Fall might be around the corner, but Cincinnati doesn’t always get the memo when September arrives. Warm afternoons can linger well into the season, even as pumpkin, apple, maple, cinnamon, and other familiar fall flavors start popping up on menus around town.
Fortunately, you don’t need sweater weather to enjoy the first taste of fall. From pumpkin lattes and apple shaken espresso to creative cold brews, Oktoberfest beer, and seasonal cocktails, Greater Cincinnati has plenty of ways to sip your way into a new season.
Pumpkin Is Back
For some, fall officially begins with the first pumpkin drink of the year. If you’ve been waiting all summer for its return, these local coffee shops are ready to welcome the season.
alReddy Café | Sharonville
The flavors of a favorite fall dessert make their way into your coffee cup at alReddy Café in Sharonville. Its Pumpkin Pie Latte offers a seasonal twist for anyone ready to embrace pumpkin as soon as it returns to the menu.
Awakenings Coffee & Wine | Hyde Park
Sometimes you just want the classic. Awakenings Coffee & Wine in Hyde Park puts its own spin on the Pumpkin Spice Latte featuring the perfect blend of pumpkin, cinnamon and a touch of white chocolate. Topped with cinnamon and nutmeg, their version combines the familiar flavors that have made this drink synonymous with the start of fall.
Grab a cup and find a seat inside, or take it along while exploring Hyde Park Square.
An Apple a Day
Pumpkin might get most of the attention, but apple deserves its place on the fall drink menu, too.
Kala Coffeehouse | Mason
At Kala Coffeehouse in Mason, the Caramel Apple Crisp Shaken Espresso brings together two of the season’s most familiar flavors in a drink made for those September days when it still feels a little too warm for a steaming mug.
Apple and caramel give it plenty of fall flavor, while the shaken espresso format keeps things cool.
Sweetness Brazilian Bakery & Coffee Shop | Loveland
Fall flavor meets Brazilian tradition at Sweetness Brazilian Bakery & Coffee Shop, a family-owned bakery founded by Patricia Sebold and Thiago Riva. The Loveland spot brings the flavors of Brazil to Greater Cincinnati with handmade sweet and savory specialties alongside coffee and espresso drinks.
For fall, try the Caramel Apple Butter Latte, a cozy combination of two seasonal favorites. And since you’re already at a Brazilian bakery, save a little room to pair your coffee with one of the treats from the bakery case.
Beyond Pumpkin Spice
Not a pumpkin person? There’s plenty more to fall than pumpkin spice. Coffee shops around Greater Cincinnati are getting creative with maple, brown sugar, cinnamon, chai, and even flavors inspired by favorite breakfast treats.
Square Mile Coffee Company | Mt. Healthy
Square Mile Coffee Company in Mt. Healthy is leaning into the cozy flavors of the season with a fall menu full of house-made syrups and creative combinations. Go beyond the usual pumpkin spice with the Salted Maple & Pistachio Latte, made with house salted maple pistachio syrup, or embrace a bakery-inspired favorite with the Cinnamon Roll Latte, topped with cream cheese cold foam or whipped cream.
The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge | Pleasant Ridge
The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge takes its seasonal menu in a few different directions. Try the Nuts and Bolts Cold Brew for something cool and coffee-forward with praline, hazelnut, and a splash of cream, or go for the Candied Orange Chai Latte for a drink that pairs citrus with the warming spices of chai.
The Monarch House | Mt. Auburn
The Monarch House, newly opened in Mt. Auburn, gives fall drink fans several flavors to explore. Seasonal offerings like Honey Cinnamon, Blueberry Pancakes, and Spiced Brown Sugar go beyond the expected and make it easy to find something that matches your idea of a cozy fall morning.
Fall Flavors to Watch For
Pumpkin may be the headliner, but keep an eye out for some of these other flavors on local menus this season:
- Maple and brown sugar
- Cinnamon and honey
- Apple and caramel
- Chai and warming spices
- Toasted nuts
- Vanilla and baking spices
- Seasonal fruit
Fall After Five
Coffee isn’t the only way Cincinnati welcomes fall. Once the workday ends, local breweries and cocktail bars offer plenty of ways to raise a glass to the season.
For an Oktoberfest: MadTree Brewing | Oakley
In a city with Cincinnati’s German heritage, Oktoberfest beer deserves a spot on any fall drink list. At MadTree Brewing, Ziegler offers the brewery’s take on the traditional seasonal lager, with smooth, malty flavors that feel right at home during Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest season.
Whether you enjoy one at the Oakley taproom or find it elsewhere around town, it’s an easy way to toast one of Cincinnati’s favorite fall traditions.
For Something Unexpected: Grainworks Brewing Company | West Chester
What happens when a fall coffee favorite meets a craft beer? At Grainworks Brewing Company in West Chester, the answer is Resting Witch Face, a Pumpkin Spice Latte Ale.
The seasonal brew with hint of pumpkin spice and a smooth vanilla finish takes inspiration from the flavors that usually show up in your morning coffee and gives them an after-five twist. It’s a fun option for anyone who likes pumpkin spice but wants to try it in a completely different way.
For a Seasonal Cocktail: Wiseguy Lounge | OTR
Fall flavors don’t always have to mean pumpkin, apple, or cinnamon. At Wiseguy Lounge in OTR, The Boss’ Sauce takes the seasonal cocktail in a savory direction. The cocktail combines tomato and black peppercorn-infused vodka with blanc vermouth, basil, lemon juice, simple syrup, olive oil, and salt for one of the more unexpected sips of the season.
Cheers to a New Season
Fall in Cincinnati doesn’t always arrive with crisp temperatures and colorful leaves. Sometimes, it starts with the first pumpkin latte of the year, a cold brew flavored with maple and brown sugar, or an Oktoberfest beer enjoyed while the September sun is still shining.
Whether you wait all year for pumpkin spice or prefer apple, chai, cinnamon, or something a little more unexpected, Greater Cincinnati’s local coffee shops, breweries, and bars offer plenty of reasons to raise a cup or glass to the season ahead.
Ready to keep exploring? Browse our Cincinnati blog library for more local restaurants, hidden gems, seasonal favorites, and inspiration for experiencing everything the Queen City has to offer.
