Pumpkin Spice Latte - wikipedia Pumpkin Spice Latte The Pumpkin Spice Latte is a coffee drink made with a mix of traditional fall spice flavors ( cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove ), steamed milk, and espresso, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. Since 2015, it has also contained a small amount of pumpkin puree. The drink is offered by Starbucks and many other cafés on a seasonal basis, usually being introduced on the first of September -- though in 2014 the drink was introduced a week earlier on August 25 -- and usually, depending on the store, will end sometime around the end of December. Contents 1 History 2 Nutrition 3 Sales and marketing 4 References 5 External links History Starbucks started developing the Pumpkin Spice Latte in January 2003 in an attempt to expand on the success of winter seasonal drinks such as the Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog Latte. According to Peter Dukes, Starbucks ' director of Espresso Americas, developers tested ten products with consumers, with the Pumpkin Spice Latte coming out in the middle of the group after chocolate and caramel flavors. Dukes said that `` developers realized there was something special around the pumpkin flavor, especially since there was n't anything around pumpkin at the time ''. The company experimented with different combinations and ratios of pumpkin to spice, ultimately deciding on a recipe with no pumpkin in it. In fall of 2003, the final recipe was tested in Vancouver and Washington, D.C.. Sales of the drink exceeded the company 's expectations : Dukes said `` we could n't keep up initially... we had to expedite inventory to the stores ( at the time 7,225 -- now nearly 19,000. '' The product went on sale in all U.S. Starbucks stores the following year. The company said that Pumpkin Spice Latte was Starbucks ' most popular seasonal beverage, with more than 200 million sold between its 2003 introduction and 2015. After this, sales increased by 234 % from 2008 to 2012. The beverage 's aroma has since been branded into a range of articles, such as air fresheners and foods such as tortilla chips, produced by companies other than Starbucks. In August 2015, Starbucks changed the recipe to include pumpkin and remove artificial colours. The ingredients announced included a `` pumpkin pie flavored sauce '' made with sugar, condensed skim milk, pumpkin puree, coloring and preservative. Nutrition In 2014, the controversial pseudoscience blogger Vani Hari, better known as `` Food Babe '', voiced concerns about the ingredients used in Starbucks ' Pumpkin Spice Latte. Hari 's widely shared article `` You 'll Never Guess What 's in a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte ( Hint : You Wo n't Be Happy ) '' focused on the use of Class IV caramel coloring ( E 150d ), which contains low levels of 4 - MEI, a potential carcinogen. Caramel coloring is generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration ; human exposure to 4 - MEI at normal levels is considered safe by the FDA, the European Food Safety Authority, and Health Canada. Prior to the 2015 introduction of pumpkin puree, Hari had also raised concerns over the absence of pumpkin as an ingredient in the drink. Institute of Food Technologists ( IFT ) spokesperson Kantha Shelke argued that the drink was supposed to evoke the spices used in pumpkin pie, not the taste of pumpkin itself. Hari and others also criticised the amount of sugar in the product. Journalist Mandy Oaklander reported in Time magazine that one serving of Starbucks ' pumpkin sauce contained 8 grams ( 0.28 oz ) of sugar. A `` grande '' Pumpkin Spice Latte, containing three servings of syrup, had 49 g ( 1.7 oz ) sugar, 24 g ( 0.85 oz ) of which were from the Pumpkin Spice flavoring. A 16oz pumpkin spice latte contains 380 calories In 2015, Starbucks reformulated the flavor to include actual pumpkin and to remove artificial coloring. In an IFT publication, Shelke said that the change was imperceptible and served only to `` appease those who wanted to see real pumpkin on the list of ingredients. '' Sales and marketing Starbucks sold more than 200 million Pumpkin Spice Lattes between its launch and 2013, generating revenue at a rate of at least $80 million a year in some seasons, and outselling products such as the Eggnog Latte and the Peppermint Mocha. In a 2013 article published in Forbes magazine, Debra Donston - Miller wrote that `` products that are available only for a limited time have a kind of built - in marketing that can grow in impact over time. '' However, marketing experts at Mottis said in 2014 that the success of the Pumpkin Spice Latte could be attributed to Starbucks ' marketing campaigns. Starbucks has worked to market to their target market of men and women ages 25 to 40, using contemporary designs and messaging. Starbucks has written that their target market represents the demographics using social media most heavily, including on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. IN 2013, the company added a gaming element to the drink 's arrival, allowing customers to `` unlock '' the drink at Starbucks stores nearby by ordering the drink with a code before its official sale date. Between August 2012 and January 2014, there were over 29,000 tweets with the hash tag `` # PSL '', and in a single fall day use of the PSL hash tag exceeded 12 million. Since the introduction of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, other