Written by Christie Crawford
Clarksville, TN – For some, it’s a change in the leaves. For others, it’s the coolness in the air and the timing of dawn and dusk. And for many, it’s the advent of PSLs or Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Love it or hate it, the drink has surpassed 20 years since its roll-out, and the pumpkin spice explosion has trickled down into mainstay foods without waning.
The spice can be found in every type of food imaginable, from yogurt to pretzels to ice cream and cereal. And it’s not just coffee beverages as the craze has continued to include pumpkin spice rum, pumpkin spice espresso martinis, and craft brewers offering vanilla pumpkin ales.
It all started in spring 2003 when Peter Dukes, product manager for Starbucks, was working on a new seasonal beverage for the coffeehouse giant. The chain was responsible for the very popular seasonal drinks, Eggnog Lattes and Peppermint Mochas, and was looking for more. Holed up in the Liquid Lab, Starbucks top-secret tasting lab in Seattle, Dukes was trying out different taste combos by eating pumpkin pie and drinking espresso.
After many sessions, he and his team drilled down to pumpkin and spice to mimic the taste sensation of a mouthful of pumpkin pie. The first attempt involved a syrup concoction called a Fall Harvest Latte. The name and the drink just didn’t hit the mark. Then a sauce was formed, and the name Pumpkin Spice Latte was born. After testing successfully in Vancouver, Canada, and Washington, DC, the drinks were rolled out in 2004.
Who knew after 20 years that this flavor sensation would be sticking around. And if you think it’s just humans who enjoy the trend – think again. Chewy has introduced pumpkin spice dog treats, and Petco has the same, including a plush dog toy shaped like a pumpkin spice latte.
Starbucks wasn’t the first coffee chain to create the flavor. There were other coffee establishments across the country with the drink, but what Dukes did was take it mainstream. It has brought the company over $1.4 billion in sales to date, and it remains its top-selling seasonal beverage of all time. Even restaurants are getting in the game with new versions of pasta, curries, soups, and vinaigrettes, all utilizing the spice. Major players in the hot and cold beverage game offer their take on the PSL.
Here in Clarksville, PSL’s can be found at many coffeehouses, both independent and chain. I was able to try the beverage here in town at coffeehouses Plumb Line Coffee and Silke’s Bakery, as well as Dunkin’ and Starbucks. If sweet is your flavor, I give the nod to Silke’s and Dunkin’s versions. If you like the additional complexity of graham cracker taste, I would recommend the versions at Plumb Line and Starbucks.
McCormick Spice company predicted in 2010 that the spice would be a craze. The firm describes its Pumpkin Pie Spice blend as combining the sweetness of cinnamon, the earthy nuttiness of nutmeg, a peppery kick of ginger and the unique flavor quality of allspice to create a warm, earthy, sweet, irresistible flavor. There’s no doubt that what these spices do is invoke the fall mindset and bring up those warm experiences and memories of the season.
A nice pairing with that latte would be to serve up a pumpkin spice cheesecake, one of my tried-and-true fall recipes from The Frog /Commissary Cookbook – based on the cuisine from a legendary regional restaurant in Philadelphia.
