Few can resist the lure of a pumpkin spice latte (PSL) in autumn.
This fall, Starbucks is celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the creation of the beverage that modified the way in which the world sees pumpkin-flavored drinks.
Since its launch in October 2003, the PSL has change into Starbucks’ hottest seasonal beverage, with a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of cups sold within the last 20 years, in accordance with the coffee chain.
FOX Business spoke with one among the unique PSL creators, Peter Dukes, about how the last 20 years have became a pumpkin spice takeover.
“This concept of pumpkin was something that just didn’t exist,” the worldwide growth and ideas director said.
Before the PSL hit the market, Dukes said most food stores carried a limited choice of pumpkin products.
Those products included pumpkin purée, which is used to make pumpkin pie and other baked goods.
“Walk down a grocery aisle now, and you possibly can see your entire aisle on each side full of pumpkin spice products,” he said.
The drink’s co-creator, Peter Dukes, reveals the origin story of the pumpkin spice craze.Starbucks
Before the pumpkin spice craze, Starbucks focused on leveling up its menu with unique items after seeing successful peppermint mocha sales throughout the 2002 holiday season.
Pitching to a consumer group, the coffee chain presented several recent beverage ideas — including a pumpkin latte, which scored low for likelihood to sell but high for uniqueness.
Dukes and about six other Starbucks colleagues then brainstormed ways to raise the pumpkin beverage, experimenting with a slice of pumpkin pie and a shot of espresso.
Starbucks celebrates 20 years of the pumpkin spice latte.Starbucks
“Literally, we took some espresso, just poured it on the pumpkin pie after which tasted it,” he said.
“Simply to get a way of what the flavors are like while you mix pumpkin pie and espresso.”
Based on taste-testing sessions at their Seattle, Washington, headquarters, the team knew that curating a pumpkin “sauce” would best mimic the flavour profile of a heavier-bodied pumpkin pie.
The sauce, which incorporates real pumpkin, would complete the recipe for what Starbucks dubbed the “pumpkin spice latte.”
The seasonal drink launched on Oct. 10, 2003, in 100 Starbucks stores between Washington, D.C., and Vancouver, B.C.
There was “immediate excitement” from customers and store employees, Dukes reported.
“We knew by the second day that we had a winner by picking up the phone and talking to the shop managers [and] hearing the joy of their voices,” he said.
Each season moving forward, the PSL’s popularity grew, escalating with the emergence of social media in 2008.
In 2014, Starbucks released the official @therealPSL Twitter account, which today has greater than 82,000 followers on X, formerly generally known as Twitter.
Customers including celebrities and content creators began posting on Instagram, Twitter, Vine and other platforms to share their PSL love.
Starbucks’ drink sparked a pumpkin craze over the past 20 years. Starbucks
The craze for the autumn flavor has made “pumpkin spice” a household name.
It was even added to the dictionary by Merriam-Webster in September 2022. It defines it as “a mix of normally cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and infrequently allspice that is often utilized in pumpkin pie.”
“In the event you asked anybody in that room if pumpkin spice was going to change into a complete industry … no one would have guessed that,” Dukes said, referring to the Starbucks latte creation.
“It’s been form of cool to see it take off.”
What has stuck with PSL fans is the drink’s representation of fall, Dukes suggested.
“I like the autumn time period,” he said.
“It’s a fleeting time period where you get the autumn leaves turning colours, the weather turning, football is back, kids are back at school … [The PSL] packages all of that in a cup.”
The drink continues to be a fan-favorite because of the mix of a love for fall and the unique taste profile, Dukes said.
Starbucks’ competitor Dunkin’ announced its fall drink lineup last week, including its Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte, Nutty Pumpkin Coffee and Pumpkin Swirl.
Also, General Mills announced that it’s “bringing all the autumn vibes” with recent products and “the return of bestsellers like Pumpkin Spice Cheerios and Pillsbury Pumpkin Spice Grands.”
Now, with 20 years within the rearview mirror, Dukes gave a shout-out to the Starbucks colleagues who accompanied him at their “liquid lab” to create the long-lasting drink.
The creation of the drink has even lead the term “pumpkin spice” into the dictionary. Getty Images
“It takes a team effort, obviously,” he said. “Congratulations! Look what we’ve all done.”
Dukes hinted to FOX Business that this won’t be the last of Starbucks’ recent and seasonal menu hits.
“Innovation is in our DNA at Starbucks,” he said. “Who knows what’s next?”
