A full 16 years after introducing the pumpkin spice latte, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) is finally bringing a new pumpkin drink to its fall menu: the pumpkin cream cold brew.
The Seattle-based premium coffee company says it started working on the new cold brew drink earlier this year, landing on a drink made with cold brew and a vanilla base and topped with frothy pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice.
Starbucks says the result is less sweet and has a stronger coffee taste than a pumpkin spice latte.
The choice to make the pumpkin cream cold brew, its first new pumpkin coffee beverage since the introduction of the pumpkin spice latte, is a strategic one. When the drink launches Tuesday with the rest of the fall menu, many parts of the U.S. are still experiencing summer weather, which can make a hot pumpkin spice latte seem unappealing.
It’s also been proven that customer preferences are also shifting toward cold beverages, even when temperatures drop. Drinks like cold brew, iced espresso and Starbucks Refreshers account for more than 50% of Starbucks sales.
The pumpkin spice latte — also known by its nickname PSL — has kept customers coming back since its introduction in 2003. It is the coffee chain’s most popular seasonal drink, with roughly 424 million sold worldwide.
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