NEED TO KNOW
- Peter Dukes, the ‘father’ of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, shares the origin story
- In 2003, Starbucks took a chance on the pumpkin-flavored drink
- Dukes tells PEOPLE it almost went by a different name: the ‘Fall Harvest Latte’
Back in 2003, Starbucks was looking to create a new fall drink, testing different flavors and trying to find one that blended comfort and warmth with originality.
Peter Dukes, the “father” of what would become the brand’s fan-favorite beverage, the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL), tells PEOPLE that pumpkin-flavored things weren’t very popular at the time.
“We started to brainstorm different ideas that would resonate in the fall seasonal time period. We came up with hundreds of ideas,” he says, noting that there “were chocolate beverages and caramel beverages” also in the mix.
“[We] quickly whittled down to 10 concepts that we wanted to bring forward to our customers with some paper concepts,” he adds.
They had an in-depth proposal — which featured a hand-drawn diagram of the beverage and an explanation of the drink’s flavor profile — for all 10 concepts they wanted to bring to market research.
They asked the customers two main questions: How unique is this beverage and how likely are you to buy it? When they got back the results, the drinks featuring chocolate and caramel had scored the highest. In contrast, the pumpkin beverage scored the lowest in terms of customer interest, but nearly everyone agreed that it was unique.
“This idea of pumpkin was rated as unique. What you need to keep in mind is that we’re going back to 2003,” Dukes explains. “The only thing pumpkin you would find in the marketplace was the pumpkin puree cans in the grocery store that people would use to make pumpkin pies.”
When the development team collaborated with the food scientists, they decided to move forward with four beverages: a chocolate-based one, a caramel beverage, and a cinnamon beverage. Despite mixed reviews, Dukes and the team felt strongly about the pumpkin beverage, and after a lengthy debate, it was approved as the fourth option.
“One of the first things we did was we decorated the lab as if it were fall, even though it was springtime. We brought in leaves, pumpkins and anything else that would evoke a fall mindset,” Dukes recalls. “Then we brought in pumpkin pies. We took a bite of the pumpkin pie, mixed it with espresso in a sample cup and ate it.”
After the initial taste test, they spent a long time perfecting the recipe. Once they had the flavor down, they also had to come up with a name for the festive beverage that didn’t scare people away. Dukes admits that they were originally planning to call it the “Fall Harvest Latte,” but later landed on the PSL.
“After discussions, we thought it was important that we were very clear and direct with our customers about what to expect when they taste it, because we knew that a potential hurdle was getting customers to try it,” he explains.
“The spices played a crucial role: cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Adding the spice in that descriptor of the name was an important part of the development for the Pumpkin Spice Latte,” he adds.
By the time they got to a market test, the name was already established: Pumpkin Spice Latte. When it was reintroduced to customers during the final testing, Dukes says the scores “went through the roof,” proving that he and his team were right to trust their gut.
The PSL was introduced as a test item on Oct. 10, 2003, in approximately 100 stores in Vancouver, B.C., and Washington, D.C., and subsequently launched across the United States and Canada the following autumn. Dukes recalls calling store managers and hearing the excitement in their voices.
“Nobody knew it was gonna become what it has become for sure. We were excited to have a beverage that our customers really liked,” Dukes says.
When it launched, the drink was popular, but it didn’t gain the widespread recognition it has today until it gained traction on social media. According to Starbucks, in 2014, the Pumpkin Spice Latte joined Twitter (now X) with a dedicated account called @TheRealPSL. During peak pumpkin season, more than 3,000 tweets per day include the #PSL hashtag.
“There was a community that was starting to form around this beverage and @TheRealPSL gave the beverage a personality and it was fun. It didn’t take itself too seriously,” Dukes shares.
TheRealPSL is back on Instagram this year as the official Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte account, posting fall content all season long.
As summer comes to a close and fall begins, Dukes looks forward to seeing his creation warming hands — and hearts — around the world.
“The weather’s starting to change, the cool crisp days. You got dew on the grass football; the kids are back in school, getting into their rhythm and routine. It captures all that in a cup,” he says. “It’s the warm blanket in front of the fireplace, sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table with family and friends. The Pumpkin Spice Latte captures all that.”
“Part of the beauty of this beverage is the excitement when it lands and when people can go get one and then they lament when it goes away,” he adds. “That is part of the beauty of the Pumpkin Spice Latte.”
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is now available to order at Starbucks.
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