"A major coffee-shop chain introduced the pumpkin spice latte as a seasonal autumn drink in 2003, a launch that helped ignite the mainstream pumpkin-spice craze; since then the flavor has proliferated into countless products and the chain has tended to roll the latte out earlier each year. The beverage remains culturally significant and polarizing—first inspiring intense enthusiasm, then a period of 'pumpkin spice fatigue' and backlash, and now largely indifference as the flavor has become ubiquitous. The chain’s seasonal offering is portrayed as a durable, if divisive, staple of fall menus and a touchpoint in wider conversations about taste, trends, and consumer culture." - Madeleine Davies