Just as you might switch from summer clothes to winter clothes as the weather changes, your coffee preferences can also follow the seasons. The type of roast, the coffee's flavor profile, and the brewing method all contribute to creating the perfect cup of coffee for the weather.

Here's a guide to coffee types for every time of year.

🍁 Autumn: The Warm and Comforting Cup

As the weather cools, we crave warmth, comfort, and a touch of spice. This season is all about bridging the gap between the brightness of summer and the depth of winter.

☕ Signature Drinks:

Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL): The undisputed icon of autumn. A latte flavored with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Smoked Maple Latte: A sophisticated alternative that blends the sweetness of maple with a hint of smoked salt.

Apple Cinnamon Donut Latte: Combines apple, cinnamon, and caramel for a drink that tastes like a visit to an apple orchard.

Café de Olla: A traditional Mexican spiced coffee, traditionally brewed in an earthenware pot with a cinnamon stick and unrefined cane sugar (piloncillo).

🌰 Coffee Bean Type and Roast:

Roast: A medium roast is perfect for autumn. It offers a smooth, balanced body without the harshness of a dark roast.

Flavor Notes: Look for beans with natural notes of nuts, chocolate, and caramel. Beans from Guatemala or Brazil are excellent choices, as they often possess these comforting and balanced flavors that pair beautifully with autumnal spices.

❄️ Winter: The Rich and Robust Cup

When it's cold and dark outside, coffee becomes a source of rich, comforting warmth. This is the season for full-bodied and robust flavors that can stand up to the weather.

☕ Featured Drinks:

Peppermint Mocha: A classic festive drink combining rich chocolate and refreshing peppermint.

Gingerbread Latte: A warm latte flavored with ginger, molasses, and cinnamon.

Cardamom Latte: An aromatic and warming drink inspired by Middle Eastern and Scandinavian traditions.

🌰 Coffee Bean Type and Roast:

Roast: Dark roasts (like French or Italian roasts) shine in the winter. The roasting process brings out bold, smoky, and intense flavors with a heavy body.

Flavor Notes: Coffee beans from Sumatra or other Indonesian regions are ideal. These varieties are known for their earthy, rich, and complex flavors with very low acidity, creating a delicious and incredibly satisfying cup.

🌸 Spring: A Bright and Floral Cup

As life returns to nature, so too should vibrancy return to your coffee. Spring is the time for lighter, more delicate, and aromatic flavors that are bright and optimistic.

☕ Featured Drinks:

Honey Lavender Latte: A springtime favorite, combining floral lavender notes with the gentle sweetness of honey.

Rose or Pistachio Latte: These floral and nutty flavors offer a light, refreshing, and joyful feel.

White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha: The fruit's acidity cuts through the sweetness of the white chocolate for a perfectly balanced taste.

Pour-Over Coffee: This is the perfect season to let high-quality, single-origin coffee beans shine on their own.

🌰 Coffee Bean and Roasting Characteris:

ticsRoast: Light to medium roast. Lighter roasts preserve the original, delicate flavors of the coffee beans.

Flavor Notes: This is the season for coffees with floral, citrus, and berry notes. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is the perfect spring coffee, known for its bright, clean, tea-like body and notes of bergamot, jasmine, and lemon.

☀️ Summer: A Refreshing and Invigorating Cup

When the weather is hot, coffee’s role shifts from a source of warmth to a means of refreshment. Brewing methods become cool, refreshing, and bright.

☕ Signature Drinks:

Cold Brew: A summer staple. Steeping coarsely ground coffee beans in cold water for 12-24 hours creates a super smooth, chocolatey, and low-acid coffee concentrate.

Shaken Espresso: Espresso shaken with ice and a touch of simple syrup (or brown sugar and oat milk) creates a cool, frothy, and invigorating drink.

Affogato: The perfect coffee dessert. A scoop of vanilla ice cream “drowned” in a shot of hot, freshly brewed espresso.

🌰 Coffee Bean and Roasting Characteristics:

Roast: Light roasts are ideal for cold preparations. Their high acidity, which can be sharp when hot, mellows into a bright, fruity, and refreshing flavor when cooled. Flavor Notes: Look for coffees with high, refreshing acidity and fruity or citrusy notes. Coffee beans from Kenya (which often have a taste similar to blackcurrant) or Colombia (with their bright and vibrant flavors) are an excellent choice for making cold brew or iced coffee.