ORIG SP Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte: the billion-dollar drink

The Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL for those in the know, has become a seasonal obsession for those willing to shell out over $5 for a pumpkin-flavored coffee at Starbucks for the past 19 years.

Following the success of the limited edition Eggnog Latte and Peppermint Mocha, the PSL was developed in a 2003 Starbucks lab. It quickly filled a niche in the Autumn food market, reviving an earthy spice mixture and heating up all sorts of warm Fall feels in those infamous recyclable white cups.

Love it or hate it, the latte has become more than just a drink. It represents a vibe, the start of the Fall season, and the culture that has come along with it. It is by far the most celebrated and popular seasonal beverage of all time.

There are over 2.4 million people who have tagged #PSL and over 750,000 with #pumpkinspicelatte on Instagram, and with the 88,000 verified Twitter account @TheRealPSL, the latte has a dominant presence on social media.

Photo: Twitter @TheRealPSL

The PSL was originally tested in the Vancouver and Washington, D.C. markets in 2003 as a seasonal drink. It did so well that Starbucks could barely keep it in stock. It went on sale to the entire Starbucks market the following year with phenomenal success.

CNBC reports that Starbucks has sold over 424 million PSLs since its debut in 2003. At around $4 a pop, this would total close to $1.4 billion in sales.

The original 2003 PSL recipe did not contain any real traces of pumpkin. It wasn't until a revamp in the recipe in 2015 that actual pumpkin was added and artificial coloring was removed.

Image: Mahmood Zaraei / Pexels

A tall Starbucks PSL contains approximately 75 milligrams of caffeine, aka coffee (hello, we are at Starbucks!) with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and Starbucks' own "pumpkin pie flavored syrup."

One pump or two? Starbucks created a special "pumpkin pie spice syrup" for their PSL, which includes sugar, condensed skim milk, pumpkin puree, coloring, and preservatives.

Photo: Igor Ovsyannykov / Pixabay

Starbucks has raised the prices of the PSL as of Fall 2022. The starting price for the Fall flavored latte will be between $5.45-$5.95.

Pumpkin pie spice does not contain pumpkin! The blend is usually a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice and refers to flavoring pumpkin pies.

Image: Viktor Smith / Pexels

The origin dates back to the Dutch East India Company. Most of the spices from the mixture can be traced to the Southeast Asian Islands and Indonesia, which were taken control of by the Company in the 17th century.

The spices, by way of trading, eventually made their way to the New World, being published in a 1796 cookbook to help flavor a "pompkin" pie recipe.

In 1934, the world's largest spice brand, McCormick, introduced a spice mix called "pumpkin pie spice" to America. It was to help market and promote a new pureed canned pumpkin by the food company Libby's, introduced in 1929.

Libby's canned pumpkin and McCormick's pumpkin pie spice would eventually pair to create the easy-to-make and infamous pumpkin pie that most Americans will enjoy each Thanksgiving.

Starbucks only created the frenzy, but many others have picked up on it. Pumpkin spice flavors have now taken over the Fall season, from donuts to chewing gum and creamers. And with its popularity, like it or not, it's here to stay!