By EB Henderson

Staff Writer

    Dutch Bros Coffee recently made its way to Winston-Salem in late March of 2026, replacing Clutch Coffee. Although there was great excitement about this transition, several factors caught the Winston-Salem community by surprise.

    With the opening of Dutch Bros, traffic became a huge issue. The excited people of Winston-Salem, mainly teenagers, lined up for coffee. This was amazing for business, but since this line for coffee was in the middle of Stratford Road, it was quite problematic for the flow of traffic. For a while, the line for these drinks was unbelievable; however, after people took their shot at the new menu, it slowly became less crowded. Now, there are ways that you can swing in the drive-thru, grab your drink, and avoid an abysmal traffic situation.  

    Dutch Bros offers something for everyone! Depending on what you like, this might be the spot for you. Coffee, energy drinks, smoothies, teas, shakes, and specialty seasonal concoctions are waiting for you to open up your wallet, or unlock that Apple Pay.

    Starting with their most advertised and known coffee, The Golden Eagle, which is an espresso with caramel and vanilla half and half as well as a caramel drizzle. This drink can really fit any situation you find yourself in. Personally, I love an iced coffee at the end of a school day when the weather is still warm enough to enjoy the refreshing coolness of the drink. My expectations were soaring when I sat down to enjoy this mid-day pick-me-up, and it most definitely fulfilled the craving I had for a satisfying end to my school day. Its mixture of vanilla and caramel flavoring made it delicious and sweet and this drink elevated my standards of ice coffees.

    There’s so much hype around energy drinks these days, with the crazy hours that students need to be awake and alert. Most of us juggle school, jobs, sports, friends, social life, and plenty more. So when a coffee industry throws around exciting new drinks that contain that kick of caffeine we’re hunting for, people get excited. Throwing around flavors like Poppin’ Boba Berry and Shark Attack Myst really had me seeking something that’d help me remain conscious long enough to finish my homework. I excitedly ordered the Supernova Myst Energy Refresher and was awoken by its exotic taste. I wasn’t sure of what the flavor “Supernova” was supposed to taste like, but it was advertised as a space drink, and after enjoying this refresher the “space drink” description made sense. The amount of sugar I swallowed raised a few red flags, but that’s something I moved past because it definitely gave me the boost I needed. Overall, the flavor blew me away, with the different fruity endeavors that blended together to create this totally out of this world sensation. By the end of the drink, which I barely finished, I felt like I could fly. Not quite sure if that is concerning but, I got my homework done that night!

    Now that fall is approaching us, there are seasonal drinks being offered. When I look at Dutch Bros, I see a thriving summer coffee shop that radiates sweaty energy. With this in the back of my mind, I didn’t feel confident about ordering from their fall menu, and the decision I made was solely for the sake of trying new things. I ended up ordering the Cookie Butter Iced Latte.You might be envisioning a cozy, cuddled up on the couch with my coffee vibe, but it was still in fact 90 degrees outside. While this might have taken away from my experience of this drink, I’m not quite sure it would’ve mattered. The flavor of cookie butter is supposed to be a blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, yet  all I tasted was milky caramel. Honestly a shame to the fall menu’s of coffee shops. 

    Dutch Bros certainly had me in a daze with their fun flavors. They seem to have considered everyone when cultivating the menu because of all the things that they can confidently whip up. The energy was present every time I went through the drive thru. It has such a pleasant positiveness that isn’t only found in their fun variety of drinks, but also with the kindness that meets you at the pickup window. I look forward to trying new things, for they have so much to offer.