The history of pumpkin spice is best divided into two eras. Since Starbucks popularized its seasonal pumpkin spice latte in 2003, the spice has expanded into countless other seasonal foods, scents, and more. Before the PSL, pumpkin spice was a fixture in traditional baked goods for much, much longer than you might expect.
Pumpkin spice is as American as pumpkin pie - literally. The earliest written mentions of pumpkin spice come from the 1798 reprint of Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery, one of the most popular Revolutionary-era cookbooks in the Colonies. Interestingly, Simmons’ cookbook includes two pumpkin spice variations, one pairing nutmeg and ginger and a second with ginger and allspice.
Over a century later, industrial food and beverage giants like McCormick & Company began manufacturing and marketing pumpkin spice pre-mixed. Those early commercialized versions of pumpkin spice included up to nine kinds of spice. Today, McCormick has narrowed the spices in pumpkin spice down to four: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
Pumpkin spice has been used in kitchens worldwide for generations, and it seemed to dominate grocery stores and restaurants overnight after the PSL. Interestingly, Starbucks didn’t invent the pumpkin spice latte, but it sure marketed it well. Initially, Starbucks’ Director of Espresso, Peter Dukes, planned to call the store’s new drink the “Fall Harvest Latte” but ultimately switched to a pumpkin spice latte—it seemed to work out okay.
Starbucks rolled out the pumpkin spice latte in just 100 stores but expanded quickly after consumers crowed about the drink. In 2024, Starbucks released the pumpkin spice latte on August 24 - the earliest date ever - and is expected to make as much as $500 million on the drink this season. That’s half a billion dollars for a drink based on a simple combination of spices - not a bad deal!
It’s no wonder more companies have followed suit, offering pumpkin-flavored versions of consumers’ favorite foods, fragrances, and cosmetics. Sites like CNN even post annual lists of the best pumpkin-flavored products available each year—and they're definitely worth a read.
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