Emily Seppelt – Opinion Columnist

Happy first week of March Gusties. Now that the spring semester is in full swing, it means that all of our coffee addictions are back in full force right alongside it. While we *could* just make coffee in our dorm rooms, we all know that getting away from our desks and spending money we don’t have on coffee just hits differently. As an act of kindness for you all, I have done the hard hard work this week of trying almost every coffee shop in the Saint Peter area to let you know the best place to get your next caffeine hit.
In order to ensure consistency, I ordered the same thing at each coffee shop, a small hot caramel latte. I will be ranking each coffee place based on these criteria: Efficiency and quality of service, the taste of coffee, ambiance, location, and “bang for your buck,” or price.
First up is Caribou. I visited the location inside of Fam Fresh as it is the closest to campus. The service was fast and efficient, but an employee in Fam Fresh wasn’t wearing a mask. The coffee was amazing, with warm earthy/nutty tones and sweet. It may be too sweet for some, but as a warning, I have a sweet tooth. Extra points for being a classic Minnesota favorite. It was kind of expensive, but worth the money in my opinion. I’ll admit the location is weird, and it is unfortunate that there is no drive-through closer to campus. 8/10.
Next up is Dunkin. The service here was super fast, and the worker was really happy and nice. The latte was definitely cheaper, but something is a little…off about it, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Of course, it was super sweet, as one would expect from Dunkin. My drink was good this time, but it’s a risk to trust Dunkin to deliver this again. I would say worth the money if I got this exact latte again and it works if you want something cheap and fast. 6.5/10
The next place I visited was the STEAMery (yes, this was my third latte in one day. You all should be very grateful for me). It wasn’t very busy, so the service was super fast, and I got the drink within two minutes of ordering. This was surprising, considering it usually takes much longer. This latte was surprisingly expensive for a coffee geared towards college students. I am going to be honest- this latte was terrible. It was watery, and not sweet enough for me. I can barely tell this is even coffee. The flavoring immediately sunk to the bottom and stirring was required, which after two lattes annoyed me. I was informed by a roommate that these lattes come out of a machine, and are not handmade. Definitely, the worst I have had so far. Get this for cheaper at Kwik Trip. Points for having really cute compostable cups. Didn’t even give this cup of coffee the decency to finish it. 4/10.
The next morning I stopped by Diamond Dust. The pricing was not unreasonable, and the ambiance is out of the world. Two people weren’t wearing a mask in the store however and had no drinks. Their small was also the biggest so far, which was nice. The taste of the latte was excellent, and I could tell it was handmade. Of course, it’s sweet, but I like that. Perfect roundness on the tongue. I was disappointed they have taken away the student discount, considering that the shop is basically on campus. A nice short walk and a good place to go if you are sick of the STEAMery or Courtyard but don’t want to drive anywhere. 7/10
That afternoon I tried to visit River Rock. Emphasis on the tried. Unfortunately, they are closed almost the entire week I wrote this article for construction, and I am sorry to report that as a junior I still have never stepped foot in this pillar of the Saint Peter community. Better luck next time I guess. Points for popularity and reputation. 3/10.
Next up was Starbucks. This latte was just great, and well worth the money. It was exactly what you would want a caramel latte to taste like. Rich, well-rounded, but not too overpowering. The employees at this Starbucks are always so fun and memorable. I’ll admit, it is annoying to have the only Starbucks in Hyvee, but I think it is worth it. But I have to be honest and admit that this was not a classic caramel latte. Their normal caramel flavoring was unavailable, as their distribution center is in Texas. Instead, they used the thick caramel drizzle, which was supplemented by a little vanilla. I can forgive them for this and the latte still delivered, so I wasn’t mad. Do what you will with this information. 9/10.
Last up was the Gustie favorite, The Courtyard. This latte was better than the STEAMery, but still not the greatest. The courtyard has a really weird caramel flavoring in my opinion, which is almost buttery and I am not the biggest fan. This drink was a tad watery and somehow didn’t stay warm as long as some of the other drinks. Definitely an upgrade for the STEAMery though, and I could tell it was handmade. If you are on this side of campus and have some Caf money to spend, grab one of these rather than going to the STEAmery. 5/10
I hope this adventure was helpful to you Gusties. After drinking almost six small hot caramel lattes in two days, I can tell you now that I won’t be ordering one soon. Best of luck with your stress-induced coffee escapades.