One no longer needs to wait until October to see pumpkin-flavored everything. The sweet, subtly spicy pumpkin coffee drinks were an instant sensation when they hit the market in the early 2000s, hot or iced, through one of the world’s biggest coffee chains … so much so that over the course of two decades, they pop up as early as August and stay around well into the holiday season. However, the phenomenon may leave something to be desired for coffee lovers craving other fall flavors. In response, these mom-and-pop shops and regional chains dig a little deeper into their pantries to come up with concoctions utilizing apple, cinnamon, maple, salted caramel, pecan and all sorts of comforting flavors associated with fall.

© Overwinter Coffee

Buffalo, New York, visitors are spoiled for choice not only when it comes to inventive cold-weather drinks but also in the number of hometown coffee brewers developing them. Toasted Buffalo Beauty Foodie rolls out The Salty Witch, Butterbrew, and Caramel Apple Latte. JAM Parkside got a jump on fall in September by rolling out its Harvest, Brown Sugar, and Butter Caramel drinks. Goodrich Coffee & Tea offers Maple Chai Latte and Salted Caramel Toffee Latte, while Clarence Center Coffee Company currently serves an indulgent Pecan Sticky Bun Espresso with butter pecan, caramel and brown sugar syrups in their mix. Overwinter Coffee has two new secret menu syrups — Apple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Cardamon — to enliven any coffee drink.

As a coffee alchemist, Ryan Castelaz earned a reputation that percolates far beyond his native Wisconsin. This fall the founder of Milwaukee’s Discourse Coffee and author of The New Art of Coffee: From Morning Cup to Caffeine Cocktail serves up true originals such as Chant (mixing espresso, chanterelle syrup and powder, and oaked maple chai), Clyde (with chai concentrate, tamarind and nutmeg) and El Mocha (with blackberry beet balsamic).

© Toasted Buffalo Beauty Foodie

In Chicago, Beatrix’s four locations offer a Wildflower Latte, crafted with Beatrix Coffee Roasters Voyager espresso, oat milk, lavender and rose.

Adda Coffee & Tea House in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, will once again whip up its Salted Maple Almond Latte, while across the country in Lompoc, California, The Village Coffee Stop Cafe follows up the success of its popular Salted Caramel Cold Brew Coffee with its Tahini Hot Cocoa with Peanut Butter.