companies have created Pumpkin Spice inspired products. According to Datassential Menu Trends, restaurants ' pumpkin - inspired limited - time offers were up 234 percent from 2008 to 2012, while overall limited - time menu offers grew by 143 percent over the same period. '' These items include pumpkin M&M 's, Dunkin ' Donuts pumpkin flavored coffee K - packs, and pumpkin flavored whiskey. Companies have also manufactured pumpkin spice lotion, shampoo, and candles. The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte can also be made iced or as a Frappuccino upon request at a Starbucks store. In Fall of 2017 the company added a Chai variety of the drink called the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte. Additionally, Starbucks also seasonally offers pumpkin spice - flavored instant coffee pouches. References ^ Jump up to : Chou, Jessica ( October 28, 2013 ). `` History of the Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. The Daily Meal. Retrieved October 6, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Fieisher, Lisa ( August 30, 2013 ). `` Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Drink That Almost Was n't ''. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Mims, Christopher ( October 17, 2013 ). `` The untold history of Starbucks ' Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Quartz. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 15. Jump up ^ Dukes, Peter ( Aug 17, 2015 ). `` Big News for the Beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Starbucks Corporation -- via `` Starbucks debuts new Pumpkin Spice Latte ingredients list ''. 12 News. Leah Durain, producer. Beaumont, Texas : Frankly Media and KBMT. September 8, 2015... ^ Jump up to : Engel, Meredith ( September 18, 2014 ). `` Battle Brews over Ingredients in Starbucks ' Pumpkin Spice Lattes ''. Daily News ( New York ). New York. Retrieved October 6, 2014. Jump up ^ World Health Organization ( 1975 ) Toxicological evaluation of some food colours, enzymes, flavour enhancers, thickening agents, and certain food additives. Accessed on 2011 - 01 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Questions & Answers on Caramel Coloring and 4 - MEI ''. FDA.gov. Food and Drug Administration. 2014 - 11 - 05. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 11. Based on the available information, FDA has no reason to believe that there is any immediate or short - term danger presented by 4 - MEI at the levels expected in food from the use of caramel coloring. Jump up ^ `` EFSA reviews safety of caramel colours ''. Retrieved 2015 - 01 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Coke changes recipe ; Pepsi still contains cancer - causing chemical, U.S. watchdog says ''. 2013 - 07 - 05. Retrieved 2015 - 01 - 08. ^ Jump up to : Oaklander, Mandy ( September 3, 2014 ). `` In Defense of the Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Time. Retrieved September 26, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Shelke, Kantha. `` Pumpkin Spice 101 ''. Institute of Food Technologists. Retrieved October 27, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Pumpkin Spice Lattee ''. Starbucks.com. Retrieved February 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Giammona, Craig. `` Starbucks Pulls Artificial Coloring From Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Bloomberg News. Retrieved October 27, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Maynard, Micheline ( September 22, 2013 ). `` How Starbucks Turned Pumpkin Spice Into A Marketing Bonanza ''. Forbes. Retrieved October 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` More than 200 Million Sold : Fans Celebrate the Return of the Original Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks ''. Regional Business News, EBSCOhost. 2013. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` The Branding Magic Behind Pumpkin Spice Lattes ''. Forbes. December 26, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Bethany. `` One Pumpkin Spice Latte with a Side of Marketing Success Please ''. Mottis. Retrieved October 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Starbucks Coffee Company. January 1, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014. Jump up ^ Grant, Kelli B. ( September 8, 2013 ). `` Starbucks Latte Dries Early Pumpkin Foods Craze ''. CNBC. Retrieved October 6, 2014. Jump up ^ https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/pumpkin-spice-chai-latte Jump up ^ `` New Drinks at Starbucks : Fall 2017 ''. What 's New at Starbucks This Fall. Starbucks. Retrieved 28 September 2017. External links Official product page `` Peter Dukes Shares the Story Behind Starbucks First Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Starbucks Newsroom. August 25, 2014. `` Everything You Need to Know about the Return of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte ''. Starbucks Newsroom. August 20, 2014. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pumpkin_Spice_Latte&oldid=808198643 '' Categories : Coffee drinks Starbucks Squash and pumpkin dishes Hidden categories : Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from November 2017 All articles with failed verification Articles with failed verification from November 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 1 November 2017, at 13 : 39. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did starbucks start selling pumpkin spice latte
Answer: 2003