By: Allison O’Brien
Today is October 1, otherwise known as National Pumpkin Spice Day.
Take a look around you. How many people do you see wearing blankets as scarves? How many people have you heard mention that the sun is setting earlier now? How many SU executives have instagrammed themselves at the Belfast Corn Maze?
It’s fall, everyone. In the spirit of the season, I decided to compare the pumpkin spice latte from The Fox and Crow to the one at Tim Hortons. With four years of experience as a Starbucks barista, I’m hardly qualified to make this decision totally knowledgable about this kind of stuff.
THE FOX AND CROW
Look at this beautiful creation.
It’s absolutely perfect.
To be fair, the barista told me that it’s more of a pumpkin spice tea latte because it’s made with a tea bag instead of espresso. But it’s still delicious and makes me feel like going home to read a book or bake a hundred apple pies.
After adding the teabag and water, they topped it up with a steamed mixture of evaporated milk and regular milk. The evaporated milk is just enough to make it sweet but not sickening. The baristas then topped it off with nutmeg and cinnamon. Delicious. Also, the teabag is from Lady Baker’s Tea, a PEI company.
A small PSL from the Fox and Crow cost me $3.75, and heck, it was worth it.
TIM HORTONS
I’m not sure what to say.
I mean, it definitely has espresso in it.
It’s very strong, however, and it looks like it came out all at once from a machine that desperately needs a day off. It’s also not the most appealing – I thought it would come with whipped cream or some kind of spice, but no. Just a foamy abyss.
To be fair to Timmies, there was a crazy lineup and things seemed chaotic. As for the composition of the latte, I have no idea what is actually in it. I was stressed out just by standing in the Chartwells lineup so I left as soon as I got my drink. They moved the Tims lineup to a different area of the store, so everyone got lost on the way to the cash. The Tims staff were still as sweet as always, though. They knew me by name, which I love.
I couldn’t order a small because they said their machine could only make mediums, so a medium cost me $4.13. I wouldn’t purchase it again.
THE WINNERÂ
The Fox and Crow definitely wins this time around. However, the Chartwells Tim Hortons deserves recognition for their customer service. They are always cheerful and sweet to us students who don’t always return the favour.
Alright, I’ve had a lot of milk and I feel sick. I have to go lay down.
Tune in next week where I’ll review the Gourd Spice Latte from Starbucks.
(Editor’s note: I totally wasn’t pressured  by my employers to endorse The Fox and Crow).