The Creator Of The PSL Explains How It Ended Up On Starbucks' Fall Menu

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).