We might currently be in the height of summer in the U.S., but some of us might be pining for autumn, with its crisp breezes, colorful foliage and, of course, the beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks.
Well, we have good news and bad news. First the bad: it’s not PSL season yet. The good? It’s coming sooner than you might realize.
Starbucks first debuted the PSL more than 20 years ago, in 2003. It helped popularized “Pumpkin Spice” flavored, scented and branded items available all year round, but the seasonal beverage still holds a place in fans’ hearts.
In fact, Dr. Jin-A Choi – part of a team from Montclair State University that create the annual Pumpkin Spice Report – told Audacy’s “Something Offbeat” podcast last year that PSL continued to get a lot of love.
“We went online to various social media sites and we collected mostly tweets regarding hashtag pumpkin spice PSL – which stands for Pumpkin Spice Latte that Starbucks coined – and related keywords to gather data,” Dr. Choi said “And we found that people actually expressed more love and obsession for the drink rather than hate.”
So, when can people expect to be able to grab a PSL at Starbucks? This week, USA Today did some digging and found that the company has consistently released the drink in late August for the past seven years. Last year, PSL season officially launched on Aug. 22.
As we continue to deal with a sweltering summer, the good chunk of Americans who love fall more than any other season (as shown in polls from Rasmussen, ValuePenguin, Ipsos and Morning Consult) can make their own PSL at home while they wait for this year’s launch. Starbucks offers the recipe here.