The Creator Of The PSL Explains How It Ended Up On Starbucks' Fall Menu
Fall doesn’t really start until the pumpkin spice lattes are poured — and the season is finally in full swing! After weeks of rumor-filled excitement surrounding what *exactly* is coming back to Starbucks’ fall 2023 menu, I'm happy to report that you can finally order a pumpkin-loadedlittle treat – and more. Here's what's on the Starbucks fall menu, what the B+C team thought of each item, and how the PSL came to be.
The Entire Starbucks Fall Menu For 2023
The drinks for Starbucks' fall menu include some returning sips, like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, and the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, plus two *new* drinks: an Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte and the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. I’m frothing for these.
The new menu also includes a new item, the Baked Apple Croissant. Yum!
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Celebrating its 20th year in the biz, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is an icon. Crafted hot or iced with espresso poured over pumpkin sauce and your choice of milk, this drink is your one-way ticket to fall vibes. And don't forget the whip! I got my hands on this as soon as I could. It's iconic, perfectly sweet, and my personal one-way ticket to falltime serotonin. Can't resist a little treat!
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is a Starbucks fan-fave, thanks to its rich pairing of strong coffee and oh-so sweet pumpkin cream. You get a pleasant, pumpkin-clad sip every time you take a swig. Mallory, B+C's Social Media Lead, loves that the PCCB still carries the coffee flavors and isn't drowned out by "sweet but not too syrupy" tastes!
Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte
A new drink enters the ring! Inspired by a popular barista custom drink, the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte (it's a mouthful, so start practicing your order now) tops off an iced chai – with milk of your choosing – with the café's succulent pumpkin-flavored cold foam. Seeing that chai spice always works well with sweets, this drink will be a hit! B+C's Content Editor, Haley, took a first sip, and is happy to report that it's *so* creamy and delicious, and in her words, "tastes like a crunchy leaf day where you grab a sweater and walk through the park." Obsessed!
Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
Starbucks is taking the success of their Shaken Espresso and running with it, this time infusing the iced drink with their seasonal Apple Crisp syrup and finishing things off with a generous splash of oat milk. Cari, B+C's Community Manager, loves this new drink because it's not overly sweet, but still delivers the spirited flavors of seasonal apples.
Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato
Coming back for its third year on the Starbucks fall menu, the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato is filled with the nostalgic flavors of the season. It combines blonde espresso and oatmilk to carry a lighter, sweeter taste among a dose of the Apple Crisp syrup. B+C Editorial Intern, Jasmine, is a big fan of the drink's return. She said its flavors are soothing and refreshing, plus *loves* the balance between the bright Apple Crisp and sweet brown sugar.
Baked Apple Croissant
Starbucks' fall menu for 2023 will see a new bakery item: the Baked Apple Croissant. Reminiscent of a warm apple pie, this pick is sure to pair well with all the seasonal drinks, from the PSL to Shaken Espresso. B+C Content Editor Haley *also* tried this delicious offering, noting that it was "a little doughy," at first, "but good." Pro barista-backed tip: order the Baked Apple Croissant *extra-crispy* at the register to avoid some excess doughiness. Your barista will toast it for longer, resulting in a crunchier treat.
Brit + Co's Starbucks Fall Menu Review
The Story Behind The PSL
Peter Dukes, the official creator of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, shared the origin story of the drink in a press release in celebration of the PSL's 20th birthday. Originally, when the Starbucks team was brainstorming their next seasonal drink, caramel and chocolate-based coffees scored the highest – and pumpkin actually seemed like an afterthought at the time.
"I mean, now, it's like obvious, right? There's a huge category, but at [that] time, pumpkin was not a known flavor," Dukes said. "And you certainly didn't think of matching that with coffee."
He also shared that the PSL *almost* didn't even get named the PSL.
"There was a desire to use a really unique name, such as the fall latte, fall harvest latte, and then one of them was pumpkin latte," he said. "We all ultimately ended up on Pumpkin Spice Latte because the spices play a really important role in bringing out the flavors of pumpkin, but also it highlights the espresso in the cup."
When Dukes and his team were in the midst of creating the Pumpkin Spice Latte, they had never dreamed that pumpkin would have become so popular.
"You know, if you asked me or anybody else who worked on this back in 2003, would we envision an entire category? Not only within coffee, but just anything?" he said. "You know, people would send things along, like, look at this pumpkin spice, this pumpkin spice that – I'd chuckle, because who would've thunk it? And you know, there are times as you get older and you reflect back, and you realize, 'wow, this touches a lot of people and it's going to be around to stay.'"
