Does hearing “PSL” make you want to grab your sweater? Skip the green mermaid and find your new favorite pumpkin spice latte at a local coffee shop in Indianapolis. We’ve rounded up a list of this year’s coziest fall coffee drink menus.
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🎶 It’s the most wonderful time of the year 🎶 needs to be rewritten about fall in Indianapolis, because it truly is the most wonderful time of the year—especially if you’re spending the season sipping pumpkin-y coffee drinks inside our amazing local coffee shops.
To make the most of fall and pumpkin-spice season, we’ve put together a list of all of the amazing local coffee shops in Indianapolis who have put together their own versions of PSLs. Not every shop has an exact “PSL,” so we’ve created a list of cafés that have something similar. Below the list, we’ll also get into some of our favorites we’ve had so far! After all, you are reading the Indianapolis Coffee Guide.
This list will get updated as local coffee shops transition their menus and announce seasonal drinks, so let me know if this list is missing anything, and it will get updated. That also means you should bookmark this list and send it to your friends.
Castleton
Meridian Kessler
Fletcher Place and Fountain Square
Greenwood
Downtown and Fall Creek
Downtown
Eagle Creek
Greenfield
Broad Ripple
Carmel
Downtown
Downtown
Northside
Downtown
Greenwood and Southport
Broad Ripple
West Side
Downtown
Downtown
Westfield
Carmel
Beech Grove
Downtown
Downtown and Riverside
The list above is handy to determine which local coffee shops have pumpkin spice lattes (or similar) this year, and they all do things a little differently. So I figured I’d highlight a few of the popular PSL-inspired drinks that have been popping up so far around town.
The White Zombie has been a Monon Coffee Co staple for as long as I can remember. This fall season, they’re bringing their pumpkin twist with the Pumpkinhead Zombie. This fun drink takes their standard white zombie—a latte made with their signature white espresso—and adds pumpkin pie syrup. It gets a big H*ck yes from me.
Are you one of those people who really leans into PSL season? Like, do you raid Trader Joe’s to buy every box with a pumpkin on it? Then Lincoln Lane in Bates Hendricks is the spot for your local PSL cravings.
In addition to their seasonal Blackberry Maple Latte and their “Kernel of Truth” Latte, they have a house-made pumpkin spice syrup that can be added to any drink. Yeah, any drink. Classic PSL? Done. PSL MOCHA?? They got you. An extra layer of cozy atop a sweet and spicy chai? You bet.
Back by popular demand at Quills Coffee downtown Indy is the seasonal favorite—The Lantern. The Lantern is their unique spin on the PSL, AND it can be made dairy-free, unlike your friends at the green mermaid giant. It’s pumpkin-spicy and all kinds of nicey.
Their seasonal menu is also graced with an Apple Crumble Chai, a S’mores Latte (holy sh*t), and a Salted Maple Latte. Last year they also had a drink called The Woodsman that was so popular they’ve added it to the permanent menu.
This new aviation-themed café in Greenwood has a seasonal PSL that will take you sky-high. Runway 19 features a seasonal Pumpkin Pie in the Sky latte that features rich and spicy pumpkin pie spice and whipped cream to warm you up.
Northsiders rejoice! Rivet Coffee in Westfield is blessing us with a seasonal menu that is going to turn the leaves early. Their twist on the traditional pumpkin spice latte features house-made pumpkin spice syrup that swirls beautifully with a double shot of espresso and steamed milk.
They’ll also take your PSL to the next level with their Sleepy Hollow and Angry Gourd lattes! The Sleepy Hollow is their PSL with decadent chocolate sauce and cinnamon-brown-sugar. The Angry Gourd ups the PSL with white chocolate sauce and the perfect touch of cayenne pepper.
Listen, I am one man and could gush about all of these drinks all day long, but unfortunately, I can’t! So here’s a quick list of other local PSLs we’re digging this season (in no particular order):
So many other amazing drinks are on the menus this fall, and I’m sure many more are to come! These are just the pumpkin drinks I’ve had my eyes on so far. With over SIXTY local coffee shops to choose from, there’s a lot to keep up with!
As I mentioned, “PSL” means something different everywhere you go, which is part of what makes exploring all of these amazing local coffee shops so much fun! Each café brings its own twist to these fun seasonal drinks which makes them all worth exploring.
A few years ago when I published the first local PSL guide, I also did a deep-dive into where the h*ck this pumpkin craze actually came from. Hilariously, a few local news organizations picked up the story afterward, but that’s a different story for a different day.
All of our senses start tingling as sweater weather creeps up on us. Our iced coffee orders transition to their warm counterparts as the mornings get cooler and cooler. Somehow hay bales, corn stalks, and gourds start gracing our front porches. Most importantly: the invasion of pumpkin-flavored lattes starts hitting our social media feeds.
With so many Indianapolis coffee shops serving up so many local pumpkin spice latte variations, we’re going to be over-caffeinated well into the new year.
Have you tried any of these amazing drinks yet? Make sure to take pictures and tag the coffee shops on social media when you do!
