It’s easy to hate the pumpkin spice latte. It’s a cultural phenomenon recognizable to almost everyone. And whether you are a fan of the drink or a fan of scorning it, the PSL’s arrival seems to bring everyone in on the fun.
That’s exactly what will happen this week, as it does every year during this time, when Starbucks and lesser coffee shops roll out the enduring and wildly popular fall-time drink.
Like all things good and popular, the PSL has its haters and its controversy. The website Vox last year ran the headline, “Pumpkin spice lattes — and the backlash, and the backlash to the backlash — explained.”
The charm of the PSL is both in its universally recognized flavor and in what it stands for: the start of fall, the onset of cooler weather, and the spark of all the memories that come with the changing season.
They’re like Hallmark cards, Precious Moments figurines, or Thomas Kinkade prints. If you stopped to have a look at one in public, you might catch yourself letting out a delighted “aww,” before quickly making sure that no one noticed. But the irony is that you wouldn’t be alone. Millions of other people felt the same way 16 years ago, just as they do now.
The PSL debuted in stores in 2003 and has since turned into a nationwide phenomenon, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars for Starbucks. A company representative told the website Delish last year that since its initial release, the chain has sold 350 million PSLs. That’s enough for every person in the U.S. to have had one PSL and for some to have had two.
There will be haters again this week as Starbucks mixes and pours yet more and more PSL magic. When you get yours, remember: You’re not alone.
