Time to Drink Pumpkin Again
The first sightings of Starbucks' beloved Pumpkin Spice latte have been reported! Though it's barely September, the season of paying $4 for a pumpkin-spiked caffeine buzz is back. And we can't forget the drink's sidekick, a pumpkin cream cheese muffin, also available nationwide.
Just as Labor Day signals summer's farewell to some, the much-anticipated pumpkin latte means fall foliage and Halloween candy for many of us. Seeing pumpkin ale on shelves is equally heartwarming. Over at Whole Foods, they've got Sea Dog-brand and World Market has Buffalo Bill's version of the seasonal ale. Both are amber-colored, supposedly with undertones of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Saranac is another popular brand floating around out there.
Doesn't all this pumpkin talk make you want to read Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" and rake leaves? Even if canned pumpkin is available year-round, and technically, we could probably make these drinks anytime, it's only right to slurp them down in mass quantities right now.
Photo taken at Starbucks in Washington, DC at the corner of 19th and M Streets, NW.
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10 Comments:
I ate a Starbucks pumpkin cheese muffin earlier this week and it was truly nasty. Greasy, spice mix tasted like perfume, "cheese" part was runny and blah. Too bad, because it's a nice idea in principle. Starbucks' pastries were much better (at least in some places) when the baking was locally contracted.
emily20008 at 4:19PM on 09/07/07
I love pumpkin flavored everything!
chlamers at 4:33PM on 09/07/07
I've never tried the Starbucks pumpkin muffin, what a bummer though that yours tasted bad!!
I love everything pumpkin and this is my favorite time of year :) Of course it is still in the 80's everyday where I live at in CA so I probably won't be hitting up the lattes anytime soon.
Sarahrm at 5:07PM on 09/07/07
Yes! I just had my first pumpkin latte of the season yesterday - there was a cloudy sky in LA and I took advantage of it. I can't wait until the avg temp actually drops to below 70 here. I want to mull spices and drink peppermint schnopps hot chocolate and watch Elf!
foodette at 6:15PM on 09/07/07
I do occasionally make my own pumpkin shake with vanilla yogurt, milk, pumpkin pie spice & canned pumpkin.
JEP at 6:59PM on 09/07/07
Although it was 90 degrees here, I was in the mood for pumpkin flavor. Luckily Starbucks can make Frappucinos (and light frapps) with the pumpkin syrup too.
July at 7:56AM on 09/08/07
If you love pumpkin, then you can't pass up Robek's Pumpkin Smoothie (similar to what JEP posted above, but sans the blender-cleanup afterwards). The real showdown here is more along the lines of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte vs. Starbucks Gingerbread Spice latte, however.
rojodiablo77 at 1:34AM on 09/09/07
i had my first pumpkin spice latte earlier this week. i really hate starbucks coffee, but in the winter time i'll stop by occassionally to get one of these.
ceforrester at 11:20AM on 09/09/07
Ah, time for a Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and, later this month, some fine German-style beers at one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations west of Munich. LOVE this time of year!
Fillippelli the Cook at 2:28PM on 09/10/07
I unabashedly love the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Each year when they take it off the menu in February I got into mourning and pine for it until it comes back in the fall. It was available in our Starbucks here in So. Fla two weeks ago!
Shels01 at 8:28PM on 09/12/07