The Fall Menu At Starbucks Reserve Locations
- Starbucks Reserve Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Spice Whiskey Barrel-Aged Iced Latte
- Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini (this has me drooling)
- Pumpkin Maritozzo
- Pumpkin Spice Cake
Starbucks Fall + Halloween Cups For Spooky Season
Starbucks' Halloween-themed tumblers, cold cups, mugs, and more are starting to hit shelves and are only available for a limited time! Our favorite drinkware pieces include the Calavera Skull Mug ($17), Multicolor Cold Cup ($30), Multicolor Drip Cold Cup ($17), and the Pink Pumpkin Mug ($15).
When do fall drinks come out at Starbucks?
Starbucks' fall menu and drinks come out on August 24, 2023.
What fall flavors does Starbucks have?
Starbucks' fall flavors include Pumpkin Spice and Apple Crisp.
How many calories are in Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam?
There are around 250 calories in Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam.
Sign up for our newsletter for updates on Starbucks' fall menu and more current food news + let us know what you're hoping to order this fall in the comments!
Images via Starbucks.
Some quotes have been edited for clarity.
This post has been updated.
Meta, the parent company to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, recently introduced their latest social media platform to enter the ring, called Threads. The new text-sharing app takes inspiration directly from Instagram, offering a more conversational space via words, rather than photos and videos. If you’ve been feeling skeptical about adopting yet another social media, we have the deets on all things Threads. Read on to vet the platform before you hit ‘download.’
What is Threads?
Threads is a new, text-based social media app built by the teams at Instagram. It’s for sharing text updates and joining public conversations. Sounds just like Twitter, right? 🤪 According to Meta, the mission for Threads is to “take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.”
How does Threads work?
Threads is connected to Instagram. You can log into the platform using your IG account to begin sharing text posts up to 500 characters long. In these posts, you can include links, photos, *and* videos up to 5 minutes. It’s a scrollable social media app that also allows you to like and repost others’ content. You can choose to follow the same people you follow on Instagram, if they have a Threads account, plus the platform recommends content from new creators you don’t follow.
Is Threads like Twitter?
From what we’ve gathered, Threads is very similar to Twitter. After all, Mark Zuckerberg candidly acknowledged that the platform would be Twitter's competitor before it launched. Both apps follow a newsfeed-type structure and grant users the ability to like and repost content from other users, but Threads posts can reach up to 500 characters, while posts on Twitter are limited to 280.
Is Threads safe to use?
Photo by Kerde Severin / PEXELS
According to Meta, Threads is safe to use. It’s closely connected to Instagram, which Meta has longtime security investments in.
“As with all our products, we’re taking safety seriously, and we’ll enforce Instagram’s Community Guidelines on content and interactions in the app,” Meta’s website says. “Since 2016, we’ve invested more than $16 billion in building up the teams and technologies needed to protect our users, and we remain focused on advancing our industry-leading integrity efforts and investments to protect our community.”
Is Threads popular?
Though it’s still in its infancy, Threads logged 5 million sign-ups *just* in its first four hours of existence, and according to Mark Zuckerberg, the app now hosts more than 100 million users. We’d say it’s pretty popular at the moment!
Is Threads free?
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio / PEXELS
Yes, Threads is free on Apple and Google app stores.
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Header photo by Andrea Piacquadio / PEXELS
From Easter Eggs To Theories, Here Are *13* Bits Of Taylor Swift News You Need To Know Right Now
Taylor Swift is no stranger to gossip. In the age of TikTok, Twitter, and Reddit, the internet is always talking about what relationship she might be in or which aspects of her latest posts actually serve as Easter eggs. It can be difficult to keep up with, which is why we put together this comprehensive list of all the theories you need to know about right now — for Swifties, by a Swiftie.
A Potential Relationship With Matty Healy
After splitting from longtime boyfriend Joy Alwyn, Taylor Swift has been spotted with Matty Healy from The 1975. There are some conflicting reports about the status of the relationship, but the latest update is that Taylor is unsure she's “ready to commit,” via US Weekly.
Not only have they both shown up at each other's concerts, with Matty coming onstage with the Eras Tour openers and Taylor featured as a guest, but they both mouthed "This is about you, you know who you are. I love you,” during those individual concerts.
An Autobiography
Rumors about Taylor writing a memoir have been around for awhile — even before the "All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)" music video ended with Taylor's character reading her autobiography to an audience.
