![](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/SEC_172450083-d3fd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019ve actually ran out of a meeting before to grab one next door \u2013 it\u2019s become an addiction,\u2019 says 30-year-old Joshua Simon.<\/p>\n
Joshua was just 17 when he had his first taste of Pumpkin Spice Latte \u2013 his first ever coffee and his \u2018gateway\u2019 to stronger caffeinated drinks.<\/p>\n
\u2018When I was 17, I worked as an intern and did the office coffee round and I\u2019d heard people talk about the Pumpkin Spiced Latte and it was very mixed \u2013 with some people saying it tasted like soup and others saying it tasted amazing. I had to try for myself. One sip of the hot beverage and I fell in love,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n
\u2018I was never a coffee drinker, PSL was my first taste of coffee, which then got me to my current addiction of stronger coffee and my exposure to nicer coffee.\u2019<\/p>\n
Now the senior publicist, from North London, has push notifications on his phone \u2013 so he can be the first to know when the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are released when autumn rolls around.<\/p>\n
He adds: \u2018I feel very festive and autumnal the minute my phone buzzes (on a certain coffee chain membership app that I have on my smartphone) the minute they\u2019ve been released.<\/p>\n
\u2018I barely get time with the job I do to get a proper break during working days \u2013 so when I have my (now strictly two per week) PSL moment, I get a sense of just relaxation and relief for just those few minutes. It\u2019s become a tradition and like something I look forward to throughout the year.\u2019<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/metro-parent\/img\/fallback.png\")
<\/p>\n
And you only have to step foot in Joshua\u2019s home to see his love of the drink shine through.<\/p>\n
\u2018I have a set of PSL pumpkin-themed pillows, throws, plates and cutlery sets and a few trinkets that I put up around my flat to get the mood going,\u2019 he continues.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m even embarrassed to say I have a PSL duvet set.\u2019<\/p>\n
But Joshua isn\u2019t alone. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s one of many die-hard Pumpkin Spice Latte fans who have long-admired the Starbucks beverage \u2013 which marks its 20th birthday this year.<\/p>\n
And looking back on its rise to fame, the late noughties and early 2010s was when the drink really came into its own. <\/p>\n
The Pumpkin Spiced Latte fast-became synonymous with the orange and red hues of autumn and \u2018spooky szn\u2019 culture \u2013 and well and truly established itself in the Tumblr, MySpace and early YouTube zeitgeist.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s a cultural icon, in 20 years, hundreds of millions of PSL have been served. Starbucks continues to build upon the success,\u2019 explains Angelica Gianchandani, a professor in the Marketing department at University of New Haven.<\/p>\n
\u2018The image of coffee lovers wrapping their hands around a warm cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte is a picture-perfect image of a cozy, warm autumn.\u2019<\/p>\n
But as with most fast rises to fame, it wasn\u2019t long before the drink started to get a fair amount of stick \u2013 most notably, its \u2018basic\u2019 label.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018It was the go-to drink of every blogger in autumn 2014 \u2013 but some of us never got over it,\u2019 says 22-year-old Imali Chislett, who\u2019s been drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes since she was 11.<\/p>\n
But these \u2018basic\u2019 connotations aren\u2019t enough to put true PSL fans off.<\/p>\n
\u2018For me, drinking a PSL is a luxurious experience, far from the basic coffee experience,\u2019 says graphic designer Imali.<\/p>\n
\u2018Ever since I was old enough to drink coffee it\u2019s been an annual tradition that I\u2019d go and get a Starbucks in September. As I\u2019ve got older, this ritual has been kept.\u2019<\/p>\n
This passion also filters into all other aspects of her life.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old adds: \u2018When the PSLs hit stores, autumn has officially arrived. The excitement builds all year \u2013 I start counting down in June.<\/p>\n
\u2018Being the autumn girl that I am, I love to collect the Starbucks merch, autumn coffee cups and T-shirts, it just helps me to set the mood. Anything with a pumpkin on, I\u2019m there.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kiran Bird also was first introduced to the cult classic 15 years ago after seeing US YouTubers talk about it.<\/p>\n
\u2018I was pretty convinced I\u2019d love it and was desperate for it to come to the UK. As soon as it came to the UK, I bee-lined to Starbucks and, yep, I was obsessed,\u2019 the 29-year-old Londoner says.<\/p>\n
\u2018Autumn is my favourite season, I think because it\u2019s when leaves fall and everything starts to feel like it\u2019s getting ready to restart and refresh \u2013 it reminds me of that. It\u2019s also just really delicious, I love spices like cinnamon and ginger, so it\u2019s just a warming and comforting drink for me. I also love it\u2019s something to look forward to after summer ends.\u2019<\/p>\n
Kiran\u2019s love for PSL even featured in a huge milestone life event \u2013 as she opted for pumpkin spice as a scent at her autumnal wedding.<\/p>\n
She adds: \u2018We had an autumn wedding, so I wanted the scent to match the cosy romantic vibe we were going for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I also gave all my bridesmaids a mini PSL candle as part of the proposal gift bags. I love that we went for this scent, because now it reminds my mum of our wedding whenever she smells a pumpkin spice candle.\u2019<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
Kiran also refuses to accept any PSL hate.<\/p>\n
She adds: \u2018How is something that brings people a little bit of joy when the days are getting darker and colder basic? And it\u2019s not basic \u2013 an oat vanilla latte is basic.\u2019<\/p>\n
And, love it or hate it, as the famous drink turns 20, it\u2019s cultural significant is undeniable.<\/p>\n
Peter Dukes, the director of espresso Americas for Starbucks (and who was the product manager who led the development of Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003), says: \u2018You have to remember that 20 years ago, the pumpkin flavor didn\u2019t exist in the marketplace outside of canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, and seasonal products weren\u2019t really a thing yet either. We didn\u2019t set out to create an entire industry. <\/p>\n
\u2018We set out to bring our customers a beverage that would encapsulate fall.<\/p>\n
\u2018Fans that have made it one of\u00a0Starbucks\u00a0most iconic beverages.\u2019<\/p>\n
They really have. <\/p>\n