The Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks is an intensely popular harbinger of fall, and as the much lauded coffee drink arrives in locations across the country, the term “Pumpkin Spice Latte” hits a fever pitch on Facebook, Twitter and the like.
So loved is the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte on the internet that it has achieved near-meme status, with images popping up professing America’s dedication to the beverage.
So naturally, when a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte shortage was suggested, people lost their damn minds. Limited edition items (like the McRib at McDonald’s) are often cult items due to their relative scarcity, and the addictive nature of coffee beverages themselves lend another layer of intrigue to the whole Pumpkin Spice Latte brouhaha.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal covered reports of a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte shortage, and the paper spoke to one crestfallen coffee drinker who related a tale of seasonal beverage heartache when seeking out the popular drink:
“For Asher Anidjar, the arrival of fall isn’t marked by turning leaves or a chilly breeze, but a steaming seasonal drink. Recently, though, when he headed to his local Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, he left with a bitter taste in his mouth. They were out of the special sauce that gives the treat its distinctive autumnal flavor. ‘I just left, depressed,’ said Mr. Anidjar, a 26-year-old commercial real-estate analyst who lives in Manhattan.”
Heart beating a little faster, and not just because you just drank a double venti skinny quad mocha? You can chill — Starbucks says the reports of a Pumpkin Spice Latte shortage were actually down to a supply chain glitch, and that distribution centers are fully stocked with the ingredients to make your daily autumnal crack.
Starbucks spokeswoman Lisa Passe explained:
“I can confirm that there are no actual pumpkin emergencies.”
Well, that clears that up — did news of a Pumpkin Spice Latte shortage put a damper on your day?