For those of you that peeped my about page, you know that when I am not gallivanting about the globe I am a Starbucks barista. I am excited that today is the official start of Fall, in the Starbucks world anyway because the infamous PSL is back! For those out of the loop, PSL is pumpkin spice latte. I know, I know. It’s still summer! We aren’t ready for Fall, It can’t be here already?? Well, it is, and the majority of those PSL fans and self-proclaimed Basic B’s are lined up to get their first sip on the pumpkin goodness.
A Little Back Story…
I have been with Starbucks of and on for years. I was actually working there the first time the Pumpkin Spice Latte was introduced. It was the electric orange, kind of plastic tasting not so good drink and it didn’t even contain pumpkin! Though if you think about it, pumpkin spice does not really have to have pumpkin, it could be the spice you used in pumpkin things? But none the less the orange color of the drink suggested it should have some pumpkin in there. I thought for sure that year that that would be the first and last year of the drink.
To my surprise, it came back again the next fall, with a revamped recipe, less plastic tasting than its predecessor and more of a realistic color orange. It did well, a few years later the drink was revamped again to include actual pumpkin, GO STARBUCKS! Since it’s launch it has become a quintessential part of fall. It’s so beloved that it’s brought back each year towards the end of summer instead of begging of fall so all of the pumpkin spice diehards get an extra few weeks to enjoy it.
Not gonna lie, I am one of them. I get excited about the onslaught of pumpkin spice that happens around this time each year. As a barista I get a few days head start too, whoop whoop! Every year I like to push the boundaries and come up with creative ways to use this delightful flavor. Here are some of the many ways to enjoy PSL at Starbucks:
The Classics
The PSL, of course.
Frothy milk, shots of espresso and pumpkin spice with whip and a dust of pumpkin spices. The drink that started it all. If it’s still hot where you live, try it iced!
Don’t drink coffee?
Try a Pumpkin Spice Cream, all the PSL goodness without the shots of espresso.
The Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
A pumpkin twist on a cold and blended fan fav, a great segway to fall.
Not into coffee?
Order a Pumpkin Spice Cream Frappuccino for a tasty creamy shake like a treat.
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
This is the new guy on the block for 2019. 20 hour cold brewed coffee with some vanilla and creamy pumpkin cold foam. If you really need a pick me up, try it with Nitro.
Secret Menu
To the delight of customers (and some times dismay of partners), you can make your drink at Starbucks exactly how you like it given the ingredients we have on hand. As a partner, it’s easy to tire of the same old recipes so sometimes I like to experiment. I have come up with a few favs I will share with you and for the help of my fellow barista, I will include how to order it as well.
Pumpkin Spice Chai
Delightful pumpkin spice goes perfectly with the spice of chai. As someone who doesn’t really drink much coffee, this is a favorite of mine. It has actually made it on the menu in years past but did not this year. Have no fear, you can order it still.
Order: A Chai Latte, Add pumpkin spice sauce and topping.
The only drawback to this drink is that it’s really sweet, so there is another variation on this drink that takes some of the sweetness out of the drink.
Order: A custom tea latte, with Chai tea bags and add pumpkin spice and topping.
Pumpkin Spice Cloud Macchiato
I am surprised that this wasn’t an official drink for the season with the popularity around the new cloud drinks. This takes the PSL to a whole new level with fluffy, cloud-like pumpkin foam and shots. I prefer it iced.
Order: An Iced Carmel Cloud Macchiato, No vanilla, add pumpkin, no caramel, add pumpkin topping. If you are in a store you can try to order it as an Iced PSL upside down, add cloud power. Both should yield the same results.
So there you have it, classic pumpkin spice goodies and some of my favorite creative hacks. What are your favorite ways to enjoy Pumpkin Spice?
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