the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, back to school is one the way and Starbucks’ ubiquitous and equally loved-and-maligned pumpkin spice latte, is now available in stores alongside its new pumpkin cream cold brew on Aug. 27. This is the earliest release date ever, possibly because of its ever-increasing slate of pumpkin spiced competitors in every possible variation of baked good, alcoholic or caffeinated beverage, and anything else your little heart desires.
In fall 2003, Starbucks first brought the pumpkin spice latte to 100 stores in Vancouver and Washington, D.C. to test the beverage.
“Within the first week of the market test, we knew we had a winner,” Peter Dukes, director of espresso Americas for Starbucks said. “Back then, we would call store managers on the phone to see how a new beverage was doing, and you could hear the excitement in their voices.”
The next fall, Pumpkin Spice Latte rolled out across the company’s U.S. stores, and a new fall tradition was begun. The beverage built a loyal fan base and has been enjoyed more than 200 million times in the decade since.
“Pumpkin Spice Latte has become more than just a beverage,” Dukes said. “It has become a harbinger of the season.”