An Open Letter to Pumpkin Spice Latte Haters

Dear Pumpkin Spice Latte Haters...can you just...not?

If our super sleuthing is anywhere close to being accurate, we're about twelve days away from the return of what's arguably Starbucks most popular seasonal beverage and the haters are already out in force.

• "Pumpkin spice should be cancelled like everything else lately."
• "Why would you pay $5 for a cup of coffee? Or more."
• "Ug. Why can't we enjoy summer? It's still August."
• "How to enjoy a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Step 1: Throw it in the trash."

At a more intellectual level, PSL haters want you to know that the beverage is a marketing scheme. Rather than soaking in the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices wafting off the coffee, they want to tell you the air reeks of capitalism. Others quickly become "expert nutritionists" and want to show that the ingredient list very clearly doesn't include any actual pumpkin in the drink. Oh...and the calories! Do you know how many calories are in your over-priced basic white girl drink?!

The amount of negative comments about Pumpkin Spice Lattes absolutely dumbfounds me. What did this 20 oz. coffee do to hurt you? How did it push you to take time out of your day to let hateful comments pour out of your fingertips, into the social media-verse? I'm sure it was tragic.

...but this isn't the year for it. Social media is already full of ugly, polarizing and frequently inaccurate information about masks, vaccines, COVID-19, violent protests...you get the idea. Just scrolling past the negativity is mentally draining. People are hurting right now. Do you really need to make it worse by making fun off a coffee drink and the people who enjoy it? Does that make you feel big? If you don't like the taste or the price, you are aware that no one is forcing one down your throat, right?

2020, quite frankly, sucks. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are going to be a source of comfort for a lot of us who are hanging on to a very thin string. That special blend of warm coffee and seasonal spices stirs up feelings of joy and nostalgia. We need that more than ever. Let those of us who love them have that moment this year. We need a win.

In full disclosure, I had a Pumpkin Chai with breakfast this morning and there was something very therapeutic about it. If you can't wait until August 25 for the "official" PSL, my friends at Zero Six Coffee Fix on Parkcenter have pumpkin year round. You're welcome, fellow fall lovers.