Thursday, September 28, 2023

Twenty Years Of Pumpkin Spice

 it's that time of year again. the leaves are falling. People are wearing sweaters and fleece.what season is it The twentieth one of pumpkin spice latte. It's amazing that it's lasted this long.

New contributor and Food 52 recipe developer  Ella Quittner wrote this humerous observation in yesterday's New York Times Food section. She also delves in the history too.Twenty years ago Peter Dukes, a director at the company created the drink, thus beign known as the "father of the PSL." Surprisingly though it scored lower than chocolate and caramenl infused coffees at the time as it debi=uted mostly around Washington DC, and Vancouver British Columbia. The mangers were the first excited about it then the stars of the early Aughts, Katy Perry and Kristin Cavelleri touted its; assets. The drink took off. Despite this it was never considered hip.In fact its' unwillingness to be hip has helped it to be a perennial classic.It's a season trend but not trendy.

It is a  comforting drink. Thanks to it there is everything pumpkin spice  from hummus to even deodorant. Starbucks' rival Dunkin Donuts created it's own version in 2020. Many associate it with white girl privledge and the patriarchy.Its a derogatory portrait of the basic woman.Maybe because Starbucks has been ubiquituous and it is in almost every small town and large city.it was sure to be a must have in everyone's lives. There may be a "cringe factor" as Victoria Carliotti, a New School student puts it and she woulnd't post herself drinking it on Tiktok. yet she will be ordering it.Ir's sort of like McDonald's Grimace Shake popular during last summer when Gen Z made it a central part of their sbusrdist horro shorts on social media. 

Pumpkin spice latte is here to stay. It's a comfort  drink that symbolizes fall and coziness. It's what people want to celebrate the coming of fall every year.