Pumpkin Spice Latte season is officially upon us. On Tuesday, the fan-favorite drink officially returns to Starbucks menus across the United States and Canada alongside the coffee chain’s full fall drink lineup, marking the unofficial start of the fall season.
The PSL has been an autumnal staple for 17 years, first debuting on the menu in 2004, though it had gotten its start a year earlier. In a research and development lab at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, extensive taste tests were conducted to develop the now heavily sought after drink. Starbucks revealed that during these tests, taste testers took bites of real pumpkin pies followed by sips of espresso to hone in on the best flavors to highlight. The chain also revealed that the Pumpkin Spice Latte was not the original name of the famed drink, but that it was rather almost called the Fall Harvest Latte. The drink, according to the chain’s description, is “swirling with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.”
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The PSL, of course, is far from the only drink at Starbucks invoking the flavors of fall. Alongside the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew, which features Starbucks cold brew sweetened with vanilla syrup and topped with a pumpkin cream cold foam, will also be making its return. For those few who are not on the PSL train, the Salted Caramel Mocha will also be on the menu. That beverage boasts mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup that is combined with coffee and steamed milk, then topped with sweetened whipped cream, caramel drizzle and a blend of turbinado sugar and sea salt. It is also available as a Frappuccino.
To enjoy the full early return of fall, those headed to Starbucks can also try one of the new food items added to the menu. On Tuesday, customers will be able to order the pumpkin scone, pumpkin cream cheese muffin, and pumpkin bread. Customers can also enjoy the autumnal season at home with the chain’s variety of pumpkin spice-flavored ground, packaged, and ready-to-drink products, as well as its new maple pecan-flavored K-cup packs and ground coffee and salted caramel mocha flavored creamer.
Starbucks is even helping coffee lovers “fall into the season” by introducing the Starbucks 1-833-GET-FALL hotline, which will allow customers to enjoy the autumnal beverage while listening to the sounds of fall. By dialing the number, you can be treated to the sounds of a crackling fire, a hayride through a pumpkin patch, or even some PSL-inspired meditations.
