Starbucks Has Good News For PSL Fans

Lovers of all things autumnal rejoice! Starbucks has officially confirmed that its now-classic fall drink, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, will return this year as usual, assuaging fears that the ever-popular seasonal beverage might be affected by menu reductions due to COVID-19. According to Today, the reappearance of the Pumpkin Spice Latte was confirmed by the company during an earnings call which took place on Tuesday, July 28th. The call also discussed updates to the safety and business practices in place to protect customers and staff from becoming sick during the pandemic. 

While the Seattle-based coffee company has yet to make any drastic menu reductions in response to coronavirus as other chains, like Taco Bell, have chosen to do, in June of this year Starbucks did announce their plan to close 400 of the company-owned stores over the next year and a half to better focus on faster service through expanded pick-up, drive through, and delivery options.

While Starbucks has not yet announced a return date for the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Delish states that the PSL made its yearly debut on August 27th in 2019, so you may be able to pick up one of these festive coffee drinks within the next month! Last year also saw the introduction of an iced Pumpkin Spice drink — the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew — which was a great addition for those of us who were just too hot to drink a standard Pumpkin Spice Latte in August, but still wanted to partake in the start-of-fall festivities. No word yet on whether or not the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew will return to the Starbucks 2020 fall line-up as well.

Feel like possibly-the-end-of-August is a world away? Make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte at home with this handy recipe from The Kitchn! You can even make a large batch of the pumpkin spice base, which will allow you to whip up your own PSL in about the same amount of time as it will take to order through the app and drive to your local Starbucks to pick one up. In their recipe, The Kitchn combines pumpkin puree, black pepper, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, sugar, milk, and espresso to make this copy-cat latte. Top with whipped cream and an extra sprinkle of pumpkin spice, and you'll feel like you're back at your favorite Starbucks cafe. Consume your drink curled up with a great book and wrapped in a cozy sweater to achieve maximum fall.