With so many recent references to July 9, and a summer autobiography from a yet-to-be-revealed celeb, fans were speculating that we'd finally be getting a memoir from the singer-songwriter. Unfortunately, Variety recently confirmed that the book isn't Taylor's, but if she ever were to release a memoir, I'd be first in line.
A Brand New Music Video
Taylor filmed a music video in England last month, reportedly with Joey King (who starred in the "Mean" music video) and Taylor Lautner (who's the subject of "Back to December"). We're not sure whether the music video is the final video for the Midnights era, or whether it's for a Speak Now (Taylor's Version) vault track like the Blake Lively-directed "I Bet You Think About Me" in 2021.
"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"
Taylor announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) during her May 5 show in Nashville, and the fandom went wild. This is one of her most beloved albums, and fans are already speculating song titles, lyrics, and whether the announcement means we'll finally get some Speak Nowsurprise songs.
A Month of MAYhem
To launch the Midnights era, Taylor spent every week leading up to the October 21 album release doing a TikTok series called "Midnights Mayhem With Me." Considering she announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) on the first Friday in May, fans are wondering whether that mayhem could translate to the whole month of May.
A Brand New Band
During an interview with Zane Lowe in 2020, Taylor revealed that there had been behind-the-scenes conversations about starting a band with some of the people involved in evermore. Since the beginning of the Eras Tour, even though other artists like Selena Gomez have attended shows, they haven't been brought onstage.
This led one TikTok user to wonder whether Taylor's Eras Tour guests are her way of introducing us to the members of a new supergroup. Following along with this theory, so far the band would include Taylor Swift, Marcus Mumford, and Aaron Dessner.
The Eras Tour
Speaking of the tour guests, the Eras Tour is definitely top of mind for every Swiftie. She's made it quite the experience, with beautiful sets, amazing costumes, and both her popular hits and less mainstream songs making the setlist. From the surprise songs to the musical guests to the celebrity guests, every concert has a few surprises.
Plus, now that we know she's okay with announcing new releases from the stage, who knows what else Taylor could have up her sleeve.
The First Rain Show
Rain shows aren't a bad thing when it comes to a Taylor Swift concert because she loves them! Her May 7 concert ended up being the first rain show of the Eras Tour (the show was delayed until after 10 pm because of a thunderstorm), and not only was it a fun experience, but she still played her whole set, meaning she finished at 2 am.
A Few Street Walks
After her split with Joe Alwyn, Taylor has been spotted walking around New York City with her girlfriends (something we haven't gotten much of since the 1989 era). In addition to hanging out with her friends, she's also been seen wearing clothes that don't quite fit into any of her recent aesthetics, which leads me to...
TS 11
In addition to the what might be a new aesthetic, Taylor has been seen leaving recording studios in the city, and we know thanks to her Variety Directors on Directors interview that she is *always* writing. Based on her recent release schedule — Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version) in 2021, Midnights in 2022, and now Speak Now (Taylor's Version) in 2023 — she could be prepping a brand new album for 2024.
"The Alcott"
Taylor joined The National on their newest album First Two Pages of Frankenstein for "The Alcott" and we have *thoughts.* The song is about reconnecting with an ex-lover, and everything about the lyrics and the production is just beautiful. Plus, it fits right in with her other collaborations.
"After discussions with fellow literary Swifties, we have collectively decided that you can describe a couple's history by starting with Renegade (troubled relationship), Exile (the first breakup), Coney Island (regrets), and ending with The Alcott (the reconnection)," @tweetsricochet tweeted.
The "Satellite" Music Video
ICYMI: Harry Styles recently released a music video for his song "Satellite." You might be thinking, "How in the world does this relate to Taylor Swift?"
In her song "gold rush," Taylor Swift sings about an "Eagles T-shirt hanging from the door," and after the "Satellite" video dropped, @ekelleydesign on TikTok pointed out that the video features an intersection between two street signs named Gold Rush and Eagle Drive.
Her Most Recent Instagram Captions
Back before TikTok, one of Taylor Swift's favorite way to give her fans an Easter egg was to write a message, and capitalize different letters throughout the paragraph that would spell out something completely different when put together.
In three of her recent posts, she's capitalized words starting with the letter "W," specially "WELL," "WILD," and "WOW." Only time will tell if she's being enthusiastic...or is hinting at something bigger.
Which piece of Taylor Swift news is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!