By Maire Crooks, The Current Co-Editor-in Chief
Pumpkin spice—we all know and love it. The warm aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, chilly mornings, and the crunch of colored leaves under our feet. Other big food chains, such as Starbucks, Panera and Dairy Queen, have introduced their fall menus full of pumpkin spice lattes, squash soup, and pecan pies, but what many have not heard of is Chick-fil-A’s autumn addition: their Autumn Spice Milkshake.
Introduced in stores on September 12th, the milkshake is full of “rich flavors like cinnamon with crunchy bits of brown sugar cookies.” The shake can be ordered until November 12th, according to their website.
A Chick-fil-A milkshake fan myself, I knew I had to get my hands on the new seasonal flavor. It is priced at $4.59–not too bad, but slightly more than regular flavors priced at $4.29.
The shake was handed to me with the standard cheerful “my pleasure” response, and I could not wait to try. My first sip, however, was a bit of a let-down. As I eagerly pulled the wrapper off their trademark red straw and tried to taste the Icedream® concoction, Chick-fil-A’s signature soft serve mix, I unfortunately did not receive any milkshake; the brown sugar cookies had clogged up the straw. After much effort, I was eventually able to clear the tube and a sip of icey, cold cinnamon sugar hit my tongue.
I would say that the flavor was reminiscent of a snickerdoodle cookie; the milkshake was “autumn spice” and not the typical pumpkin flavor. It does not have the warm-spice flavor of a typical pumpkin spice item. The brown sugar cookie chunks were small and melted in my mouth, and the Icedream® base itself was extremely thick and creamy.
The shake was definitely more brown sugar flavor than cinnamon, so if you have a strong sweet tooth then this is for you. I was reminded of Chick-fil-A’s winter seasonal flavor, peppermint chip, in regards to the sweetness level.
When I asked around for others’ opinions about the new menu item, I was surprised to find out that not many st/udents were familiar with the addition. Junior Becca Lavner remarks, “I didn’t know it existed.”
Sophomore Cora Cheer, however, was aware of the milkshake, although she has not tried it yet and does not intend to. “I think we should leave the autumn spice [flavor] up to Starbucks. I just don’t think [Chick-fil-A] can nail it,” she explains. Becca is also not keen on the flavor: “I would maybe try [the shake], but autumn spice things usually are not my favorite.”
Now for the big question: should you try the new autumn spice shake? In my opinion, if you can handle sweetness, go for it. It is the perfect introduction to colder weather and a great start to fall.
Overall, I would rate this drink a 7.3/10; it was good, but not great. I would order it again, however I do not think the Autumn Spice Milkshake will become my Chick-fil-A drink of choice.