The cool, crisp air can finally be felt around the campus of Mississippi State University. Monday’s National Coffee Day, Sept. 29, officially kicked off the fall drink  pandemonium. What better way to enjoy this weather than with a warm cup of coffee or tea? Fortunately, Starkville offers several places to indulge in the many fall specialties offered. 

One such place is Nine Twenty-Nine, a coffee shop located in downtown Starkville. Nine Twenty-Nine offers a delightful selection of fall pastries and specialty drinks. One of its most popular flavors is the pumpkin spice syrup made in house. 

Jamie Anderson, Nine Twenty-Nine employee, said the store will also come out with homemade pumpkin bread this fall. 

Another local coffee treasure is Strange Brew, located on Mississippi Hwy 12. It offers a variety of fall drinks including an Autumn Chai, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Hot Chocolate and Maple Harvest Latte. 

Grace Neal, barista at Strange Brew, said the pumpkin flavored hot chocolate delight is sure to please.

“I like to recommend the Pumpkin Hot Chocolate because it is always a crowd pleaser,” she said.

For those  with a sweet tooth, the coffee shop also offers gluten-free pumpkin bread and pumpkin spice scones. 

Ginger  Dixon, sophomore biological sciences major, said she loves the fact Strange Brew carries gluten-free options. Dixon also enjoys the Pumpkin Hot Chocolate because it is a different take on an otherwise typical drink. Strange Brew has a larger variety of specialty drinks and focuses on making them unique. These options are sure to put anyone in the fall mood. 

Starbucks is another excellent place to grab a cup of coffee to warm up as the temperatures cool down. Starbucks offers the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte as well as a Salted Caramel Mocha.

Mary Emily Moore, sophomore biological sciences major, described the Salted Caramel Mocha beverage as the perfect blend of savory and sweet.

“I enjoy the Salted Caramel Mocha because the salt makes the chocolate seem less intense,” she said. 

Starbucks will also serve the Oprah Chai tea this fall. Oprah Winfrey makes her own chai tea and decided to share her recipe with Starbucks. Starbucks just opened a new free-standing location on Hwy 12 making it easy to stop in a grab one of these fall delights.

All three of these  Starkville coffee shops offer a terrific variety of fall drinks and pastries to enjoy while catching up with friends, on the way to class or even during those late study nights this fall.