Love it or hate it a latte, the time has come for pumpkin spice to return to coffee cups across the globe.
Whether you’re loyal to a certain coffee shop’s version of the autumnal concoction or are happy to gorge on anything gourd flavored, are you up on the drink’s spicy history?
It’s time to get cozy – or as cozy as possibly in August in Florida – and scroll down for nine things you need to know about pumpkin spice.
READ: Pumpkin Spice Latte: Starbucks says they will be bringing back the favorite coffee drink
- According to Starbucks, the Pumpkin Spice Latte was concocted in early in 2003 in the company’s “Liquid Lab.”
- To come up with the signature flavor, the developers said they would sample a forkful of pumpkin pie, followed by a sip of hot espresso to see which flavors paired best.
- Starbucks officials said they settled on a recipe that used pumpkin spice sauce with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
- The latte became Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage of all time.
- “Pumpkin spice” was a thing well before Starbucks. According to Chicagoist, spice companies like McCormick started bundling common spices used in pumpkin pie as “pumpkin pie spice” in the 1950s.
- Pumpkin pies predated the premade spice by centuries. According to a history of pie by Tippin’s, early American settlers of the Plymouth Colony in southern New England (1620-1692), may have made pumpkin pies, of sorts, without crusts. “They stewed pumpkins or filled a hollowed out pumpkin shell with milk, honey and spices and then baked it in hot ashes,” they wrote.
- Because we all need something to look forward to in 2020, Dunkin’ graced us with the arrival of its pumpkin spice latte earlier than every before. Dunkin’ fans only had to wait until Aug. 19 for its pumpkin-flavored items to show up on menus. This year, Dunkin’ said it launched a new “Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte” featuring pumpkin and vanilla flavors, topped with whipped cream, a caramel drizzle and cinnamon sugar topping. Starbucks confirmed Tuesday that PSLs are back as Aug. 25.
- According to Forbes, Starbucks sold an estimated 200 million PSLs in the first decade of its existence.
- Annual sales of “pumpkin” flavored products reached $488.8 million from August 2017 to August 2018, according to Nielsen data.
Cox Media Group
