Pumpkin Spice: The Flavor That Hijacks August
-Ella Rataic

It was still summer. The Mounties weren’t even back in the building yet. The AC was blasting, the sun was scorching, and suddenly—BAM!—the pumpkin spice craze kicked in like an overcaffeinated jack-o’-lantern.

Dunkin’ dropped their pumpkin spice menu on August 20th (yes, while people were still wearing flip-flops), and Starbucks followed close behind on August 26th. The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte—aka PSL for those in the know—isn’t just popular; it’s the most popular seasonal item in Starbucks history. Sorry, peppermint mocha, you’ve been officially booted. On average, Starbucks sells around 20 million PSLs a year. That’s enough caffeine and cinnamon to power Mount through midterms!

So why do teachers and students alike show up clutching their PSLs like trophies of seasonal superiority? Why does pumpkin spice have this chokehold on our taste buds every single year?

The answer boils down to three things: nostalgia, scarcity, and comfort. The warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove flavors scream cozy autumn vibes, even if the weather outside is giving more “sweaty August gym class.” Plus, pumpkin spice season is tragically short-lived. Starbucks cuts it off around November 7th (SO EARLY! Why the rush? Are we skipping straight to candy canes?!). Because of this deadline, people panic-buy PSLs like they’re limited-edition sneakers.

And let’s be real—Starbucks and Dunkin’ know exactly what they’re doing. The artificial urgency, the autumnal marketing, the cute leaf emojis on every ad—it all works. The pumpkin spice menu alone rakes in an estimated $100 million for Starbucks. So yeah… they’re doing just fine.

Will they release it earlier next year? Probably. Will we still line up for it, iced or hot, no matter how absurd the timing? Absolutely. Because pumpkin spice isn’t just a flavor—it’s a lifestyle.