The season of fall has arrived! A festive time when leaves turn orange, the weather changes and people get together with family, is there any better way to start off the season than with a delicious pumpkin spice latte? For those who may have never heard of or tasted a pumpkin spice latte before, perhaps due to living under a rock since the early 2000s, a pumpkin spice latte is a coffee drink made with espresso, milk and a special hint of pumpkin puree with cinnamon. Typically sold for the fall season in chain coffee shops like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Caribou Coffee and more, adventurous variations have also popped up at independent establishments right here in Columbia Heights like Fixx Coffee, Dero Coffee Shop and Community Grounds.
Some may wonder where the raves surrounding pumpkin spice drinks started. Starbucks first tested the beverage in around 100 stores around Washington, D.C. and Vancouver in the fall of 2003. Later in the fall of 2004, the pumpkin spice beverage was rolled out into all Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada. This has been a debatable subject, as some have recorded that smaller coffee shops have been selling them way before Starbucks did, dating back to the 1990s. Nevertheless, it was certainly Starbucks that made it mainstream.
“I like the pumpkin spice drinks from Starbucks,” student Kayla Andino (12) said. “[especially the] cinnamon taste. I always get it at least once every time it comes out.”
What makes pumpkin spice lattes so appealing is definitely, first and foremost, the taste. Despite the coffee base, they’re also sweet and creamy, especially with the addition of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, which help enhance the flavor profile into something truly unique.
In addition to the original hot beverage, perfect for the impending cold weather, there are several iterations of the pumpkin spice latte, including over ice, with cold foam, the pumpkin chai latte (which trades the coffee for Indian spiced black tea), and many more. The coffee chain Starbucks also offers pumpkin-flavored bakery items like the Pumpkin & Pepita Loaf and the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.
Starbucks has also hosted sponsored events centered on the drink over the years and invited many well-known celebrities to try both the original and new twists on the beloved menu item. During the 2000s, their promotions featured big names like Lindaey Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears carrying the Starbucks cups for the paparazzi to photograph. This year, we heard rising pop singer Sabrina Carpenter, at one of her concerts, revealing her Starbucks order is an iced chai latte with pumpkin spice cold foam.
“I have tried pumpkin spice lattes! Personally, I like sweeter coffee and find that a PSL is not sweet enough for my taste,” Columbia Heights High School Foundations of Food teacher Ms. Autumn Trzaskowski said. “I think everyone should have the fall “moment” of enjoying a pumpkin-flavored beverage.”
Getting a pumpkin spice latte does not mean only grabbing it in stores, as you can also make it in your own home! To do this, you will need to brew either coffee or espresso shots (depending on how strong you like your sweet treat), grab whole or 2% milk (or your favorite milk alternative) and finally, purchase some pumpkin syrup, pumpkin puree and cinnamon—or pumpkin spice (usually a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and/or allspice). While the pumpkin spice latte is a staple fall drink, not all coffee shops sell a pumpkin spice latte. Or perhaps you’ve been on the trend train for a while and want to try something different that still fits the fall vibes. Some alternatives that have that same hit of spice and cinnamon are Chai Tea Lattes, London Fog, Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte, Horchatas or even a mocha with a dusting of pumpkin spice on top.
Almost every shop or grocery store will stop selling any pumpkin spice-related drinks, variations and ingredients when the Christmas winter season arrives (as of The Heights Herald’s print deadline, Starbucks has already unveiled and debuted their holiday menu!) and will not be back until the next fall season. Try a warm pumpkin spice latte while it lasts, if you can find it, to enhance your autumn experience!
