By Claire-Marie Scott | LTVN Reporter/Anchor

As a former Starbucks barista, I used to dread the start of fall drinks. Every August, my coworkers and I would be bombarded by groups of people enthusiastically ordering the most famous seasonal drink: the pumpkin spice latte. Children as young as 8 years old would come up to the counter and pay the $6 fee for the coffee.

Now, I’m not hating on people enjoying this drink. I’ll admit, when I was a 15-year-old, I also enjoyed a festive pumpkin beverage, but after working at Starbucks and being around it, I’ll say it doesn’t deserve the hype that it gets.

First off, the pumpkin spice latte doesn’t even taste like pumpkin. I see influencers all over social media going crazy about how the beverage tastes like fall in a cup, when in reality, it tastes like a melted-down version of some very sweet pumpkin candy. A grande-sized pumpkin spice latte has about 50 grams of sugar in it, with an additional 14 grams of fat, proving that it is basically just sugar in coffee. The pumpkin sauce that is added to the drink is a thick concoction that often doesn’t blend well into the espresso, frequently being left at the bottom of the cup.

I also don’t think the taste of coffee matches up well with such a potent flavor, like pumpkin. The best coffees I’ve had have a little taste of flavor but stay true to the authenticity and body of the espresso. Common Grounds has a fall drink called the Flaming Idiot — a vanilla latte with cinnamon. This combination of flavors doesn’t overpower the latte, leaving you with a perfectly balanced beverage.

If you want to have the actual taste of fall in a cup, try these suggestions.

First, add brown sugar syrup to your drink. Starbucks’ brown sugar syrup adds a layer of coziness, especially if you add it to a hot latte with some cinnamon powder. Brown sugar syrup is much less sweet than pumpkin sauce and won’t make you feel weighed down all day.

Second, order a chai tea latte for the ultimate sweater weather beverage. The chai tea concentrate that Starbucks uses is a little sweeter than authentic chai, but with spices like cloves and nutmeg present, it offers a subtle flavor. I feel like a lot of people who drink coffee sleep on chai because they don’t think it contains enough caffeine for them. Adding a couple shots of espresso will fix that issue and have you enjoying real fall flavors in no time.

Next time you are at Starbucks and want to feel all the autumn vibes, step away from the overrated pumpkin spice latte and try one of these more balanced options. Happy fall, Bears!