It’s PSL Season and Opus Is Giving
Out with the summer cookouts, Florida humidity and neon bikinis. In with Taylor Swift’s All Too Well (10 Minute Version), cable knit sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes. ‘Tis the season for PSLs, and Gainesville’s very own Opus Coffee has the perfect trio for your autumnal cravings.
Opus’ fall menu dropped Sept. 12, available until after Thanksgiving at all their locations. I popped into the Innovation shop for a taste of my own after the Opus team set up a sampling for Strike Magazine.
The limited selection was born out of a four-hour brainstorming session, which saw Opus baristas filter through the season’s most iconic flavors and spices. The result? A classic Pumpkin Spice Latte, a Pomander Chai and a Cortadella.
Image Courtesy: @opuscoffee on Instagram
Pumpkin Spice Latte
In a perfect world, Florida would actually go through seasons. We would sweat less and drink hot coffee more. I made an exception and got off my iced coffee high horse for Opus’ PSL — that says a lot. Will Opus’ “obligatory ‘PSL’ with toasted marshmallow whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices” have even the most stubborn coffee snob on campus switching their coffee order?
Back at the Innovation shop, Opus digital marketing manager Mia Crisostomo delicately slid a gorgeous orange mug over the tabletop. Gainesville ceramicist Jack Manfredi hand-painted, glazed and potted the vessel locally. Knowing that everything that led up to this pumpkin brew was produced nearby made the experience all the warmer.
Notes of cinnamon and cardamom hit immediately. The frothy marshmallow whipped cream keeps pumpkin spices floating over the coffee, so you’ll have hints of fall with every sip. If you squint your eyes, it feels like roasting s’mores on a camping trip all over again. This PSL was a labor of love, and that comes through with every swig of Opus’ smooth pumpkin latte.
Pomander Chai
Opus’ fall menu goes beyond taste. It’s an aromatic experience. Annalie Cope, Opus’ marketing assistant, explained that pomander is essentially an orange tacked with cloves. Think Febreze wall plug-ins: pomanders were used historically to create sweet-smelling spaces. Much like a traditional pomander, this chai latte has two star anises pegged into its foamy surface.
Somehow, the chai tasted as good as it smelled.
It had orange bitters that tickle your taste buds; a little kick after you’ve had a few regular gulps of nutmeg, honey and chai. If you prefer a floral alternative to your Opus order, try the pomander chai.
I’m not usually a chai girl, but this one got me. Don’t give me looks if you see me walking out of Norman Hall double fisting: chai in one hand and a PSL in the other. I need my liquids.
Cortadella
Cortadella – get it? Cortado and Nutella.
Now, this one hit home. I grew up in a large Cuban family; let’s just say I knew what a cortadito was by the time I was 10. Opus blended their cortado espresso with Nutella and garnished the elixir with chocolate bitters. Revolutionary. Still, it airs on the bitter side more than the sweet, nuttiness of Nutella, so no need to worry about stomaching an ounce or two of chocolate.
As always, Opus spruced up a few basic coffee orders to satisfy those annual fall spice withdrawals. With three distinct features, there’s something for everyone. Now it’s your turn to figure out which you’ll take two of, or if you’re brave enough to make your order hot over iced. Grab your friends and relish in the taste of fall.
Strike Out,
Writer: Andrea Valdes-Sueiras
Editor: AJ Bafer
Graphic: Chloe Girod
Gainesville
