Pumpkin spice lattes are back, more controversial than ever

by Addison Maley

Staff Writer

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

Bradley student Lucy Cotter (11) sips on a fall beverage at New Grounds. Photo by Addison Maley (11).

As fall approaches, every coffee shop and café reintroduces their favorite seasonal beverage: the pumpkin spice latte.

The drink is controversial, but its return makes a splash every year. So, is this splash a puddle of delicious autumnal bliss, or disappointment? Bradley’s opinion is divided on whether this latte is worth the craze.

The beloved pumpkin spice latte is typically available from September to November at most coffee shops, including Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and New Grounds. Avid Starbucks customer and coffee connoisseur Rutbah Kamal (11) shares “they’re my favorite drink” and they “make me so happy when it’s fall time”. A nearby student, Taylor Neiswinger (11) agrees, saying “they’re probably my favorite thing about fall”.

The seasonality of the drink is a driving factor for the love of these students, but it raises a point of contention for others. Krina Patel (11) says “I feel like people only love them because it’s a trend; that will go away soon” which solidifies her stance against the drink. It may be a fall exclusive, but pumpkin spice fans seem to feel that it acts as a segue into the season, rather than a trend. Despite these polarizing opinions, very few students even mention the taste of the latte. MJ Snyder (11) feels very strongly against pumpkin spice, saying “I would rather take a bite out of an actual pumpkin. It’s more accurate and more tasty”.

Health teacher Mr. Wierzbicki disagrees, but he doesn’t particularly love the taste either. Mentioning how his feelings are split “about 50/50” in terms of seasonality versus flavor, but he “loves pumpkin spice just because of the time of year [it] comes out”. He goes on to explain the joy it brings him as “The leaves [turn]” and “the weather gets cooler”. Again, the drink is seen as a welcome transition into autumn, rather than a fall fad. Future Ready teacher Mr. Riggs understands the appeal of the drink, but he would “never put that in [his] coffee”. Gesturing to his coffee mug, he says he drinks it “just like the railroaders - black and a little bit thick”. Of course, any flavor is subjective, but the passion around this fall special is unrivaled. Though taste appears to play a small role in the feelings around pumpkin spice, the timing of its release has a much more significant impact.

A poll surveying Bradley students’ opinions on pumpkin spice shows a close margin between those who love the drink and those who have never had one, with a minority hating them. Poll by Addison Maley (11).

While many students have strong feelings, a near majority of students polled have not tried a pumpkin spice latte. A whopping 40% answered they’ve never drank one, making 43% of pumpkin spice enjoyers a small majority. It seems that pumpkin spice haters are simply a very vocal minority, and those who have had the drink overwhelmingly love it. Whether this love stems from flavor or season appears to only matter to those who don’t like pumpkin spice, and those who love it have no problem with jumping on a seasonal trend. Regardless of adoration or hatred, pumpkin spice lattes are sticking around to ease Summer into chilly mornings and crunchy leaves.