s become Starbucks’s most popular seasonal sipper of all time," Pire says. "The key here is (1) it's not excessively sweet and (2) it's not artificial, thanks to warm-spiced syrup made with real pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves." (PureWow social content strategist Rachel Schleider concurs: "It's sweet, cinnamon-y and spiced in all the right places. Truly a classic.")

After having made so many over the years, Pire really wanted to hate this drink, but she had to admit "it's pretty damn perfect. And compared to competitors, it's notably tastier." While you can order it hot or iced, she recommends the former "for the full crunchy-leaves-chunky-sweater effect."

• What It Is: blonde espresso, brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, pumpkin cold foam
• Price (grande): $6.45

What makes this so different from the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, you may wonder? It's the medley of flavors. This isn't espresso shaken with ice to chill it, then topped with pumpkin-flavored cold foam. It's shaken with brown sugar and cinnamon, which pairs marvelously with the milk base and pumpkin-y topper, resulting in a smooth, creamy drink that's like savoring an iced coffee and a slice of pumpkin pie all at once.

• What It Is: blonde espresso, oat milk, pecan crunch topping; iced orders also come with nondairy vanilla sweet cream cold foam
• Price (grande): $6.25

"Wowowow, this is delicious," Pire says. "Yeah, it's a lot of milk and it's sweeter than the cortado, but if those aren't cons to you, you're going to love it. It has buttery, nutty notes—like the pie made with its namesake—with a light caramelly flavor. It's more coffee-forward than some of the other seasonal lattes."

In a way, it feels like a toned-down take on the fan-favorite (and no longer offered) salted caramel mocha, if you ditched the mocha and dialed back the intensity of the salty-sweet notes from a ten to a seven. It makes the latte more refreshing and sippable, though chocolate lovers could certainly add mocha to get a flavor profile closer to the retired fall drink.

While you can order this drink hot or iced, I'd recommend it hot. The pecan pie notes are more prominent that way.

• What It Is: espresso, milk, banana-flavored syrup, brown sugar cold foam, cinnamon dolce topping
• Price (grande): $6.95

When I tell you this drink was my favorite of the bunch, I'm not kidding—I've already ordered a second, and the menu only launched a few days ago. Banana has been everywhere this summer, and while at first, the thought of banana-flavored syrup made me think of Runts (and spurred an involuntary full-body shudder), it's much more subtle here. The brown sugar cold foam and cinnamon dolce topping round things out, giving it the sweet, lightly spiced flavor of the classic baked good.

My only edit? Add a shot of espresso if you prefer a more coffee-forward drink, otherwise this latte can get a bit milky. Even if you don't, you'll be surprised by the Wonka-like nature of this drink; the banana and brown sugar scent make you feel ready to start baking. Or at least pull your Chelsea boots and cashmere sweaters out of the back of your closet.