Starbucks brings back pumpkin spice latte — plus two new fall drinks. What to know
Pumpkin spice is back at Starbucks for its 20th year, along with two new fall-inspired drinks.
The popular pumpkin spice latte returned to menus Thursday, Aug. 24, as part of the coffee giant’s seasonal lineup, according to a news release.
Launched in 2003, the drink — featuring espresso, pumpkin spice mix and steamed milk topped with a swirl of whipped cream — has culled a loyal following to become the brand’s most popular seasonal beverage, Starbucks said.
The company had previous success with its Peppermint Mocha and wanted to create a new, unique drink for the fall.
“We probably had at least a hundred ideas up on the wall,” Peter Dukes, then-head of Starbucks’ beverage development team, said in the release.
“And once we got those ideas, we started to whittle away at them and came down to a list of about 20 different flavors including chocolate and caramel ... and there was orange and cinnamon ... and there was pumpkin there as well,” Dukes said.
It was three months before the team came up with a winning recipe, which was tested at 100 stores across Washington, D.C., and Vancouver, Canada. The rest was history.
“Nobody knew at the beginning what it would grow to be,” Dukes said. “20 years later, it’s taken on a life of its own.”
Starbucks’ fall menu
This year, the new iced apple crisp oatmilk shaken espresso and iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte joined Starbucks’ fall menu, according to a release.
Both launched alongside returning fan favorites, inlcuding the pumpkin cream cold brew and apple crisp oatmilk macchiato.
In the bakery case, customers can find the new baked apple croissant along with the pumpkin cream cheese muffin and owl cake pop, the coffee chain said.
Find your nearest Starbucks here.
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Starbucks brings back pumpkin spice latte — plus two new fall drinks. What to know."