Fall is in the air once again in the capitol city. Weekends are filled with football games and walks upon freshly fallen leaves. Plans to visit the pumpkin patch are underway and whispers of holiday plans can be heard around the town. Pumpkins are appearing on porches all around Thurston County. Nearly everyone is looking to get a taste of the season, but for those without time to seed their own pumpkins or drag out the Kitchen Aid mixer, fear not. You, too, will get your fall flavor fix, thanks to Drip Espresso Bar and their newly-released fall menu.
Drip Espresso Bar is a coffee and pastry shop located downtown Olympia on the corner of Capitol Boulevard and Union. Co-owners Maria Meconi and Robin Vaughn opened Drip Espresso just over two years ago. In that time, they have brought us some of the of best quality espresso drinks and mouth-watering pastries around. Their talented pastry chef, Callie Robello, prepares baked goods for Drip from scratch in their own kitchen, sourcing local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Their seasonal offerings are no exception.
The most popular item in the fall lineup is the Drip Pumpkin Spice Latte. We have all probably had a pumpkin spice latte before, but not like this one. The pumpkin flavoring for this treat is made from pure, roasted organic pumpkin and organic sugar resulting in a full-flavored pumpkin puree free of artificial flavors, sweeteners or chemicals. Its natural components highlight the existing flavors in the ingredients and blends effortlessly with milk of your choosing. The pumpkin puree is also used in the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte.
The pumpkin pastry lineup features pumpkin bread, gluten-free pumpkin doughnuts and pumpkin pecan muffins. All are baked from scratch by Callie and her team in Drip’s bakery. “The pumpkin pecan muffin has a crumb topping – it’s my favorite on the menu,” says Robin.
Lead Barista, Jennifer Harrington, shares the reactions she sees from the local patrons. “Our customers are loving our exclusive fall pastries. Our gluten free pumpkin donuts are a hit. And, the long-awaited pumpkin spice latte? Customers love that we use only the best ingredients: organic pumpkin and organic cane sugar,” she said. “And once they try it, they really can taste the difference.”
To create the seasonal menus, the Drip crew works as a team. Robin and Maria present ideas to Callie who brings them to life with her culinary expertise. Soon to come from the Drip kitchen are apple-cinnamon hand pies and a matcha green tea latte. The latte was inspired by a matcha green tea ice cream Robin had on a recent trip and wanted to taste the flavor again.
Drip Espresso Bar knows the importance of supporting local business and being a part of the community. They enjoy seeing their regular customers on a daily basis on their way to work, for a leisurely afternoon coffee date with a friend or to log a few hours of work on their free wifi.
Drip is excited to welcome their new neighbors, soon to be moving into the freshly finished state building across the street. The new construction will house the Washington State Patrol headquarters, Office of Financial Management and much more. Drip Espresso Bar looks forward to brewing up something special for each of the newcomers to the neighborhood.
If you’ve yet to get to make your way to downtown Olympia to sample these autumn delights, the time is now. The fall menu at Drip Espresso is seasonal and wont last long. Of course, classics like the Honey Vanilla Latte can be enjoyed all year long. Although we might be saddened when pumpkin spice season ends, do not lose heart. The team at Drip is already brainstorming new and exciting things for the winter holiday menu. And while they are keeping tight-lipped on the specifics, there are rumors of mint chocolate and eggnog coming for winter.
Actively supporting local business in Olympia is part of what makes our community strong. Drip Espresso Bar strives to use local ingredients whenever possible to do their part, including the seasonal options. And, as always, their coffee beans are produced by long-time Olympia coffee roasters, Batdorf & Bronson. To stay informed about new menu items and other goings on at Drip Espresso, follow them on Instagram and Twitter, and like them on Facebook.
Now that you know Drip Espresso Bar has you covered with an arsenal of pumpkin goodness, there’s no time like the present to indulge. Stop by Drip today, say hello to the team and treat yourself to one of their autumn delights.
Drip Espresso Bar
1018 Capitol Way S. in Olympia
Monday – Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Sponsored
