While your sweat-soaked clothes and electric bill might not signal the changing season just yet, summer is on its way out. Here's how we know: Starbucks' iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte is reportedly hitting menus this month.
Though the Seattle-based coffee company has yet to announce the PSL's official return date, an employee spilled the alleged date to USA Today. And other leaks have pointed to the same date too: August 22.
Since 2003, hundreds of millions of Pumpkin Spice Lattes have been created, but the recipe has only changed once. Back in 2015 Starbucks started using real pumpkin puree and removed artificial flavors.
"You go back 20 years ago, there was nothing like this out in the marketplace," said Peter Dukes, one of the original creators of the PSL. "And then it just kind of took off from there to where it is today and obviously, a new industry was created along the way."
The Pumpkin Spice Latte also isn't the only seasonal drink hitting menus, though. According to online rumors, fans can expect an all-new Iced Apple Crisp Cream Chai (non-dairy) and Raccoon Cake Pop (vanilla-flavored), in addition to previous favorites like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, Iced Apple Crisp Shaken Espresso Oatmilk, Apple Crisp Macchiato Oatmilk, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin, and Baked Apple Croissant.
And while you might have a few more weeks left before you can get your tastebuds on a Starbucks PSL, 7-Eleven has already brought back the seasonal bevvy—and a questionable Pumpkin Spice Slurpee.
"7-Eleven customers are huge pumpkin spice fans, so we’re always looking for reasons to bring out the pumpkins a bit early and delight customers with new creations," Senior Vice President of Merchandising Dennis Phelps said in a statement.
International Delight, Starbucks, and Dunkin' have all rolled out pumpkin-flavored creamers and products to hold us over in the interim, The New York Post reports. Dunkin's fall menu was also leaked (and then deleted) from an alleged employee on Reddit. And according to disgruntled commenters on the original post, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is missing from the lineup.
