Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20: The famous fall beverage that almost wasn't

Feel that? There’s a slight chill in the air (OK, maybe not everywhere), and if you strain your ears you might just be able to hear the faint sounds of the "Gilmore Girls" theme song. That’s right, fall is (almost) upon us, and with its impending arrival comes inevitable excitement over the return of pumpkin spice.

Leaves change, school buses crowd the streets once more, and coffee shops dust off a seasonal classic.

There is perhaps no greater fall staple than the Pumpkin Spice Latte, or #PSL as it has been popularly dubbed. The beverage is so ingrained in the culture that it has become a personality signifier.

The people who get it get it, and the ones who don’t, well, enjoy your plain old espresso, I guess.

With Starbucks’ recent unveiling of the 2023 Fall Menu, here’s a look at how the legendary PSL came to be.

History of the Pumpkin Spice Latte

The year was 2003. Peter Dukes, then head of the Starbucks Espresso product team, was searching for his next star beverage. Something fall-themed to follow up the blockbuster Peppermint Mocha.

A survey sent to potential customers strongly reflected a preference for chocolate and caramel beverages. So why did Dukes and his team go with pumpkin? The flavor had scored highly for an important quality: “uniqueness.”

Over the next several months, Starbuck’s flavor-meisters went to work honing in on the perfect recipe. They would take a bite of pumpkin pie and a sip of hot espresso after to see how the flavors melded and find that X-factor to secure that "autumn in a cup" feeling.

The final recipe called for espresso, pumpkin spice sauce, and steamed milk and was topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie topping for a little panache.

Introduced in just 100 Washington stores, the PSL narrowly escaped being called the “Fall Harvest Latte” before developers decided the spice was too important to the flavor not to include in the title.

“Within the first week of the market test, we knew we had a winner,” Dukes said in a press release. In the fall of 2004, the beverage was rolled out nationwide, and the rest is history.

Social media catapulted the beverage to further fame as users gushed over the fall-tastic flavor. The PSL has now earned a permanent spot in the popular imagination as a harbinger for the season.

When does Starbucks release the Pumpkin Spice Latte?

PSLs will be available at Starbucks nationwide on Thursday.

Starbucks 2023 Fall menu:

The Pumpkin Spice Latte will obviously make a return, joined by two new seasonal beverages. The Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte. Also new is the Baked Apple Croissant.

Returning seasonal favs include the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin, and Owl Cake Pop.