Some foods and drinks just taste better at different times of
year, and many businesses have been taking advantage of
the seasonal food trend for years. Nothing says winter like
eggnog or gingerbread. Nothing says summer like a hotdog
and a cold drink. And nothing says fall quite like Starbucks’
Pumpkin Spice Latte.
The drink was released for fall 2016 on September 6 to
the general public, and on September 1 to rewards members,
marking its thirteenth consecutive seasonal debut. Nick-
named “PSL,” it is Starbucks’ most popular seasonal drink of all
time.
In spring 2003, after the team in the “Liquid Lab” success-
fully developed the eggnog Latte and Peppermint Mocha
for the winter season, they were tasked with adding a new
that an average of 3,000 fans tweet each day using the
hashtag #PSL to show their enthusiasm.
The summer of 2014, the company even created an
official Twitter account for the Pumpkin Spice Latte (@
TheRealPSL). They use the page to post information about
the drink’s availability and fun promotional photos. After
the 2016 release, fans were tagging the account in tweets
welcoming it back for the season.
Also joining the Pumpkin Spice Latte in the 2016 sea-
sonal drink lineup was Starbucks’ new Chile Mocha. “When
we think about fall, often people think about warmth and
spice, like cinnamon and apple pie,” said Michelle Sundquist,
Starbucks senior product developer. “We decided to take that
idea in a new direction with chocolate and a bit of heat.” Sun-
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