The S’mores Coffee Drink You Need to Order This Fall

The spicy-sweet symphony of pumpkin spice and the taste of crisp, fresh apples get all the love this time of year, but they aren't the only flavors that rule supreme once cold weather lands. This is the season for making memories around the campfire, which includes making gooey s’mores over a crackling flame.

That classic combination of marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers has captured hearts — and taste buds — for generations, and it is inspiration for the seasonal drink served at The Roosevelt Coffehouse in Columbus each fall. 

Kenny Sipes founded Roosevelt Coffeehouse in 2015 as a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the injustices of hunger, lack of clean drinking water and human trafficking. The business has contributed over $230,000 since its inception, positively affecting over 76,000 people.

Roosevelt Coffeehouse features two locations, one downtown and one in Franklinton. (There is as a third shop inside Olentangy River Brewing Co., which licenses the name.) The shops serve a full slate of brewed coffee, espresso and seasonal creations to go with locally made snacks.

One of the most popular fall drinks — what Sipes calls “the most Instagram-friendly drink we’ve ever made” — appears from late September through Thanksgiving: the S’mortado. The drink is a play on the cortado, a shot of espresso cut with a little warmed milk. Frank Wright, one of Roosevelt’s original startup employees, came up with the idea.

“He was the dreamer of drinks,” Sipes says. “There was a little bartender in the back of his mind.”

To create the S’mortado, baristas line the rim of the glass in melted chocolate, then — just like salting a margarita glass — they dip it in graham cracker crumbs. After a pump of chocolate, a shot of espresso made with raw sugar is added. Finally, the drink is garnished with a skewer of tiny toasted marshmallows.

“We get a flamethrower and put those babies on top,” Sipes jokes. “The whole S’mortado is beautiful.”

300 E. Long St., Columbus 43215, 614/670-5228, rooseveltcoffee.org

A version of this story was published in 2022 as part of a guide to Columbus restaurants. It was most recently checked and updated in September 2024. 

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